Dresden

To me, Dresden sounded like it could be kind of drab. I don't know if its the name itself, the fact that it was absolutely destroyed in WWII, or that every description I heard up untill going there used words such as "quiet" and "little town." Nevertheless, I found the city of Dresden to be rather lively. I think this perhaps had more to do with my timing than anything else. For as I wandered past the baroque architecture in Altstadt (old town), I found myself in the midst of a festival. It was complete with a stage, many food stalls, and a makeshift beergarden. At first I thought that perhaps such an event happened every Saturday. However, the flamboyant feel, abundance of rainbows, and surprisingly catchy pop music raised my suspicians. Soon, I heard music coming down the street in front of me - on a float. Yes, I had indeed arrived in Dresden just in time for the gay pride parade. Hahaha. I believe I actually laughed at loud at the time. Irregardless of what you think, I still find it hilarious.

As evening approached, I walked back across the beautifull River Elbe to my hostel (the Lollis Homestay) on the edge of Neustadt (new town). My hostel, along with the rest of Dresden, was filled with German tourists. In fact, during the whole time I was in Dresden, I think I only overheard two English conversations that I was not a part of. This is a very new feeling to me.

Just across the street from my hostel is a giant park where local Dresdeners gather in the evening with beer and campstoves. They play soccer, listen to music, and just generally have a good time. I wish we could/would use our parks like that back in Canada. Although I do wonder about the logistics of playing soccer barefoot while wielding around glass beer bottles.

Unlike in Berlin, the weather in Dresden was fabulous. I was reasured of this fact when I came back to my hostel in the evening and found that I had been burnt to a crisp.