Praha - A must see!

Wow...what a great trip I just had. I really enjoyed my time in Praha and am so glad that I was able to expierence this beautiful city. This post will probably be long b/c I want to journal my trip for myself. So, sorry about that. Feel free to just look at the pictures! So, Prag is 2 1/2 hours by train from Dresden. I left Tuesday morning on the 9:08 train, and incidentally, this will be the same train that I take to go to Budapest in a couple of weeks. So, I had a reserved seat and it was in a compartment with 6 seats. There was only one other lady with me in there and when I saw that I thought this was going to be a really long trip! However, the most incredible thing happend...I was able to have a real conversation with this lady, Monika, for the entire 2.5 hours all in German! She spoke no English at all. I could not believe it. It was a really great and much needed experience for me b/c it showed me that I really am learning the language. Of course I did not understand everything and often either she or I would have to resort to charades to get a point across. But for the most part, I understood and could speak back to her. The conversation was much more than just the normal chit chat, so it really extended my vocabulary. We spoke about her family and the funeral she would be attending in Budapest. We talked about life with the DDR. We even talked about the earthquake in Japan and discussed if it was sent by God to humble the people. So, it was not your typical German 101 discussion, but it was wonderful. The best part is that the Church came up and she was very interested. She had actually been to the Church 1 time before for a brief visit. We spoke a little about the Church and then moved on. However, later she came back to it and I could share some of our beliefs with her. I also asked if she had received a Book of Mormon. She had not, so I offered her mine. It was my personal copy, but I was happy to share it with her. She gratefully accepted it. I also told her about an openhouse the Church is doing in April and she said that she would attend...and that I better be there too. So, it was really really great! It just never ceases to amaze me how the Lord puts us in situations to share the Gospel with those he has prepared. I realised this even more on y trip home because on the train I was in a large open car with 75+ seats. No one sat by me and even if they had, it was so noisy (Spaniards were on the train :) )that we probably could not have talked much anyways. So, I was very grateful for the expierence to both speak German and share the Gospel. I just kept thinking about D&C 100:4 as well as the verse that says He will give us what we need to say in the time that we need it. I feel this is true with my German because I was speaking well beyond what I had before. But by speaking with Monika, I was able to build a friendly relationship and thus share the Gospel! So, I got to Prag about 12-13:00 and checked my bag at the train station, got money and bought a tram ticket. My first stop was the Castle. It sits up on the hill opposite the river from the main section of Prag. I spent most of the remainder of the day here. I went through the different sites at the Castle including St. Vitus' Cathedral. It was really expensive, but I just kept thinking about how we never went into Westminster Cathedral in London, but paid for everything esle. So, I bit the bullet and did it...and I am glad that I did. To get around you just walk and walk and walk. It is great though. You can see so many things this way. Up on the hill is a section called Loreto with Churches and a Monastery. I walked around these and then down the Royal Route to the lower section where St. Nicolas Cathedral is at. Prag is so exciting b/c there are so many 'secret' passages through the cobblestone streets. It is fun to just take one and see where it takes you! You also have to learn to poke your head into all of the courtyards because usually this is where the entrances are to different buildings and churches, which you would miss just walking along the street. I finally made it down the hill and found a nice park along the river front to sit and watch the boats go by and enjoy the view...yes, Heather...the VIEW! Around 5PM I went back to the train station, got my bags and then went to check-in to my hotel. After checking-in, I left again to go see some of the sights at night. It is really neat to see them all lit up. I finally returned to my hotel around 9PM. I must say though, today was a William day and everyone else should be glad they were not with me. I did not eat anything that day until 9:30 when I could buy some chips from the hotel lobby. It was a go-go day and lots and lots of walking! But it was wonderful and of course, I really enjoyed it. My hotel was a little scary but I survived. I think my main souvenier from Prag will be lung cancer! I could never escape the smoke and it crept into my room as well from the other guests. I woke up Tuesday night just really sick b/c of it! How can people do that...?? So, Wednesday was another great day of being on the move! I got up early, enjoyed a quick breakfast at the hotel and then was off again. Today was saved to go to the Old Town section where Tyn Church, the Astronomical Clock and Powder Tower are located. It was a lot of fun to see these landmark sites of Prag. Again, you would just walk around and get lost! I also visited the Estates Theater where Mozat premiered Don Giovanni (This is a big deal) and Wenceslas Square where the Velvet Revolution began. So much hostory at every turn. I continued to get lost during the day and saw many sights that were fasciating, but not even listed in my guide book. I guess that is the fun of exploring. Hami and Noah...this was adventure and beyond to the max! Some interesting non-traditional Prag sites today were: 1. An escort by secret police. It was cool to see the car motorcade arrive and then to watch the attention to people drew. I do not know who it was, but you could pick her out because everyone else was in dark suits and she was in red and white. Literally a bulls eye! But as she would stop, it was cool to see the agents form their barrier around her and how they operated. It was like strait out of a movie. 2. I went to the American Embassy because I wanted to see if it is the same in the movie. (I will have to watch the movie again to tell.) But, I figured something was up with the US because there were several Embassies nearby and others that I saw during the day and they drew no special attention. But the American Embassy had police guards stopping traffic and doing vehicle bomb checks. So, that was a little interesting. And I saw someone leave from the Embassy in a Cadillac, but this Cadi is not one that just any old person could drive. It had the bullet proof glass and all. Pretty cool. 3. The artisits that play around the city, espcially on the Charles Bridge were really good. There was one violinist that was quite impressive. As I sat earlier by the bridge for the hour I could hear him play and I really enjoyed it. 4. There are marianet (puppets) shops everywhere! I guess this was a big Bohemian thing. Some were quite intricate and very expensive! 5. All in all, I found the Czech people to be very friendly and courteous (except for when they drove.) But on the street cars and in the metro I was surprised at how friendly they were. 6. I loved riding the Metro...it rbought back great memories of London! 7. I debated if I should write this one. But if I see one more naked woman...! I thought it was bad in Germany, but the Czech Republic is much worse!! Around 4PM I went to the store and bought some bread, cheese and meat so that I could eat dinner. I only had $50 to spend and most of that went to transportation and entrance fees. So, eating was not that pleasant of expeirence, but I made it and would much rather spend the money on seeing the town. I rested for about an hour and then left again...

