Day 7: The Sleeping City

I still don't know Dresden very well. Yesterday I went to the center for the first time to see the monuments but, unfortunately, the camera ran out of batteries as soon as I left home, so I couldn't take any pictures. Anyway, I'll try to go back this week to photograph what I saw. Dresden is called many things: The Florence of the Elbe, the Athens of the north... although the nickname I've heard that I think best fits reality is 'The Sleeping City'. This nickname comes from how late the reconstruction work on the city began. The city was completely destroyed after being bombed by Allied planes on February 13 and 14, 1945. After the war came the socialist government, which was more interested in rebuilding industry than monuments. After reunification, only with the advent of its great anniversary (the city turns 800 next year) did reconstruction work begin. That's why you can still see many ruined buildings, with the marks of incendiary bombs, and propped up. Even the Hauptbahnhof (which means "main station") still has two of its three terminals in ruins. Otherwise, it's a beautiful city, there are several imposing monuments, such as the Academy of Fine Arts, the Semper Opera (in honor of its architect Gottfried Semper) and the Zwinger building, which is considered the most beautiful Baroque building in Germany. There is also a mural depicting all the kings of Saxony. Before it was a painting but since it was erased, they changed it for some Meissen porcelain tiles. The Elbe Terrace is a very nice little park next to the Academy of Arts, which has some beautiful sculptures, from which you can see the entire river and the palaces on the other side, such as the Japanese Palace. It's a good place to take a walk!

As for me, I'm still studying German. The other day I bought the first Harry Potter book, to see if reading children's books helps me learn German. Despite being a children's book, it's taken me more than 12 hours to read two pages. I've also bought a book of chemistry tables in German to get used to the scientific language.

It's starting to get cold and today I turned on the heating for the first time. I have to buy a jacket before this week is over!

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