Dresden

I arrived safely in Dresden on Friday and the International Guest House is now my home. My studio apartment is far nicer than expected with its own little kitchen and bathroom, as well as a massive picture window that looks over a treed lawn. It is amazing how little space one really needs to be quite comfortable.
Dresden is a wonderful mix of old and new. The reconstructed Altstadt recalls the past with its massive open cobbled platzes filled with people drinking coffee, tea, or beer at the outdoor cafes. The beautiful historic buildings house art museums, churches, hotels, the opera and a ballet. The whole place is a cultural hotspot.

The city area caters to both pedestrians and cyclists, but for the less active there are always the trams or city buses. It is wonderful to see everywhere alive with people enjoying the sunshine and the physical activity of walking or cycling.
The Frauenkirche is magnificent. The decorative murals took my breath away and I took it all in sitting silently in the pews and gazing at the sheer magnificence of the ornately decorated gilt altar.

The start of my KSU practicum is very impressive, however the work begins in earnest on Monday!