Warm Cherry Beer on a Dreary Day

Berlin is Berlin, it is its own universe.

Our two excursions to Potsdam and Dresden allowed us to see some other parts of Germany.
Its easy to see why people would want to live in Potsdam; its outside of Berlin but not out of touch. Its a quiet and cute place. You can sit in your local pub and enjoy some warm cherry beer on a cold day or in the summer you can relax in the gardens of the palace, Sans Souci, which belonged to the ever controversial and almost mythical historical figure, Freidrich.

Dresden is another story. Almost completely annihilated in the second world war it has been almost totally rebuilt in a very elegant style. Kurt Vonnegut mentioneDresden in his book Cat's Craddle. As he was an American soldier he was in Dresden around the time of the bombardment. He described how there was destruction and rubble everywhere but in the centre of the city stood a single porcelain cup, Meisin Porcelain, which is produced in the area and rather famous. The church in the centre of the town is unique in the fact that it was rebuilt almost exactly as it used to be using the rubble from the ruins of the old church (below) - a Phoenix from the Ashes of sorts. Again, we find that enduring fighting spirit that we experienced in Berlin. On a more ironic note Dresden is the capital of cigarette production while it is also the greenest city in Europe - 62% is covered with green  (grass, trees etc.).

Also, on a more hilarious note Dresden boasts not only the Amplemann but the Amplefrau!!