Bye Dresden!

6-23-08 Last day Dresden!

So yesterday as I said, we took a tour of the Schloss. It was a guided tour with microphone head sets, the only different thing was the fact that they were all synced with one microphone. The tour guide wore it on the side of her face and it picked up everything. It was nice, because she was such a quiet talker that we were able to turn up the volume to hear everything she said. Of course it was all in German and sometimes we drifted in and out of what was being said. The schloss is not like one would think. Since everything in Dresden was basically destroyed, this schloss was rebuilt to house like royal items. There was a boat cleverly carved out of Ivory, The only Green Diamond of its size, little figurines, a gold china set of art that had more than likely never been used but cost as much as one palace. Can you imagine that? I was just appalled.

After the tour of pretty things, Matt, Eric, and I went to the Semper Opera House and took a tour of it. Thank god there were reduced student rates for 3:50€ per person cause otherwise it would have been 7€ a pop and the tour was not worth that. The opera building was quite impressive and when Matthew inquired as to how many singers the opera employed, the guide said 160 persons, but also mentioned with a knowing smile that they were currently looking for singer roles to be filled. lol. Nice huh? Too bad he cannot have them just yet.

After the Semper Opera tour, Matthew and I went to the Swinger palace right next door and walked through the courtyard taking silly pictures of ourselves! IT was a great time. We then went back to the Hostel till 6, doing our last tagebuchs (journals) for Felecia!

At 6, Felecia took us into the altstadt to a bar called "Planwirtschaft". However, Paula, had found a pottery barn with handmade pottery and I went in search of it. I found a few things I liked, purchased them and then I went to the Bar to meet up with everyone.

We all sat down, our waiter was quite cheerful, probably the nicest waiter I have ever had in Germany. I had a radler, some chili coconut soup, and a planters breakfast. It was way too much food I must admit, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast and I was famished. Matthew had two beers a Dunkle and then his first Guiness! He liked it I think, yay for the Irish! For dinner he had a Long noodles in a tomato sauce with jager schnitzel (bascially hunter's meat) It was tasty.

We enjoyed ourselves there for a while until the food and drink were gone and then set off in search of a jazz club that had been recommended to us by some locals. After a very long search, and Calvin being pushed into a fountain By Renee. Lol, let me just say, huge fountain, very dirty, Calvin sitting on the edge looking into its depths, Renee creeping up behind him and just giving him a slight tap on the shoulder, (she never meant for him to actually go in, it was just to bait him) however, Calvin went in back first with passport, hotel info, and money in his pockets. He was terribly good natured about it and we all took pictures of him making sad faces. It was a good time and we all laughed.

But like I said, we spent a very long time looking for this jazz club and when we finally found it we saw that it was not open on mondays. Poor luck.

The group separated a bit, some going to do their own things and matthew and I went with a bunch to a Bier garten )Beer Garden).

The city landscape looked so beautiful with it lighted up at night! Matthew and I refrained for having anything more to drink, which I think is to our credit, because we were certainly pushed to from every angle. The truth is, that Matt and I just can't spend money the way the rest of them here can. They would all spend as much as they like, but matthew and I are trying to see if we can at least have some money when we come back. (mom, don't worry, I am fine for money, please do not put any in my account for me. I am more than fine, because I have been fairly frugal)! ;)

Finally about an hour later, I was cold, and people had finished their beers so we returned to the hostel. I turned in quickly and so did matthew it had been a long day for sure.

6-24-08 Berlin!!!!

Today, we got up, ate a hurried breakfast, had our rooms checked out by 9:10 and were at the train station in no time. We waited there for an hour for train. Thankfully we only had the one train today. Less stress for sure. We got here and are currently at the hostel waiting to check into our rooms. I will update later!

Biss dann!