Bus to Dresden, Germany

Today we took a 2.5 hour bus from Berlin to Dresden.   We managed to get the front seats in the double decker bus. We mostly traveled through farm and or wooded land.   We were hardly ever out of sight of wind farms and solar farms and often there were 2 in sight. Again I am reminded that Europe is so far ahead of us in this.

                                  Yes the bus had an entertainment system like on a plane.

                                                                Arriving in Dresden

                                Mosque- CORRECTION This is not a Mosque but rather a cigarette factory.  We were told it was controversial when built because it was Egyptian archetecture.  I'm sure there is a story here.  I will have to find more on it.

Dresden is perhaps best known for 2 things, Dresden porcelain - see http://tinyurl.com/owwfpyt

and  the bombing of the city by British and American forces at the end of WWII.when in 4 raids between Feb 13 and 15, 1945,  722 British bombers and 527 US bombers dropped more than 3,900 tons of high explosive bombs on the city destroying 6.5 K of the city center and killing about 25,000 civilians according to Wikipedia who adds "Immediate reactions after the attacks and post-war discussion of whether the attacks were justified has led to the bombing becoming one of the moral  causes célèbres of the war.

Slaughterhouse-Five,  by Kurt Vonnegut about  WWII experiences of a soldier named Billy Pilgrim is generally seen as his most influential work. His use of the firebombing of Dresden  makes the novel semi-autobiographical, because he was present then.