Postcard from Dresden

According to my calculations we are now up to day 4 of our planned 2 day stay in Dresden. Although this is not exactly how this part of the trip was planned, I think we have now all learned to embrace the change and enjoy the opportunities we have been given.

Now that the rain has stopped and summer has returned, we can see just how beautiful the city is. With a population of around 600,000 people, it is large enough to offer all the services of a major city, without the disadvantages of larger cities like Melbourne,

One feature of the central city which is immediately obvious is the almost complete lack of cars. Even in the middle of the day, the streets are virtually empty of vehicles, apart from the occasional taxi and the succession of silent, modern trams that slide past every few minutes. It really is a delightful contrast to Melbourne's never ending car bedlam.

When talking to the bright young concierge at the front desk of our hotel, he explained that, not only does he not own a car, he doesn't even have a drivers' license. "There is no need for a car here", he explained, "the public transport works so well".

The other feature of the central city is that most of the stately buildings are stained black. This is not because of their great age, since most of them were built after the destruction of the city in 1945. It is also not because of pollution. It is because they are constructed of sandstone, and the soft stone is commonly affected by a black surface mould. Because the stone is very soft, it also cannot be cleaned by pressure washing, as that would damage the surface.

I am starting to learn my way around the city a little better with each passing day. Today I thought it was time to cross one of the bridges (not the fallen down one) and explore some of the right bank. This appears to be home to the more modern and commercial parts of the city, and lacks the charm of the left bank.

Somewhat surprisingly there is a well known Australian restaurant in the centre of Dresden, called Ayers Rock. I had seen this place on my previous visit to the city and thought that maybe it would be a good spot for a late lunch.

The lunch certainly was good, but the young waitress certainly was not Australian. When I commented on this she replied "No one here is Australian". I reminded her that I was an Australian. "Then you are the only one", she replied.Read more