Dresden comes alive!

Spring is starting to happen here in Dresden and what a transformation! People are everywhere and all sorts of fun things are happening. The cafes have opened up their sidewalks, and like in Paris, you can enjoy your coffee outside under an umbrella or under the sun. As crepes are ubiquitous in Paris, so are sausages here in Dresden. You can find a sausage stand on almost every corner now, as well as ice cream carts. The Germans love their ice cream, by the way. Even when it was super cold outside, you would still find people chowing down on a cold cone. So for as little as 2 euros you can enjoy a sausage and an ice cream cone for dessert! And I think the ice cream here is awesome! It's probably taken from an Italian gelato recipe, as it is super creamy. Another thing one finds everywhere here is the bicycle. Germans love their bicycles and they certainly do here in Dresden! It makes me long for my own; even though Dresden is a very walkable city (about a half an hour to 45 minutes to most destinations), it really is the kingdom of the bicycle. There are paths everywhere and cars do not intimidate you on the road; what a concept! The Elbe is also a favorite hangout, as there are wide grassy knolls and fortress-like walls to walk by on the river. There are also riverboats that I hope to take advantage of one of these days. Yet to open are the Biergartens. I have a feeling that once they do the party will really start! For now, it's a matter of embracing the warmer weather, the sunshine, and all the fun things to see and do!

Food, glorious food!

One great thing about traveling is experiencing the food! What is important to note when eating the food in a foreign country is to ask and discover if a specialty offered is a specialty of that particular region or something that is ubiquitous. Sometimes you can just put all you eat into the category of that particular country, but this is usually too narrow a view. I learned, for instance, that Camembert cheese, though accessible all over Europe, is the specialty of the Normandy region in which I lived in France. It is important to note this to not only acknowledge the cultural significance, but to note that it will be best in the region the product is from.

Now to the good stuff! What have I found that is particular to Saxony? Well, the Saechsisch Bratwurst, of course! This sausage is lovely in all of its aspects. It has a lovely pop when you bite into it (sorry if that sounds offensive to some; this is what the Germans tell me determines a good sausage) and it is a golden brown color. Most sausages are either served with a slice of American like sandwich bread, or "broetchen" (e after a vowel signifies an umlaut; diction folks know what I'm talking about....) or what we Americans would call a dinner roll. Now, these bread selections are rather small, so your sausage will stick out about three inches on either side, and your skilled sausage seller will carefully squirt a line of Senf (mustard) or ketchup on it. It looks odd and makes the bread a bit awkward to eat, but it's delicious!

Though I have yet to scratch the surface of the cheeses here, what I've had so far has made me a very happy person. I found a Butterkaese or butter cheese. That's right folks - a cheese made with butter. Can someone give the inventor of this treat a medal?

Now, let's talk desserts! I must say, I have not yet learned the name of most of these, so bear with me; there is a lot of ground yet for me to cover... First, I want to note that Germans LOVE ice cream. It doesn't matter that it's freezing out and it's snowing! Oh, no, bring it on! Even outside with hat and gloves, you will find Germans lining up in front of the ice cream cart! I can't IMAGINE the lines once summer hits! In the Beckereis, you will find not only lovely fresh breads, rolls, and pretzels, but donuts (the original, I think...) and lovely pastries. The standard pastries are usually nutty and covered in dark chocolate and cooked with tons of butter, like their French counterparts. It is important to note the content of nuts, as if you have a nut allergy, I recommend staying away from the pastry case here! My favorite is a sort of caramel, nutty triangle dipped in dark chocolate. Oh, yeah! The chocolate here is out of this world! Even the milk chocolate and I'm usually not a fan. I've also had some kind of "Hoern" pastry, also covered in nuts, but sadly not chocolate...

Nutella fans, beware! I have found a rival! It's called Nudossi and it is AWESOME!!! It's much more chocolaty than Nutella, and I don't think it has any hazelnut base. It's just a fantastic chocolate spread!

I could go on about the beer, but everyone knows the beer is awesome in Germany. It's also much cheaper than in other parts of Europe I have been in. I've yet to have wine here, because the beer is too distracting on the menu!

Well, I hope I've whetted your appetite for some German delights! This post has probably made you hungry, so go ahead, raid the fridge!

Guten Apetit!

Semperoper Kammerabend

I was wandering aimlessly today and then stumbled upon the Semperoper box office. I decided to take a look and see what was going on tonight and what was coming up... Well, it just so happened that tonight was a Kammerabend (Chamber evening), all tickets 10€! And since I hadn't even seen the inside of the opera house, I decided to go for it. They had a sample program there; I was chagrined to realize I didn't recognize hardly any of the Baroque composers listed. I think the only one that sort of rang a bell was Biber; but this only made me more intrigued. Hmm, music I may never have heard before!

So, conveniently the tram line in front of my apartment is only 5 minutes from Semperoper, so it was very easy to get to (oh, I could get used to this!). When you approach the opera house for the performance, it appears to be not quite open. This is the mystery I face every time I walk by it. When, if ever, can you go in and take a tour or something? But upon closer inspection, you see the side doors have red curtains gently pulled back, and two ushers waiting to open the door for you. What service! European opera houses are much smaller than their American counterparts. I think they are much more musician friendly and have very cozy if opulent walkways; the Semperoper is no different. A series of vaulted ceilings with green, gilt, and fresco like paintings sort of create a tree canopy effect as you walk through to the auditorium...

