CENTRAL EUROPE 2011
Day 6
September
7 Wednesday -
Dresden
In Berlin, our apartment was only a block from the
Hackesten Market metro station and two stops would put us in the train station,
but since it was morning commute tim, we thought it best to take a taxi
since we had our luggage. We
had no trouble finding the train. We
had made reservations several months before.
All of the train stations that we encounter on this trip had a nice board
near the track that showed each
train by number and where on the platform our coach was located.
It was a nice two hour train ride. We
arrived at lunch time, and there was…you guessed it…a Burger King in the
train station. Nothing like American fast foods. We took a taxi to our
hotel. It seemed like a very long ride.
We
checked in to the Bulow Residence at Konigstrabe 14 which was three blocks from the
bridge to the Old Town. We had a beautiful, large room with an attractive
seating area and desk. We were on
the second floor.
Of
course, the first place that we went to visit was the Frauenkirche.
We have been looking forward to our visit for many months.
For our story about our attraction for the Frauenkirche,
read the story on Day 3. Click here to see my
MODEL OF FRAUENKIRCHE
In 1726 the new Frauenkirche, designed by George
Bahr (1666-1738), was started on the site of the former 14th church.
It took three years to get to the level of the dome, at which time the
church was consecrated. The
dome was finished and thus the church was completed
in 1743. For centuries, it
survived all the wars in which the city was involved.
During the Seven Years’ War (1756-63) when Dresden was devastated by
the Prussian army of Frederick the Great, the cannon balls bounced harmlessly
off the church. It also
survived the revolutionary riots in May 1849 when other buildings like the opera
house were completely destroyed.
During the devastating air raid on the city on
February 13, 1945, it seemed once again that the Frauenkirche would withstand
the bombing. On February 15,the
church collapsed and reduced to a pile of rubble. After the war consideration
was given to rebuilding. But owing
to the changed political condition in what was then the Soviet Zone work on
restoring was stopped.
For 47 years the rubble remained undisturbed as a
reminder of the horrors of war. Then
in 1992 a group of Dresden citizens formed a commission to rebuild the church
just as it had been. Funds
were raised from around the world.
The new foundation was laid in 1994 and construction began.
As much of the old stone work as possible was used and in many cases put
back in its original position, which accounts for the different color stone.
The work was finished and the church consecrated on October 30, 2005.
(see model)
After walking around the outside, taking general
photos, we went inside. It was
beautiful - very baroque and rather colorful- with pastel colors.
The interior is almost square, being only 150 feet wide.
The interior of the dome is 120 feet under a 225 foot main dome. The
Baroque sandstone altar shows Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with
soldiers led by Judas on their way. Eighty
percent of today’s altar is from original material…more than 2000 individual
fragments.
Then we went back outside where I spent a long time
outside taking pictures of all the little details that I spent so much time
putting together on my
model. I was
particularly interested in how the roof of the apse met the curve of the bottom
of the dome. It was thrilling to see
it in person.
We went
into a book store and bought a small book on the church.
All of the beautiful historic buildings are located a short distance from
each other. Most were closed by the time we got there. We checked out the
location of the Green Vault which we have tickets to visit tomorrow.
We went in the Zwiger Palace complex which contains
many buildings each featuring different exhibits - the Old Master’s Picture
Gallery, the Armory, the Porcelain Collection and the thematics/ Physics
Salon. The palace was built 1710-28 by the architect Pöppelmann in cooperation with the sculptor
Permoser. Originally designed as an
orangery and a setting for court festivities, it was later used for
exhibitions. it is said To be the most perfect of late Baroque
architecture in Germany
As it was near closing time, we only had time to visit one hall which was
called the Nymp
henbad,
a small enclosed courtyard with a baroque fountain featuring numerous statues of
nymphs and tritons
– mythical Greek gods.
We had made reservation back in August for dinner
at Canaletto restaurant in the Westin Bellevue hotel.
My wife had read a number of reviews about it which recommended it as one
of Dresden’s finest. The hotel was
a combination of new and old and very attractive. We went to the Canaletto
restaurant and were told they were having a private party and were not serving
dinner. We showed them a copy of our
confirmed reservation from Bookatable. They
said that didn't have it. We had to
go somewhere else but they promised to seat us tomorrow at 5:00 before the opera
and then dessert after the opera. We did write an email to Bookatabl
e.
They wrote an apology, but we didn’t hear anymore from them.
We have found that you cannot always depend on restaurant booking
websites.
My model enthusiast friend, Mike Stamper, in London
had recommended Ontario- a Canadian Steakhouse.
It was right across the street from the Frauenkirche.
It was lovely inside. We each
had a fish dinner. So much for Canadian steaks!! I had Halibut and my wife had
a Pike Perch. We shared a delicious dessert—two kinds of sorbet and a
cheesecake. We walked around the
Frauenkirche and took a lot of night photos.
Back across the bridge to our hotel.
The weather today has been cool and cloudy.
I am glad that I brought my sweater and jacket.
