On Sept 10 we got up early, excited to start our adventure. Lisbeth, Nicole's grandmother, was very kind and gave us a ride to the train station. It wasn't far, but it wouldn't have been ideal to walk with our roller suitcases. With the new date added to the train pass, we took the S-Bahn (crowded!) to Nürnberg and then the IC Schnell to Erfurt. The IC Schnell is a special train that goes from Munich to Berlin at speeds of up to 300km/h, much faster than you could possibly go by car! The connecting train to Dresden was delayed in Erfurt, but we still managed to arrive in Dresden around lunchtime.
It was only a short walk from the Dresden-Neustadt train station to the Hotel Martha. Our room in Hotel Martha was large and welcoming, and we were able to check in when we arrived although the check-in time was 4 PM. The front desk even had free apples! Below is a picture of the Hotel Martha lobby.
Before starting the trip, we had arranged to meet Renate's cousin Helga and her husband Hans for lunch on our first day in Dresden. Helga and Hans have lived near Dresden since before the Wall came down in 1989. Shortly after we arrived, Helga and Hans showed up and it was so great to see them! They are now both in their 80s so their health is no longer perfect, but they're both mobile and sharp. We found an Italian restaurant close by, and talked about their life since the last time we saw them, which was in the late 1980's. Hans retired only last year after a heart attack. Helga had many stories about the family, all of them interesting, some of them sad.
At 5pm we meet the rest of our Sierra Club hiking group. There were 3 couples and 3 singles, plus our leader Erhard. After introductions, we walked across the bridge to the Altstadt, past the golden statue of August the Strong on his horse. August the Strong was the Elector of Saxony from 1694, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733.
In the Altstadt, we had an enjoyable dinner with the group at the Platzhirsch restaurant. Below you can see a picture of the Hirschkopf (deer head) at the restaurant. The dinner included Kartoffelsuppe (potato soup) and Sauerbraten with Rotkohl und Klößen (marinated beef with red cabbage and dumplings). For the vegetarians, the restaurant served an interesting creation featuring a grilled avocado. We chatted until late, getting to know one another before our adventure, then headed back to the hotel for a solid night's rest before a short tour of Dresden and departure for the Sächische Schweiz the next day.
