Just found this report (I've been gone traveling) and, as usual, it's a good one. thanks so much for your time in posting. Looking forward to the rest of it.

Hello Peg!! Nice to read your stuff. It brought back great memories of a trip I did in Germany a few years ago. Lovely. At the moment I am travelling in Europe too so am only picking stuff up occasionally. Hope to read more.

Your trip report is great! I seldom find the time to use this forum as much as I would like to. I just ordered "Als ich ein kleiner Junge war". I am currently studying German and love to read children's books in German. I am glad that you had such a nice trip, and thank you for your trip report! Danke!!

Thanks for the responses, everyone. It's nice to know people are reading this after I took such a long hiatus.

Having jumped right in to Wernigerode, I am a little ahead of myself here, so I thought I'd backtrack and briefly describe the trip from Weimar to Wernigerode. It was a pleasant drive, at first through rolling fields of something-or-other and eventually through the winding roads in the Harz Mountain. There were lots of motorcyclists on the road, but we traveled in amity. Nobody was trapped behind anyone else, as I recall. There were also many bicyclists riding up and down some pretty impressive hills.

The GPS was great, though there were a couple of times when she seemed to be confused, telling me to take the third exit from the roundabout after I'd already taken it, or telling me to take the third exit when there was no exit. Her occasional misdirection wasn't a problem, but it was a hint of trouble to come.

She directed me efficiently into my little hotel in Wernigerode and later when I went into town, the trip went well, though that was partly because I just explored until I found a parking place on a quiet street where I had dinner.

Wernigerode is very attractive, with a great variety of Fachwerk or timber frame houses of many colors and shapes. Around every corner there's another charming building. Lots of steep roofs, oriel windows, and winding streets like something out of Grimm's fairy tales. Different from anything else I've seen in Germany, though it reminded me in some ways of Quedlinburg.

I'm going to post this now, as I lost one post and don't want to risk doing it again.

After I had dinner at a little restaurant (a Wienerschnitzel, an assortment of salads on a little dish and my favorite drink, an Orangensaftschorle), I wandered through the streets for a while, along with many other strollers, admiring the architecture and doing a little window shopping. It was Saturday evening, so the only places open were the restaurants.

I went back to the car and fired up my GPS. That's when the trouble started. I suspect that the lady in the GPS had taken the opportunity to slug down a few quick ones because she didn't seem to be in full control of her faculties.

"Hm," I thought as I looked at this strange, yellow, bulbous and futuristic-looking structure on the outskirts of town, "I don't remember seeing that before," but I trusted my GPS and followed her directions unquestioningly for a while. I thought maybe she knew a secret way back into town. Then I became nervous because we seemed to be heading away from town and my hotel. Pretty soon we were out in the country somewhere, and it was getting darker and darker.

I drove around following her directions but to no avail. I remember this one Ausfahrt that I took numerous times, but it never led where I needed to go. (Isn't that the definition of insanity--doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?)

The lady in the GPS was verrückt, loco, crazy, and I was out in the boondocks somewhere with no idea how to get back to Wernigerode. I'd left my maps in the hotel room, so I couldn't check them. As the sky darkened, I began to get quite anxious. What if I couldn't find my way home and I had to spend the night in the car! I considered my prospects for a while and decided that I'd head for Goslar, since I kept seeing signs listing Goslar. I figured that once I found it, Id be able to find the way back to Wernigerode.

That's just what did happen. Once I arrived in Goslar I followed the directions of the GPS, checking them against the signs to make sure that the GPS wasn't still crazy. I finally arrived back at my hotel, grateful to be in my teensy little room.

The next morning I wanted to go to Mass, but this time I wasn't about to take any chances, so I had the desk call a cab for me. The church was the "Immaculate Conception," a very simple building whose interior had whitewashed walls decorated with cloisonne figures for the stations of the cross. (The stations of the cross depict 14 scenes of Christ carrying the cross to his crucifixion. The cloisonne figures were small but beautiful.

The music was recorded, though I think the young people sitting in the front of the church may have been singing. At any rate it was enjoyable, a bit on the funky side. The priest said something during the homily (sermon) about the World Youth Day to be held in Buenos Aires. I noticed that some of the young people in the front of the church were holding straw hats, so I asked one young woman if she was going. She told me that she was indeed going and said that 60 young people from the diocese would be attending.

Oh Peg, you are so inspiring to me. I hope I have the courage to travel solo in the near future. Loving your report.

Glad you are continuing your story, Peg. I am enjoying it and pujtting things on my to go to list. Can't wait to see the pictures!

