Meine Woche in Dresden

So, it is Sunday afternoon and I just got home from Church and I though I should take some time to upload some information to my Blog. This has been a good week and also a challenging week. I started with the Deutsch class on Tuesday and I think they put me into a harder class than I should be in. But I am learning...at least I hope that I am learning.

I go to class from 8:30 to 13:00 Monday to Friday. It is a 20 minute Strassenbahn ride to the school, so I leave my apartment around 7:50. After class, I usually come back to my apartment for lunch and to continue studying. In the early evening I might go out and see some of the sights, or just keep studying. I want to work hard this first month on the language. I figure I have the next two months to be more of a tourist.

Often, I will just start walking somewhere to see what is there, or take the Strassenbahn to someplace I have not yet been. It is a good way to just see what is around. I am also becoming more acquainted with my grocery store. The options are few, but I have to read everything or look at the pictures. So, mom would like it. I get to doddle and take my time!


This is a picture of a Russian Orthodox Church right by my apartment. I walk by this Church every day. I went inside it the other day. It was very ornate with a lot of icons. It was interesting there was no place for the congragation to sit. I understand they stand... I wonder how much shorter our meetings would be if we had to stand for the entire meeting!

One day I took the Strassenbahn to the eastern part of town. I found this neat area with some really interesting buildings. These 2 pictures are of some of those buildings. I want to go back again and get more pictures. Every building was quite unique.

This was another Church I found on a journey out. There are Churches everywhere and usually when I see a spire, I will go look at the Church.


This is the cupola of the Frauenkirche. It sits in the Aldstadt (Old City) and is an icon of Dresden. It was completed in the late 90's I believe and is very bright and lovely inside. I went to a Sunday service here last week to listen to the organ. The organ had a different sound from other organs I have heard... Up close to the Church, you will notice some building blocks are dark black. When they rebuilt this Church, they used as much of the old materials as possible in the new construction. So, they are mixed together.


This is the inside of the Hofkirche which sits just opposite of the Semperoper (The Opera House). This is a Catholic Church. I heard an organ recital here on Saturday.

This is the organ of the Hofkirche.

This is one of the old communistic limos. They use it now to give tours of the city.

This is a tour ship on the Elbe River.

This is a hotel now. It is one of the 3 Castles that sits on the banks of the Elbe River.

Esther Benn came down on Saturday to visit. This is a picture on the balcony of one of the Elbe Castles. We had a nice time together. Friday night we walked the Aldstadt and ate Vietamese Food. I had a really good curry. Saturday, we walked most of the town (even with my GOUT foot!) We had Doners for lunch and Italian food for dinner. It was a very active day...

This is the Yenidz building in Dresden. Don't know much about it other than it is cool looking. I feel like I had been to Mecca!

Today I went to Church and enjoyed it. I do not have anyone translate for me b/c I want to get used to listening and understanding. I am surprised at how much I can pick-up. Also, on Thursday I went to Institute. I wanted to leave at first b/c no one would talk to me. But, I stayed and ended up having a good time. We had a lesson first and then ate a meal together afterwards. I would speak in German as much as possible, but everyone speaks English too. So, it is too easy to just speak English. Although, some Germans will be patient and allow you to speak in German. I have to speak so slowly, so some conversations take awhile. But the more I speak, the more I will learn.