I went out this night specifically to get pictures of Prag at night. I sat fro about an hour in my spot on the river and enjoyed the sunset and then once it got dark...I was off. The city really is magical at night with the cobblestone streats, the secret alleys, the gas lanterns and the historical structures. It was fun to experience this. I enjoyed taking pictures and again, walked everywhere. I mean everywhere! I wanted pictures of everything at night, so I set foot to get it done. It only took about 2 hours, which wasn't that bad. But when you start at the Castle on the hill and look down to where you need to go it looks a little daunting. But it was really enjoyable.

Thursday morning I got up early and set out again. Although today my feet and legs really hurt. I wish I knew exactly how far I had walked...but it was far! This morning I went out to where Dvorak is buried. It was so beautiful. First, it was off the beaten track, so there were no crowds of people around. Second, the view from the park of Prag was astonishing. It was just absolutely gorgeous! I really enjoyed walking arounf this part of the town and going out on the rocky ledges to overlook the city. I think this part is a well-kept secret that people need to see. It was really wonderful!

I journeyed back around 12:30 and arrived in Dresden at 15:00. It is ironic On the way back, I kept thinking how happy I was to return to Germany wher I could talk to the people. I know very little German, but I know even less Czech! Coming to Dresden really did feel like returning home. Home...at least for now.

All in all, it was an awesome trip and I am so glad that I was able to experience it! Prag is a must see for every European traveler. I guess it was just so unique from the other parts of Europe that I had seen. It was so much fun to explore and experience. Now I really look forward to Budapest!

EVERY Town needs an Opea House!

I can sympathize with mom better after this week. I was asked to give the opening prayer at Institute this week. I had never been so nervous to offer a prayer before. They said I could do it in English, but of course I offered it in German. It wasn't perfect, but I think people knew what I was trying to say...

This week I got to see some of the sights that I have been looking forward to. The first was the Glaecerne Manufaktur. It is a VW car plant and here they only make the Phaeton. The car is completly handbuilt except for 4 robots in the factory. Every car is presold before it is produced and the customers customize the entire car.

The factory was very different from the Toyota factory in Japan. It was a lot of fun to see how they put these crs together in just 24 hours!



On Thursday I went to the Semperoper. It was awesome to finally see the inside of the opera house. The opera house has actually been built 3 times here in Dresden. 1) Original construction 2) Rebuilt after a fire destroyed it 3) Rebuilt after it was destroyed in WWII.

What is interesting is that Gottfried Semper, the architect, was asked to oversee the second construction. However, he was in Vienna at the time and did not want to come to Dresden. So, he built the opera house through letters. This was beneficial because after it was destroyed in WWII, the city of Dresden was able to retrieve these 1000+ letters and rebuild the oepra house the same way that Semper had originally built it.

I was so excited to see it that I went and bought tickets for 3 different operas for the month of April. I got the student price so they were only about $13.50 a piece.

This picture is for Dallin... The Rodizio Grill!

This is the Bluaes Wunder. There are very few bridges that cross the Elbe river in Dresden and this one is quite coveted. The place where it is at is an old Sorb? village.

There are still old wood frame homes built in this area.

