Germany's Day of National Unity

DAY 12 of “Chancellor Watch” – Both candidates are waiting to see what the Dresden elections hold on Sunday…not much new is expected to change, with a grand coalition the likely course of action.

DAY 13 of “Chancellor Watch” – Merkel and Schroder head to “stump” on the final day before the election in Dresden.

DAY 14 of “Chancellor Watch” – The citizens of Dresden show up amidst rain to cast their votes.

DAY 15 of “Chancellor Watch” – Merkel’s CDU party gains one more seat in Parliament, but nothing really changes. A grand coalition is still the most likely scenario, although sources close to Schroder hint that he is likely to step down from the post of Chancellor. We shall see...

Yippee! A three day weekend in Germany, courtesy of a Monday holiday. The best part of a long weekend is the travel options it affords…hence our tour of the upper section of the Romantic Road. Still, one should at least know the name of the holiday and the meaning behind the day that results in a day off from work.

Thus, October 3rd is known as the Day of German Unity. It was on this day in 1990 and with the agreement of the four former occupying powers, that the former communist East Germany – or the German Democratic Republic (GDR) - was officially dissolved, creating a sovereign unified German state.

Sorry for the lapse in postings but some of these little inns don’t have a lot of high-speed internet connections. Suffice to say, we have returned from a great weekend touring several towns in the upper section of the Romantic Road, including Rothenberg-ob-de-Tauber, Wurtzberg, and Dinkelsbuhl. I promise…pictures will follow.

Although it was one soggy weekend, and a cold front blew through, we braved the tourist buses at several locations, a Friday night “stau” (German word for traffic jam) that turned our trip into a 4 hour rather than 3 hour drive, and generally drizzly weather. Highlights include lots of Franconian fare (brat, sauerkraut, and potatoes), Christmas shopping, and a quirky but fun “Nightwatchman tour” in Rothenburg.

Sidenote: The Bear lost a close one in overtime…man, I hated to read that once I returned to the land of the WWW.