After I left the church, I strolled around downtown and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring aimlessly. I stopped for coffee and dessert and then wandered around the streets admiring the striking architecture and taking pictures. The town hall is especially stunning, with its half-timbered facade and its pointed towers. Wernigerode is one of those towns which rewards just plain walking around, since there's always another interesting building just around the corner.

I decided to have dinner at a Bavarian-themed restaurant when I saw that they were offering grilled spare ribs and a baked potato. They sounded simple, and they were both simple and good, but there was way too much food for me. When I explained that to the waiter, he offered me the German equivalent of a doggie bag, but I didn't think a container of fragrant spare ribs would be a good idea in my teeny room.

There were many people wandering the streets to admire the Fachwerk as well as stopping in the many cafés for a coffee or an ice cream. Once again, it was a little chilly for me, since I wasn't dressed warmly enough. I stopped in a little store whose specialty was chocolate, but I had a hard time finding just plain chocolate. I found what I wanted---what I thought I wanted--but when I tasted the chocolates, the flavor wasn't quite what I expected. When I read the label, I saw that one of the ingredients was grappa, which of course is a wine product.

Weird thing to put in chocolate. I left the bag in the room in the unlikely event that anyone wanted it.

I have regrets about Wernigerode. When I decided to visit there, my goal was to see the half-timbered buildings, and I didn't think about what else it had to offer. There's a baroque castle, Schloss Wernigerode, which I missed, and also a narrow-gauge railroad one can take to the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz, which has cultural and historical interest.

The Brocken is the site of legends and myths about witches, which explains all the amusing witch paraphernalia I saw. Apparently on Walpurgisnacht, the locals dress up in costume and take the narrow-gauge railroad to the Brocken to celebrate. I'm not sure what that involves, but I'd guess that beer and food are part of the celebration.

In addition to cultural interest, the Brocken was formerly the site of the DDR listening station, where the Stasi could monitor western communications. Given my interest in the Cold War, I think I would have enjoyed a visit to the station, once forbidden to the public, but now a museum.

My other regret is that I didn't think to choose a hotel in the town center. The Pfälzer Hof was fine for what it was, but with my record of getting lost in every city in Europe, I would have been better off in the town center, where I could easily have returned to my room for a rest.

Excellent installments as usual, Peg!

I love Goslar and we visited it a number of times when we lived in Berlin as it was not too long a drive for a weekend. We haven't seen Wernigerode or Quedlinburg so perhaps I'll have to include a jaunt to the Harz Mountains this spring.

Thanks for continuing your report!

Trophywife: They're both really neat places--not to be missed!. I'd like to spend some time in Goslar also. It looked quite charming.

I don't have a whole lot more to say. I still had two days until my plane flight, but I didn't want to stay another day in Wernigerode. I now realize that there was lots to see in the area, but when I looked at the map it looked like a long trip to Frankfurt, and I couldn't see a convenient place to stop for just one night.

I had also checked Viamichelin and saw that it estimated driving time of 3 1/2 hours, which turned out to be right on the money.

The upshot was that I drove directly to the Motel One near the Frankfurt airport with the idea of staying for two nights. I parked the car at the motel, planning on dropping it off at the airport the next morning. Before I returned the car, I had to fill it up, of course. It didn't require a full tank of gas, but what it did require cost $86! Wow!

After I dropped the car off, I hung around the terminal for a while. I had dinner there and then caught the shuttle back to Motel One. I had planned on going into Frankfurt to do a little sightseeing the next day, but I was too uninspired and ended up staying at the motel and the terminal.

The trouble with Motel One is that, aside from breakfast, there's very little in the way of food, except for "toast," a German creation that's kind of like grilled sandwich with cheese, ham, and the like. For some reason, I find "toast" very unappealing.

I decided to return to the airport to hang around for a couple of hours that next day--have some food,etc. I noticed a McDonald's play place on the second floor that had attracted hordes of children. They were shrieking and yelling so loudly that it was hard to communicate with the waitresses.

The play place was shaped like a space ship and was apparently very attractive to the kids. I made a comment about the noise to a server, who responded that it was even worse on the weekends--that she absolutely couldn't hear what the customers said to her. She said that people drop their kids off and just leave them there.

I was astounded that people would do that, partly because being American I would be afraid that someone would grab them. In the States, I think you'd be afraid to do that. Too many crazies around.

