Slatuinenweg (translated as lettuce gardens way) is a little road around the corner from where I live. Quite literally, it was once used as a walking path to the vegetable or salad gardens. Constructed in 1697, it's quite an usual - and old - street. Instead of the five-story apartments typically found in the center of Amsterdam, the houses along the Slatuinenweg are quite small. Some are even built out of wood (houthuis), a rarity in this part of the world. Isn't it a cute street?
When I came to Europe for the first time in 2004, I stayed in Dresden for two weeks, en route to Rome. I had friends studying there - translation: a free place to crash - which made Germany the perfect place to start and end my trip. Little did I know that the time I spent in Dresden would spark a love of Germany that continues today. While living in Amsterdam for the past four years, I have spent a fair amount of time exploring other parts of Germany, especially my Lieblingsstadt Berlin, but I always venture back to Dresden at some point. Even for just a day.
On the recent trip to Berlin, etc. Herr Pfeiffer and I spent two days in Dresden, getting reacquainted with the city I once knew quite well. Our lovely hosts Bill and Jule took us around the city and introduced us to Loschwitz, a neighborhood teeming with aging houses and rustic color. We spent the evening in Neustadt, 'new city', for drinks and dinner, which allowed us a peek at the graffiti blossoming in the vibrant neighborhood.
Eine Frau, graffiti in Neustadt, Dresden, Germany.
Mural in Neustadt, Dresden, Germany.
A beautiful house in the Loschwitz neighborhood of Dresden, Germany.
A lovely building with a word puzzle. Laden (store) Galerie (gallery), Ausstellung (exhibition) Verkauf (sales). I'm not sure the purpose of the repetition: store-sales, gallery-exhibition. Confusion reigns no matter how long I study. Any ideas?
A blue gate leading to house number 20. How I would love to walk through it at the end of each day.