Neustadt Fest

The Neustadt area of Dresden is a really interesting place. A lot of people live there who definitely have alternative lifestyles. For example, there's a Goth second hand store. I don't know of many places that have Goth stores at all, much less a second hand Goth store. The Neustadt also has restaurants and bars. I like several restaurants in the area, but I don't really like going on the weekends. It's disconcerting to see my students out on the streets drinking (Sixteen is the legal drinking age).

The Neustadt had a big festival this weekend. I had heard about it for several months. Pretty much anything goes. People can pull their couches from their apartments into the streets and even sell things if they wish. I heard about some people who had set up a beer funnel from the second story apartment with a chute rigged to send money up to them. I bet they made a killing.

For a while, I had also heard that there would be violence. There's been some protesting in the Neustadt during the year, and the G8 conference was held in Germany a few weeks ago. I think people expected the protesters to come to the Neustadt festival. Anyway, I decided to go with some German friends. It was really crowded. I saw more dyed hair and piercings than I've ever seen, but it was pretty tame. Plus, there was a ton of police including some dresseed in what looked like riot gear. Some of them were pretty cute. It was really fun, and a fabulous place to people watch. I look forward to going next year. I'm going to break out my hippie clothes so I can fit in!

ZOE UPDATE: She is doing much better. Almost 100%. The lady who took care of her during my trips even took her swimming in the Elbe so I've bought a retractable leash for the summer. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!!