That's pretty much it. I took the Lufthansa flight back and then Alaska to Spokane. The Lufthansa flight was quite boring, since I'm not a big movie fan. I wish they'd get their act together and get some solitare or free cell games on their entertainment screens.

thanks for finishing your TR peg. it's definitely an area I'd like to visit soon.

Peg - I did a search and found your excellent TR, as I'm getting my wish later this week - a trip to Wernigerode and the Harz. We start in Hannover [we can fly there from our local airport which is a real plus] then will drive to Wernigerode where we have booked 2 nights at the Hotel Am Angar [recommended by Ingo on another thread and very central]. If we like it a lot we can stay longer as we have nothing else booked for the rest of the week except travelling to visit our friends in the Pfalz at the end of trip.

We have Weimar on our list of "possibles" but I've been reluctant to book as we're not sure how long we'll want in the Harz, and I've not really found anywhere that I really liked to stay that was within our price-range. Did you see any "Fremdenzimmer" in the centre? We really prefer little hotels or b&bs as you get more chance to talk to people than you do in big hotels where they all want to speak english. and they are cheaper of course! I also like to be able to inspect the room - though they are almost invariably very good and clean, IME.

Thread over a year old, Peg may not see it rise to the top.

"Have stayed in the Westin in Leipzig, too. Completely agree with you, was not impressed at all."

Mom and I stayed in the Westin and it was fine. We heard no noise. Either we had no neighbors or our room was soundproofed better than others.

As for the breakfasts, we skipped the Westin buffet and bolted over to Bagel Brothers. Good bagels, good coffee, fresh-squeezed OJ and inexpensive.

I prefer Dresden to Leipzig, partly because I spent so much more time in the former, but Leipzig, while also beautiful, seemed to be too shopping oriented. As for Dresden's center, when I looked around me, I didn't think "mehhh...reproductions", I saw the reconstruction of the historic city as a testament to the determination to triumph over catastrophe and willingness to look to the future while also preserving and honoring their history. Anyway, I found plenty to enjoy in Striesen and environs, which are anything but touristy.

However, I did attend Christmas Eve service at St. Nikolaikirche in Leipzig and it was absolutely lovely. Both cities are winners.

The Hilton in Dresden didn't appeal to me, possibly because in December is was full of tour groups; I stayed on the other side of the Frauenkirche in the Altes Dresden aparthotel. For the same price as a basic hotel room, I had a one bedroom apartment, a kitchen, and a washing machine in the bathroom (and also an iron and ironing board)

ah - but you saw it, didn't you, Mokka!

I can only hope.

WeisserTee - thanks for the info re Dresden and Leipzig. Lest you think that I was ignoring you, we are not planning on going to Dresden or Leipzig this time, but staying more to the west and south, as we will be en route to the Pfalz, hence my interest in the Harz, Erfurt and Bamberg.

oh, and Weimar of course!

Re: Westin in Leipzig - Here's my review:

I booked a single room in the Deluxe category for 84 Euro per night incl. breakfast through the German travel company "DERTOUR". Really a steal for a hotel of that category. My voucher said "Late Check Out until 3 pm if available" which worked out well. It also said "a 0.75 l bottle of mineral water per room and stay" which was only a 0.5 l bottle. Ok, no big deal but still ... When I arrived at noon the room was not ready yet, which is ok (though it is the first time this has happened to me in that hotel category) and the promised the room would be ready by 3 pm. Well, it was *not* ready when I returned to the hotel at 3 pm but upon insisting they had another room for me. The room was relatively small, decor/furnishing was quite ugly (except the bathroom which was excellent) but it had all the stuff you need (and don't need). One thing that annoyed me was the door to the bathroom which was probably a relic from the old East German days and didn't close well.

The fitness area was very good, the pool area with sauna was ok. Breakfast buffet was excellent, but very expensive and if it had not been included in the rate I would have skipped it. No free internet access and their prices for using the "business corner" or WLAN in the room were outrageous.

As for the noise - my room was relatively quiet, but the first room they had wanted to give me was right next to the elevator and the receptionist warned me it would be *very* noisy. So I guess some (most?) walls are really thin.

It is not a bad hotel, but I would expect more in this category.

annhig - I wouldn't travel to Weimar in the next weeks without reservation. They have an art festival, which is quite popular, and it will be difficult to find inexpensive, decent rooms.

I.

It amazes me that (usually business-oriented) hotels stick to such high charges for limited time on Wifi, when much more modest operations offer it for free. I realise that a bigger building may need investment to deliver a good enough signal to all rooms, but even so, it's not like it has continuing high maintenance costs.