Day 5 - Meissan and Dresden





The day started with a rainbow. We had just finished dressing and opened the cabin curtains to see a beautiful, complete rainbow stretching over the lush green shoreline.  It has been a very wet Spring for this part of Germany, so everything is abundant.  The Elbe is full to, even overflowing, the banks.

During the morning, the Program Director and the Captain provided a first-hand account of the "millennial" flood on the Elbe which occurred in 2002.  It devastated parts of the area we were later to visit, including Meissen and Dresden.  After that, the restaurant manager offered a wine-tasting event featuring wines grown in the Meissen area.  The weather was still nice, so we spent a little time on the sun deck, at which time this picture was taken.

After lunch we departed in a rain storm for the town of Meissen to visit the factory in which Meissen porcelain is manufactured.  I knew nothing of this porcelain, so we were happy to find that the company has provided for tourists a series of demonstrations of the various steps in making these items.  Everything is still made by hand, from the casting of the pieces from clay, to the initial design, to the painting, to the glazing, to the firing.  Because it is so labor-intensive, the cost of the final products is very steep -- a small demitasse cup was price at about $80.  We didn't buy anything.

After the porcelain factory tour, we had the opportunity to walk to the top of the hill overlooking the town, where the Albrectsburg castle and the cathedral were built.  The castle had the distinction of being the first German castle to be built solely as a residence for the royal family, so while it was located at the highest point, there were no provisions for the defense of the place.  The cathedral was originally Roman Catholic, but following the Reformation, became a Lutheran church.

Walking down 111 steps brought us to the market square of the town where we checked out the St. Mary's church and spent some time window-shopping before returning to the bus (again in a rain storm).  The weather cleared and we sailed on the Dresden, arriving there just after dinner.  As we approached our docking place in the heart of the city, the Program Director gave us a travelogue, pointing out the major buildings.  He reminded us that eighty percent of Dresden was totally destroyed during World War II and that the restoration had been a major feat.

Tomorrow, we will explore Dresden, have some free time in the afternoon, and attend a violin concert in the evening.  This will be another full day!