Have a safe trip, Tim.

I'd like to hear how Dresden, and the rest of the former East Germany was for a tourist.

Were the people friendly? Were there enough hotels/ restaurants/ etc?

Did it still look like a post-Soviet disaster?

Did you rent a Trabant?

Such a welcoming place I was ready to seek asylum there, until I realzied we're all One World now. Very friendly people, nice array of hotels and restaurants. The restoration of the central city is ongoing, so I imagine ervy year will see things get more beautiful. The results are already very impressive. Much of the place now looks very much as it would have long ago (excepting the clunky, super-Soviet-style Philharmonic hall). Outside the heart of town, the East Germany blandness is certainly evident in some of the buildings, but still a lot of charm as well, from little I got to see. And then there's the VW Phaeton factory out by the huge park not far from the city. Fabulous building to house state-of-the-art technology; cool tour. As you can tell, I loved it all. TIM