Sandy Supposes....

I am a klotz in paradise

PROMPT: Still in Germany..Dresden and Berlin

          There were more than a few yawns and incredulous stares when I chirped, :Guten Morgen" today. I just like to try out the local lingo. When offered a steaming cup of coffee to carry onto the coach this morning, I smiled, and remembered to say, :Danke." When in Deutschland... Sorry, oops, I'm Canadian and I'm prone to apologize a lot, but I'm eager to get going in the morning. This backpacking trip is phenomenal, and I do not have time to be tired.Yes, NaNoKit and Fivesixer , and SB Musing , some of us are limping, but this is a virtual vacation. If we are in Europe exercising our vivid imaginations, our battered and bruised bodies are free of real-life aches, too. Sorry, again, if I've stepped on toes, but I like your joie de vivre. Let's re-write the headlines; klutzes conquer culture shock. Ouch! Okay, I'll stop. SB Musing That elbow jab felt real.

          So, we're no longer bouncing and balancing on Segways. We're being jostled in a coach, and trying hard not to spill our precious coffee. My ears perk up when they hear a familiar tune on the radio, and I burst into song. "Ninety-nine red balloons go by, floating in the summer sky." I could be mistaken, but I think 💙 Carly-wrimo 2024 snorted coffee all over WakeUpAndLive~doingNaNo'24 yeah, the voice isn't THE voice, sorry. Anyway, this is an anti-war protest tune by Nena. here's a link: www.metrolyrics.com/99-red-balloons It dates from 1983, and in its original German it's known as neunundneunzig luftballons. Now we have an ear worm travelling with us...

          After a two-hour drive, Dresden was a spectacular sight to behold, wow! I can see for myself why it is referred to as 'Jewel Box', or The Garden City. Amazing architecture blends with green spaces.

         Our guide leads us at a leisurely pace through the city. He explains that much of Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945, and rebuilt. It is a mixture of old and new.The Zwinger Palace is a stunner, another fairy tale castle Now it houses paintings and porcelain. . Its gate/arch is uber impressive. On our stroll, I notice many fountains and springs. The Semperoper, or opera house is beautiful, too. The Lutheran church, Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, is magnificent with spires and a dome.

          Yeah, a free afternoon. What to do?? I headed to the Weisse Gasse, a pedestrian street in Alstadt/ Old Town. SB Musing Fivesixer weisblaize NaNoKit 💙 Carly-wrimo 2024 and I were seeking a biergarten and a kneipen, or pub. We had whistles to wet. Frosty beer is the best. Ein Prosit! I snuck in some people watching. We lip synched to a few German drinking ditties. Mostly we just had to raise our steins in the air at crucial times.

          After some beer-soaked fun, I opted to check out The Museum of Hygiene, the name intrigued me. Surprise, I met Apondia there, and I learned it was a medical museum. It features a transparent model of a human being, The Glaserner Mensch. I also learned that sadly this museum was used by the Nazis as a propoganda site for their twisted racial ideology.

          My next free foray was to the Grosser Garten, a lovely lush and green park open to the public since 1814.. It was created outside the city's walls. The mini railway, the Parkeisenbahn was fascinating. Also located here is the Botanischer Garten, or Botanical Garden. It features plants from around the world. For an industrial city there is a lot of green space.

          I met up with the gang at the Charlottenburg Palace for abendessen. Oh my God, the Orangery is so elegant with its pristine white tablecloths and candle light. This was most definitely a place that demanded we mind our p's and q's. The food was delicious, but the imbibing of more wine made me giggle. Sorry, I felt giddy. I was explaining to SB Musing that 'room' in german is 'zimmer', and it struck me that this room shimmered, or was it zimmered? A grinning waiter didn't help when he said, "Du bist dumm." Maybe, but he meant I was silly. It was kind of intimidating in there.. fine dining. I basically eat with one fork..

         By the time we had moved to the auditorium, I had my laughter/lachen under control. The Berlin Residence Orchestra was fantastic. It was easy to get lost in the beautiful musik/music of German composers Bach, Mozart, and Handl. This classical concert deserved respect.          

{/justify } Returning to the hotel, I marvelled anew at the amazing architecture in the strasse. At nacht/night, Berlin is gorgeous. I am a klotz/klutz in paradise. Danke Lyn's a Witchy Woman Gute nacht!