Photos of Travels in Switzerland and Germany, September 2010

When our mother passed on, my sister and I promised we would continue her love of travel. This September (2010) we made good on this promise once more and visited with friends and family along our trails. Liane's fun young puppies, so well bred and behaved, rode along in a luxe dog sling in the backseat. Since then, Heaven has called our lovely little friends back, and they are much missed. Thank you Lola and Bruno for your sweetest and uplifting companionship during this journey. We love you.

My journey takes me from PHL to Zurich, where I am happily reunited with my beautiful sister. We drive South to her great mountain home, Klosters, where we take a hike with the dogs. see photo on right.

The next few days, I visit with my dear friend Susann at her lake home in Weesen. The glory of waking up to a sunrise on the water is reflected in the pictures as is the uniqueness of this property her family has owned for three generations.

The lake is embedded between steep mountains and has a mysterious energy. I relish the opportunity to unwind and spend quality time here.

A class reunion in Kilchberg, my first in 40 years, was a great time with renewed connections and lots of fun. My, how we still look the same - unusually well and handsome.

The next day saw Liane and me on our way to Munich, where Heidi hosted us and we had an amazing pasta dinner with fresh truffles, preceded by a walk with a bunch of crazy little dogs.

 Next morning, leaving the state of Bavaria behind, we eventually drive through the abundant woods in this part of Germany. There are gently rolling hills in Thuringia and after a few hours we reach Weimar. This is a place of amazing history - Goethe, Schiller, Bach, Thomas Mann, nobility and art reached across boundaries and united here. Weimar is also the first home of Bauhaus. There are the figures of Walter Gropius and his wife Alma Mahler Gropius on the balcony at the Hotel Elephant, founded in 16...   A lovely place to stay.

Weimar is gorgeous on this late summer day. The city rich in architectural detail, cobble stones, narrow streets, balconies loaded with summer flowers, cafes, church bells, lots of people on bicycles, a peaceful, very attractive place.

 The next morning we walk in the park and visit the home Goethe used to write some of his enlightened work. Paths meander, school children come for outings, an old miller wheel, tucked away manors, sudden visual delights of light and color -  and all this preceded by delicious breakfast which fortifies us for our drive to Dresden.

The road takes us through flat country wide open fields, meadows, windmills, farms and some woods. Nothing too exciting if you're a lover of rolling hills and mountains. Driving through the former DDR, it strikes me as a spacious and friendly place - spread apart villages and fields ready for harvest. Hay has been cut but I don't see any fields with live animals, except for some sheep in the distance. Of course, it's not necessary to use every inch of space when the entire land is wide open and available.


We did not stray from our straight course and reached Dresden early afternoon,

in time for some early tea with cake. Taking the dogs for a much needed long walk, we stroll down to the Elbe - the river along which many of the most lovely little manors are built. Pleasure castles for weekends and summer homes. Today many of them have been restored and their Art Nouveau style including the various colors, trim and special window decorations intact. The place we stay is the Schloss Eckberg, just one of the larger pleasure castles converted to a hotel. It's lovely, reminiscent of French country homes, the grounds well tended by a team of professional gardeners. Everything is a pleasure to see, and the view from atop the hill where we have our tea reaches across the river all the way to Dresden. Tall spires and church towers, castle tops are visible in the clear autumn light.

Our walk to the river pleases the dogs no end - the water rushes fast and they know better than to jump right in. Released from the confines of the car and the endless driving, the dogs frolic and play, chasing each other with lusty growls, rolling over and over in the lush grass. A wind picks up and cools us from the hot afternoon sun, we sit quietly on a log by the river, peaceful and happy to be in such a lovely place.

We have a light dinner and leave the dogs at the hotel to attend a theatre performance in the former Baerenzwinger - hmm, a place where they kept bears to be gawked at, which is now happily an experimental theater where we see a funny play - Der Fliehende Hollaender, a play on German words to Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman.

The night is mild and we walk for a while through the quiet city before hailing a cab to take us back to
Schloss Eckberg.
Breakfast is delicious, a buffet with everything you'd want in Germany: Fresh breads, rolls, croissants, eggs, bacon, different jams and honey, teas, coffee, the many varied and delicious wurst and cheese the area has to offer. Service is efficient and friendly and there is a sense of old world about the place.

The city awaits as we take public transportation to its center and view the gorgeous architecture. While Liane compares the restoration efforts since her last visit, I am stunned by the generous layouts and the intricate details of the cathedrals, castles and majestic residences. There is great beauty in this city, bombed almost to hit it home to the warring Germans that they have lost the war and "By golly we're gonna show you that you are not invincible..." as the allies bombed this baroque city to shambles. Since the war, Dresden has been mostly rebuilt although the industrial dirt from the many years of Communist rule, where pollution left a nasty black, sticky soot on the buildings has not helped their condition. And there are still buildings left that bear the mark of being bombed - perhaps an invitation to remember that war is death.

The city is lively and people are friendly. I'm amazed at the prices. What a find to have quality goods sold at prices 30% less than other European cities. As such, Dresden has a new flavor for me, it means that there are still places that belong to the EU where clothing, shoes, cosmetics, jewelry and more can be bought at reasonable prices. Today is Liane's birthday and I treat us to a glass of champagne across the Frauenkirche in an adorable little cafe. Despite the cool breeze, we sit outside in the sun taking a rest. The dogs much loved in Germany instantly receive a dog biscuit and a bowl of water one for each of them. What luxury. They gratefully lap it up and eat their treats before settling under the table, which is what well bred dogs everywhere do.
Liane and I, once we've seen enough art and baroque architecture, head for the business sector where we find shoes to select and treat ourselves to some shopping. What fun.