Journey to Meißen

Woke up this morning and didn't have an agenda- exactly how a vacation should be! Had breakfast at the hotel again (I'm seriously going to explode from eating all this yummy, fresh bread). Tim was really up to do anything today, but we decided to go to Meißen just out of town to see the famous Meissen china factory. Even though the churches are beautiful, they are every 10 steps in Europe- so I wanted to do something different.

Getting off the train, we had no idea where we were going. The Meissen website just said to follow the signs and it was a 5 minute walk from the train station. Ya... 5 minutes if you have a propeller and wings!! At least we had beautiful scenery along the way. Here is a picture of the old town from across the river.

Once we crossed the bridge we were in the heart of this small city. And much like every other place in Europe- it had tons of character. Tim and I discussed East Germany back in the day and how it was very drab and boring looking due to the Communist era. But even though there were still many run-down buildings, the city as a whole was just beautiful!

After about 5 minutes of walking thru town, Tim and I were anxious to reach our destination, but we instead found ourselves following sign after sign after sign leading us to the Maissen china company, and turning us in different directions down alleys and narrow streets. We began to think this place was just a made-up tourist attraction, and that in fact, the town was was full of human cannibals. In the midst of our adventure, we did stumble upon a gorgeous winery though!!

After more twists, turns, and inconspicuously placed signs, we FINALLY found the factory!! Tim made me enter first in case we got kidnapped. Hahaha!! We decided to sign up for a tour to see how they make the china and various pottery pieces. It was very interesting. They still use a foot-controlled spinning wheel for all their pieces, and many of the small delicate pieces like flowers are still made by hand, as you can see below.

Also, even though they use stencils on most pieces,  they are one of the few places in the world that still paints EVERY piece by hand!! Just absolutely amazing!!!

After the tour we walked through the museum and found some beautiful pieces- this was one of my favorites.

We also visited the gallery and store afterward. Tim bought his mom a beautiful vase. I found my dream china set in the meantime!! It was gorgous... and hey- only about $200 per plate. I think maybe I could afford ONE place setting. Hahaha. Isn't it gorgeous though!?

We finally left the Meissen store and headed back to the heart of the city. We found some outdoor seating at a nice cafe and ordered some lunch. I FINALLY had my first German beer of the trip- yum!! Also had the bratwurst dish-double yum!!! Just about 5 minutes after I asked Tim to explain to me the meaning of Danke Schoen (as opposed to just "danke"), a lady next to me dropped her lip gloss and I picked it up and she told me danke schoen. Made me giggle!!

There were a lot of people gathered in the center of town, and there were musicians, singers, and dancers on a stage nearby. I was really surprised how many places in Germany are closed on Sundays. Besides a couple restaurants, the city is pretty much dead! I guess that's what you get when you have a strong religious society! So take note- if you ever visit Germany, dont plan on going shopping on a Sunday!

After lunch, Tim and I hauled butt to the train station to try and catch the next train. By the way, running on uneven cobble stone streets is NOT fun, or good on the legs! Hah. We made it to the train about 30 seconds before it left, and with a workout to boot!! Needless to say, we got back to the hotel and passed out!!! Not wanting the 70 year old tourists to stay up longer than us, we forced ourselves out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant.  I love the German food, but it was nice to have a change! I also love how the littlest things are different here. No fountain sodas, everything at the restaurants is usually served in glass bottles. And about a third of the amount you'd find in the states!

So, even though we didn't do a TON today, we saw some neat things,  got in LOTS of walking, and didn't get kidnapped by cannibals. A good day in my book indeed! I am off to Graz, Austria on my own tomorrow, with stops in Prague (my fave city EVER), and Vienna.