This beautiful theater (completely rebuilt in 1985) has all the typical opulence of the Romantic era: cherubs, gods, and of course, the famous German and Austrian composers who look down on you from the ceiling and the proscenium curtain. With the curtain down, the orchestra pit is covered, thus creating an intimate space for the performers.

A charming Roman numeral clock above the stage ticks the minutes away until showtime... The musicians took an awful long time to tune and set up; as a singer, this always cracks me up. What would the audience do if singers came out before performances and warmed up in front of the audience?! Anyway, they used genuine Baroque instruments... the most unique one was what appeared to be a lute with an extended neck (Theorbe, auf Deutsch). I feel like I should know what this instrument is, but I had never seen one before. It didn't keep in tune very well either. When he tuned it for the second piece, you could hear that it was very flat. Overall the sound of these Baroque instruments were a bit softer than their modern counterparts. This is another marvel of the smaller theater house; how wonderful that you can have an intimate chamber concert in the same hall you put on opera theater!

Anyway, the overall sound of the ensemble was warm, though the violinist's tone became a bit strident in some of her quicker runs. The violinist was not pleased with her performance and showed her displeasure at the curtain call; I was a little surprised, being an American performer that always smiles when she bows, no matter if she knows she has screwed up.

The second half was much livlier with several pieces with "Clarini" or miniature -no, not clarinets-- but piccolo trumpets. Oh, and by the way, the program is a mish-mash of European languages; makes for interesting reading. The trumpets are referred to elsewhere as Trumpeten, which obviously makes more sense. But the composer, who was German, wrote the piece for Clarini, which is Italian... go figure.

The trumpet players made excellent use of the acoustics of the theater. The full ensemble was seven players. In a piece for five, they put the extra two in the low balconies that hang above the proscenium for extra support of the sound. There was also a call and response that, from what I can figure, they did from outside the back of the hall.

There was also a timpani duet written by the French composer Philidor. I could not figure for the life of me where it was meant to fit in among the "Prelude des divertissments" or "Prelude to fun"... what kind of fun could the French Court be preparing for with a drum duet? Interesting...

This leads me to an amusing thought I had in the middle of the concert. All the music presented tonight was either written to be a dance, for during presentations at Court or a party, or even--dare I say it?-- background music at Baroque parties. Now, we the highbrow public, patiently watch and listen, meanwhile the composer had wanted to motivate his audience to dance or at least divert attention to whomever was the main attraction of the day...

On my way out, I got an inch thick "Spielzeit" or program for the upcoming events of the theater (for free). And the coolest part of it was that it contains a cut out mask complete with elastic string for your personal amusement. :)

Overall, a great first impression of the local opera house. Once again, how can you beat Europe? Ten euros and a feast for the eyes and ears? Can't lose!

First impressions

Dresden is a city that embodies the symbolism of the phoenix; it has emerged out of the ashes to become a vibrant, cultural, and beautiful city. In case you don't remember your history, Dresden was heavily bombed in WWII, as it was a Nazi stronghold and at the time, it made strategic sense for the Allies to do so. All of the Altstadt (Old Town) was destroyed and most of the surrounding areas, including the Neustadt (New Town, which is only 600 years new, by the way). It's hard to reconcile Dresden's history to its present, having met so many nice people; it's difficult not to feel sad about the lost physical history here despite knowing that it was probably necessary to bomb it during WWII. I may never make sense of it all, but I will continue to learn and study this fascinating city.

I have visited a few museums and have talked to a few of the locals about Dresden's history. What impresses me most is the individual efforts of so many to rebuild Dresden as it was once upon a time. The greatest of these feats is the Frauenkirche, which was lovingly rebuilt by the people of Dresden and other countries around the world. I was moved to tears when I went through a special exhibition about the Frauenkirche and I saw everything from people carefully removing any preserved stone from the rubble to grandmothers putting in their pension pay to help rebuild this amazing church. They are also still rebuilding parts of the Altstadt, even today.

As for everyday life here, the cost of living is low, the food is excellent, and I'm told this is the best city in the world to be in during the spring and summer. There are Biergartens aplenty and many opportunities to bask in the sun on the banks of the Elbe or make use of the many bike trails. There are 42 museums in and around Dresden to see -- plenty to occupy my time and money. Most of them are about 2-3€, with the greatest exception being the Grunes Gewolbe at 10€, which I have yet to see... will post more about it once I have.

After having lived and struggled in Paris, it's nice to live in a European city that I can afford! I can have a Bratwurst mit broetchen for 1-2€ (sausage with a little bread), delightful pastries for less than 2€, and fresh bread that lasts me 3-4 days for less than 3€. The monthly tram is 38€, compared to the whopping 115€ I paid in Paris (I also traveled much beyond the city center there...). Oh, and we mustn't forget the beer! For about 2,50€, I can enjoy some of the best beer in the world! (And I had always considered myself a wine girl...)

I am appreciating the rich culture and history of Dresden, as well as enjoying a low cost of living. I am learning German a little every day and am looking forward to what else the city holds in store for me!