Dresden

Sat. morning before the crowds

Dresden is absolutely magical.  Sure there are way too many people here at this time of year but if you go for short jaunts and stay on the periphery it is very doable.  We’re staying in a Poshy Puh Pa hotel, the Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe.  We thought we deserved a treat: an early Christmas present.  The best is that our window looks right out onto the most perfect, picturesque Christmas market, with the Frauenkirche and the Castle and the stately buildings all part of the backdrop.  This morning we watched the Stollen parade from our hotel window where it was warm.  Earlier a solo trumpet was playing at the market, Bolero (sounds odd on a solo trumpet) Handel water (or fire) music, and Christmas carols.  It was so beautiful.  This particular market, there are many in Dresden, is set up like a market of the 1800s maybe.  It’s quite Dickensonian.  The vendors’ booths look old style and simple, the vendors are dressed in costume, the music is acoustic; carolers, Russian accordion player, solo trumpet.  There are real candles in tin lanterns burning at the ends of wooden tables where you can stand and drink your Glühwein.  There is even a fire pit where you can sit and warm your hands for a while.  We had a bit of snow the other day, which left a perfect dusting of extra romance on everything. 

The Stollen parade was cool.  Also from back in the day.  The bands played.  Drummer boys drummed in the fanfares.  Horse-drawn wagons.  A wagon of bakers throwing little pastries to parade watchers, groups of tradesmen, woodworkers, miners, chimney sweeps and even plumbers.  The biggest Christmas Stollen in the world was paraded in on a horse-drawn wagon surrounded by the “royal court’s” bakers.  Followed by a very large knife dangling from a long wooden pole carried from both ends and accompanied by more bakers.  The whole procession was to end at the large Christmas market over in another town square and the Stollen was going to be cut up and divided among the people.  We decided to stay out of that fray.  We instead stayed at our little market outside the Frauenkirche and listened to the 12:00 bells ring.  After a stroll around we decided to warm-up at the Taschenberg Palais for Kaffee und Kuchen.  Now we’re resting up for another big highlight: the Bach Christmas Oratorio at the Frauenkirche.