Bad Schandau

 March 29, 2026

Palm Sunday. Nobody mentions that. We took to the river at Decin yesterday afternoon, sailed this AM, and arrived at Bad Schandau. Looking at the gray river flow past my window is full delight. 

Skipped the trip to an interesting rock formation to wander the town on my own. My own pace, time to employ my morbid attentiveness. In five minutes I was happy. I was at home in myself. I was not bent double with leg pain. Wandered Bad Schandau to the market square, where the church bells were ringing. I decided to go to church. The person who turned out to be the pastor let me into the old church to look around, but it was not being used (probably, I think from going in, because it’s impossible to heat) and service was in a sort of classroom across the courtyard. Very Lutheran. The preludes and interludes on piano were Bach. I could sing the hymns and pick out the meaning of the scriptures, but the rest was lost to me. After service, an old woman stopped me in the garden and talked about the flowers, the burden of her conversation being do not judge the poor little garden, spring (Fruhling) is on its way. Wandered to the city park and down a few streets. Nothing was open, so my desire for coffee remained unfulfilled. Good day, which I needed after the physical uncertainty of the last few. Given my own pace, I can still conquer the unknown country. Lovely little town. Hugely liveable. 

My first walk into Dresden was moving west at sunset, and all the city a golden blur out of which came the ringing of bells. Made it as far as the town square before supper. Little girls ran alongside the boat as it entered town.