This was an old church I found. The roof and most of the sides are completely destroyed. However, the few parts that are covered are actually used today for Kindergarten and other church services.

This was my lunch. The Turkish food is the best!

German History–Music and War

So, this week I have been able to visit some very interesting historical sights. I am sure there are many more in Dresden to learn about as well as the surrounding areas, but this is what I saw this week...


But first, this is a picture of the classroom at my school. In the picture is Mamoud. He comes from Saudi Arabia.


This was a nice reminder of Guatemala, although less scary. I was riding the Strassenbahn home and heard all this noise, so I decided to jump off at this stop and see what the noise was. There was a large protest/strike of teachers for the State of Saxony. It was interesting to hear them cheer and all...



This is in an old cemetary in Dresden where several famous people are buried. This tomb is for Carl Maria von Weber. He was a prominent German Opera composer and composed Der Freischutz, the first official German Opera. Others buried here include: J B Casanova, the painter Gerhard von Kuegelgen, founder of the German Romantic movement Friedrich von Schlegel and Baroque sculptor Balthasar Permoser.


This was around the cemetary and I thought it was interesting. In Dresde, you will occasionally see old buildings which date back to the DDR days. This was one of them...


I was riding the Strassenbahn home from the cemetary and caught a glimpse of this plaque. So I got off at the next stop and walked back to the home where Wagner lived for a few years. He composed Lohengrin while living here.


This is a picture of the Aldstadt from the bridge Carolabrueke. It is awesome to see everyday!

The Dresden University is right by my apartment and I went to this building today that is on their campus. It is the old home of the District Courts from 1907-1956. Here, in this courtyard, 2000 people were executed by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. The sculpture represents resistance fighters waiting to be executed. After WWII, the building was used by the Soviet secret Police for trials of Nazis and after 1952, it was the central location for executions for the whole DDR.

This is the sculpture of the resistance fighters.

Tunnel leading to the execution courtyard.

The exterior of the building.

I like to see these cars go down the road. All the others I have seen were dark colors. With everyone driving the same car, I wonder how anyone would find their car from amongst all the others!

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.

Mom was (is always) right...

Friday was rather uneventful. I checked-in and then tried to do some grocery shopping. I made it to a Lidl close by and chose my food. I went to check-out and found out they only accepted cash! So, the teller was nice and said he would put everything back for me. I guess I should have gotten some cash - like mom had suggested - but really I was so tired I just went home and went to bed. I fell asleep to watching the first Stars Wars...auf Deutsch of course!

Today (26.2) was a good busy day. I was up during the middle of the night for a few hours because of jet lag, so I finally woke up about 10 this morning. I have been so tired and sick...I really needed the rest.

I went to see what are known as the Elbe Castles today. They were real close to my hotel, just 2 stops away. There are 3 castles, or palaces, that are built right next to each other on the Elbe river. They were quite impressive and I enjoyed walking around and seeing the great European architecture. The sad part is that it is still winter and everything is dead! So, I had to imagine what the grounds would look like during the spring and summer. definitely want to return once things green-up!








I then headed over to the Theatreplatz area where the Semperoper is at. I was excited to finally see it in person. I will return and do a tour inside some day. Around the Semperoper are many historical sites. Today I kind of just wandered through everything not really knowing what I was looking at half of the time. I figured that I can return later, take more time, and learn more about the buildings and their history. It was fun to see them though.

I did enter the Frauenkirche, which is probably the most famous church in Dresden. It was so different than the cathedrals of England. It was very bright and airy with colorful decorations. It had a huge organ too. I might attend their evening service tomorrow so that I can hear the organ played. I also entered the crypt, which wasn't too bad. Again, it too was very bright and well kept. Seeing how it was rebuilt since WWII, it was more modern than perhaps the cathedrals of England.

I finally did some grocery shopping today, after getting some mone from the ATM. The grocery store is slim pickn's and I still have not even seen sauerkraut or mustard in the stores or where to buy it on the streets. I guess I just need to keep looking.

I did have a great dinner tonight...it really took me back to my days in London. I had a doner and it was great! We would eat these all the time in London and I have not had one like it since then. The best part about it was the garlic sauce they put on it...and it was great to taste it again. Hopefully before I leave Dresden I will find some true German food though.

I should have brought a pedometer with me. If I walked 1 mile today I bet I walked 100! It will be good for me though. Just liek Japan, you walk everywhere. Also, like my days in London I have got to get the courage to cross the streets again. I mean, traffic is busy and they do not have cross walks. So, you just walk out into traffic, stand in the middle, and hopefully make your way to the otherside. It is a litte like Frogger...

Well, that's it for today. I am sure more happened, but I just can't think to write about it. Tomorrow will be Church, perhaps a stroll along the Elbe and then evening Mass at the Frauenkirche. Bis spaet...