Taylor, Margaret, Lucy, and I all left for Dresden, Germany, early Saturday (Feb 20, 2016) morning. We took the tram, bus, and then the Student Agency bus to get there. It was 6 a.m. when we left Prague, and we got to Germany by 9 a.m. We all slept the entire bus ride, and the buses here are incredible. They give you headphones, a TV screen with movies and music, and free drinks! The chairs recline too, which is perfect for naps! Imagine an airplane setting, and that is exactly what you get, AND it was only $28 round trip.

I LOVE GERMANY!

Although it was freezing and rainy all day in Dresden, I had such an amazing day there! We walked around all day and explored the city. It is such a beautiful place and holds so much history. The architecture in Germany is so wonderful, and I could spend hours just looking at the buildings.

After exploring the city for a couple of hours, we went into a building to watch a random film in German about an old man and his travels alone in 25 countries, and it was the weirdest thing I have ever seen. It was on about 25 little screens making up one big one. We went in to watch this film off the streets because it was so cold outside, and we took every free opportunity we could to get warm!

We went inside a church in Dresden as well, and it was absolutely stunning! I was able to spend some quiet time inside with the girls, and I just closed my eyes and prayed. It was nice to have the time in a church to just reflect on myself spiritually and thank God for all the amazing things he has blessed me with. I have not been in Prague on Sundays, so I have not been able to attend church in Europe yet, and that time was so precious to me. I needed it.

After the church, we crossed the river in Dresden and walked around that side as well. I got yelled at by a German lady for stepping on flowers (which was totally my fault), so that was scary. We all got coffee and pastries inside a German coffee shop/bakery, which was nice because we were all able to get warm again!

I had to get hot chocolate as my first purchase in Germany because that is what I did as a child when we were there. It was just as good as I remember (except I always have to add the sugar they give you with it because that makes it perfect).

We went inside a drug store after the coffee shop, and I was actually able to read the labels, which was a nice change! They had an entire section for gluten-free, and I was so happy to see that. After we left the store, we were just walking around, and Taylor saw a sign for a market, so we decided to go in so we could get out of the rain!

We ended up walking through a flea market, and it was SO NEAT! I bought these old cigarette box pictures from WWII, and I think they are so interesting! I am excited to bring them home and have my dad look at them!  We also saw so many old things from Europe, and it was interesting to see the comparison of the things that they sell at flea markets here vs the ones in the States! We were also the only young people there (I am not joking), so that made me laugh because we loved it as much as the old people did.

After the flea market, Margaret and I walked up a tower and were able to see the entire view of Dresden, and it was beautiful. We saw the bells of the tower and the inside of the clock up close, and it was really cool. It was nice to stand and see the whole city, but it was very windy and cold!

We had three hours left after the tower, so we went to get dinner at a German restaurant! I ordered a dish of chicken and vegetables with an egg and gravy on top. BY FAR one of the best meals I have had since I got in Europe. I swear I ate the entire thing in ten minutes! Mmmm, I am happy just thinking about it.

We headed back towards the bus station and ended up stopping at the “magic of Winter” festival, and got a warm wine with all of the local Germans out in the rain. The Christmas lights were surrounding us, and music was playing loudly! There was also a nice ice skating rink right next to us as well. It was so amazing being surrounded by a winter festival in GERMANY! I cannot believe that they are still having them. We all kept our glasses from it too (we paid for them, don’t worry). That really made me happy that we were able to experience such a treat.

After the mulled wine, we went shopping and headed back home! We arrived in Prague at 10 p.m. and had a great day!

You would think we would go to bed after that, but Taylor talked me into going to the club with her and our French friends, and I had such a good time! Brandon came with us too, even though he was so tired and did not even want to go, and we got home at about 3 a.m.

I am loving Europe, and Germany is just as amazing as I remember it being! I cannot wait to go back on the weekend of March 11th!