Leipzig and Seiffen

I am soooooooo sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. Since I last wrote my days have been filled with teaching, taking a German class, tutoring English to a ten year old, and seeing more of the town. Not too much exciting had been going on, but I still found myself not believing I was in Germany.

This past weekend was booked. On Saturday I caught a ride with one of the English teachers to Leipzig. Leipzig is the other major town in Saxony and is about one and a half hours northwest of Dresden. Leipzig is known for its protests against East Germany in the late 1980s. Leipzig is also famous for Bach's work in the Thomaskirche. The town has a nice altstadt with a large pedestrian area with tons of shops. I spent my time first at the wonderful zoo, which is known for its breeding programs, and then after lunch, I walked around town seeing the sites. It was a nice day and it was about time I got to Leipzig.

Then on Sunday, I went to my cooperating teacher's house and had breakfast with the family. We had the traditional items like bread, meats, cheeses, jams, a soft boiled egg, fruit with yoghurt and juice. It was delicious! Afterwards, we headed to the tiny town of Seiffen, located on the Czech boarder southwest of Dresden. The scenery was beautiful. The landscape is rolling hills with small woods and tiny towns sprinkled throughout. It was heaven! People visit Seiffen because like Frankenmuth, it is Christmas year round. The area is known for its handmade wooden decorations. It was a lot of fun, and a little overwhelming, to look at all the different stores with a wide variety of choices. I bought a Christmas gift for someone special and I also bought a treat for me. Afterwards, I returned to my teacher's home and had dinner with them. I did not get home until 8pm. However, I had a wonderful time and it has been a highlight of my time in Germany.