Day in Dresden part 1

We got up early to catch the Hop On Hop Off Bus (HOHO) at its first stop.  We again got the front seats in the upper deck.  There was live German commentary which made it nearly impossible to hear the recorded English commentary without holding the headphones tightly to my ears which was difficult when juggling a camera. 

The day was hot - high 80's .  Can't imagine what it is like in India 40 degrees higher and water shortage!

So pictures from our bus tour.

                    The Opera House destroyed in 1945.  This and other buildings were rebuilt with love as people sorted the rubble for useable parts to use in the rebuilding

 You will notice I have few pictures of people as there is little diversity here.  Immigrant stats are only 2% of population.   I'm sure in Dresden that is even less.

The new synagogue completed in 2001. It was built on the same location as the Semper Synagogue (Semper was architect)  which was destroyed in 1938, during the Kristallnacht also known as the Night of broken Glass.  It was a pogrom (a series of coordinated deadly attacks) against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and non-Jewish civilians. German authorities looked on without intervening.^{[1][2] "
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht} 

The Wall contains fragments of the original Synagogue but this modern reconstruction is meant to stand in contrast to it's Baroque neighbors.

                                                            The Elbe River

                                                                 This is a cinema

                                                            Parks are everywhere

                                                       The Volkswagen factory

                                            You can watch assembly from the outside but there are also tours.