Last night my dear friends in Dresden came over before dinner and presented me with a delightful basket of fruits and vegetables from their garden. It contained tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, a cucumber, basil, parsley, and three types of berries. They also brought some wine from Hungary and chocolate, as well as a freshly made Kuchen! The original offer was to bring some jam, which they also duly delivered in a wide array of four types–strawberry, apricot and two local berry varieties. It really made my day with such treats!

Hanne and Jens are friends we met sitting at a small Vietnamese restaurant in the Alte Galleria a few years back when Gee Kin and I were attending one of the annual Dresden music festivals. They were kind enough to share one of their chairs with us and we developed a very friendly relationship with them ever since. They showed us some of the best sights in Dresden and took us to their garden.

Their garden is their pride and joy, and an attribute to German culture. People living in the city can have access to garden plots if they maintain it. They can grow and harvest their own fruits and vegetables, and are only allowed to have structures for day use. Neighbors pretty much manage each other to make sure that nothing too controversial is done on the plots and to keep things tidy.

We went to the Luisenhof Restaurant for dinner and had a tranquil and perfect evening. We watched the sun set overlooking the sweet hills of my favorite city in the world.