Dachau

After stopping in Nuremberg for lunch, we drove on towards Munich. On the way, we stopped in Dachau, which is a quaint town that also houses the famous Nazi concentration camp that was built in 1935 to send political prisoners to and later included people of whose only crime was being a gypsy, a Jew or gay. The town is very close to the camp, which surprised me and saddened me. That meant the average German had to have some inkling of what was happening. I only included several pictures from the trip there because I don't feel the pictures do justice to the horrors that occurred there; the torture of prisoners, the burning of their bodies... And it was a bright, warm, sunny day when we were there, making it a stark contrast to what happened there in the 30's and 40's. But the saddest thing of all, is the "Never Again" sign is not accurate. Genocide continues in the world today.

Scenes from Dachau

The entrance gate says "Work sets you free'

"Never Again" in several different languages.

Trees planted by prisoners belie the hell of the concentration camp.

A guard house

Prague

Prague was our next major city to visit and it was a gorgeous one! It is a very old city and untouched by bombings during WWII. We visited Prague Castle. In it is St.Vitus Cathedral, which is a beautiful old church that took 600 years to complete! It was started in 925! I loved the stained glass by Alphonse Mucha! We saw the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square, which tells everything but the time. It is absolutely worth goggling to learn how it works! We took a luncheon cruise on the Charles River, saw all the artisans on the Charles Bridge and a Folk Dance Festival in the Old Town Square. The Pinkas Synagogue was closed because it was Saturday. I was disappointed because several friends had told me it was a "must see". Oh well. Prague is a city to spend more time in if you have it!!!!

Pictures from Prague

Prague Castle

Inside Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle. Stained Glass is done by Alphonse Mucha.



A family portrait!

Colorful scenes from around Prague!

To Above is the astrononmical clock. Bruce took some excellent pictures from going up into its' tower!

This shop was across the street from our hotel!
















Our hotel left a little to be desired in Prague (Below) Otherwise, our accommodations were good to great everywhere else.

Images of our hotel and a "charming" store nearby!

Dresden, the "Florence on the Elbe"

Dresden was just a short stop on our way to Prague, but it was a beautiful city! I wrote in my journal, "Wow! Dresden was absolutely magical!" I felt as if I had stepped back into another century upon arrival. Our first stop was the Zwinger Palace, built by August the Strong. He was famous for gathering architects, painters and artisans to Dresden and showcasing their works. We saw many of the items he gathered that the Germans protected from the firebombing during WWII. There were decorations cut from ivory, an ivory frigate with 50 miniature sailors, a birthday scene made of gold and porcelain that had at least 100 miniature people and animals among other art works. The art was breathtaking and some of it very difficult to describe.

Dresden was badly bombed by the Allies in February, 1945, when the war was all but decided. Bruce and I got the sense the Germans are somewhat bitter about this, as Dresden had little military significance and many civilians were killed. Estimates of dead civilians ranged from 25,000-40,000. The Zwinger Palace and beautiful churches were destroyed. Fortunately, Dresden was rebuilt after the war, so one can get a sense of its former beauty. Its nickname is the "Florence on the Elbe". I was reluctant to leave Dresden, but it was time to move onto another ancient city, Prague, in the Czech Republic.

Dresden

A city street

The Zwinger Palace

Reid and friend Perrie, from high school

Part of the Roanoke Group

Overlooking the Elbe River