Our first full day in Dresden happened to be on a Sunday. If you know anything about Germany on Sunday, you know that most shops are typically closed that day. I wanted to get some writing done, so I told Bill to go take a walk after we had breakfast in the Moritz restaurant. I remember when we visited Hotel Suitess in 2008, the restaurant was called Maurice, and we had no money to try it for dinner. We only ate one breakfast there, and it was delightful because of the Eggs Benedict.

This year, we ate breakfast at the hotel each day. I got a kick out of the very German sign directing people how to access the buffet. I’ve never seen a sign like this before in a hotel… but it strikes me as something Germans would do. They also posted a sign by the elevator on the ground floor, advising people of when they should try to have breakfast. On another note, I loved the cake on the plate below. It seemed kind of Black Forest inspired.

I sat down at my computer to write, while Bill walked around in Dresden. He found a Biergarten and a guy who was selling prints of Dresden and, while I was writing, sent a photo. I was glad to see the Biergarten, especially since it was in a prime spot for gazing at Dresden’s amazing architecture. When he got back from his walk, we headed over there. It required crossing a bridge, which gave me more chances for great photos.

We were having a great time drinking beer and people watching when the first raindrops fell. We quickly finished our beers and made a run for shelter. It was quicker to keep going across the bridge to the other side of Dresden. I was kind of glad we did that, since I don’t think we ever ventured to that part during our first visit. Bill said he’d seen a brewpub on the other side, not too far from the bridge. As luck would have it, it was about time for lunch, anyway.

As we were heading across the bridge, the rain turned into sleet and hail. This is a pretty common thing in Germany, especially during the spring and fall seasons. I was grateful I wore a sweater, as we rushed towards the brewpub called Watzke. I see it has several locations. We were at the one near the Golden Rider. I got several good shots of it, once we were seated, and slowly drying off.

Maybe it seems like all we did was eat and drink on this trip, but we definitely got our heart rates up in our attempts to avoid the rain and sleet! And I was rewarded with good beer and some great chicken and fries. Bill had sausage with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. This restaurant seemed very popular with the locals. I didn’t notice a lot of Americans in Dresden, anyway, but this location of Watzke had mostly Germans in it, having a nice Sunday brunch.

We enjoyed a very leisurely lunch, and I took a few photos of the “golden rider” statue from our table. It’s amazing what playing with the camera settings will do. Same camera, different modes… The bottom two were taken as we were headed back across the bridge. Dresden has lots of gold statutes. I couldn’t help but think of Trump when I saw them. 🤮

The Golden Rider statue commemorates Augustus the Strong (1670-1733). The statue was erected in 1736, in Baroque style, based on a design by the scultpor Jean Joseph Vinache. It’s very impressive… or gaudy, depending on your view.

On our way back, we stopped to tip a few buskers who were offering some ambiance. I also noticed some rather telling graffiti, which implored the government to put hospitals and healthcare back in public hands.

The newly sunny weather gave me a chance to take some more photos of Dresden’s beautiful architecture and the Elbe River… It’s amazing how quickly the weather can change! Especially at this time of year!

After some more walking around, we decided to have a rest at the hotel. Our vacation was definitely winding down, and we were thinking about going home. We did venture out again for dinner, though, at a restaurant called 1328. It was located just across the street from Hotel Suitess, and was clearly affiliated with the large Augustiner Brauhaus next door to the hotel.

We weren’t really all that hungry, but were mainly killing time. Still, I was glad we stopped in at 1328, as the food and service were very good. And we also had an interesting conversation with our dirndl clad server, a petite young lady from Asia. I didn’t ask which Asian country from which she came, although I noticed that several of her co-workers were also Asian. This matters, only because she asked us where we were from, and we ended up having a conversation about what it’s like to be foreign in Germany.

Bill and I often get mistaken for German. We blend right in here, until we start to speak. Our server was obviously not from Germany, and I got the sense that maybe she found it a bit lonely living here. She seemed very young, but obviously had accomplished a lot. I know she could speak at least three languages, for instance.

In any case, 1328 was a good find, because the food and service were good, but it also wasn’t crowded at all. I especially enjoyed my Wolfbarsch (sea bass) filet with risotto and tomato caponata. Bill had zander filet with root vegetables, fried potatoes, and a honey-mustard sauce. We also had a lovely bottle of wine. For dessert, I had three chocolates. Bill had pistachio creme brûlée.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel room and prepared for bed. It was nice to be in Dresden again, if only to see some familiar sights and enjoy the atmosphere.

Tomorrow, I will write about our last full day of vacation, and our last day in Dresden.