Coming from Canada it is always magical to see physical structures which are as old as antiquity. The town of Meissen, about two hours south and slightly west of Berlin, was founded as a German town in 929.
Its rulers have possessed intriguing monikers including Emperor Conrad, King Henry the Fowler and Boleslaw the Brave.
Walking along the narrow walled passageways which lead to the Albrectsburg castle reminds the traveller of how quickly time passes. These streets were peddled and bartered and traded by folks of all ages and nationalities, in only slightly less raggedy garb.
And as always, the juxtaposition of old and new.
Meissen is mostly famous for its manufacture of porcelain, based on huge deposits of “china” clay and “potter’s” clay, both plastic and easy to yield into intricate shapes. Meissen porcelain was the first high quality porcelain to be produced outside of China.
The first European porcelain was manufactured in Meissen in 1710. Porcelain is still manufactured there today.
Variations in architecture circle the castle like rings of an onion — outer layers are most recent, getting older as one approaches the centre.
In the courtyard’s centre, cobblestones are laid out like spokes of a wheel or perhaps the points of a compass. Didn’t manage to determine the significance.
Every 15 minutes a series of bells ring out at the Frauenkirche — where we heard an organist practicing (and we mean *practicing;* good for N&L to hear someone else make beaucoup d’erreurs) — where the bells were made of porcelain. Quite a different sound from the classic cast-iron church bells.
Meissen was a market town by 1000 and construction of the Meissen Cathedral in 1260 was started on the same hill as the Albrechtsburg castle. As space was tight, the cathedral ended up as one of the smallest in Europe. Didn’t seem especially modest to me.
The church is also known as being one of the most pure examples of Gothic architecture.
The closest our princess will get to a prince.
Or maybe he’s a knight. In which case, I declare her a lady. In waiting. ‘Till she’s 35.
Or perhaps he’s a monk.
Better yet.
The Country Mice 
Lovely. Old Meissen. With the crossed swords as the marker. So beautiful. Hope you have picked yourself up some blue and white. My mother had some. Really easily the most beautiful china in the world. But the old stuff.
Mary
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Alas, did not pick up any crossed swords. Seven hundred euros for a jug, creamer and bowl was a tad rich for my available funds. I really should have looked for Meissen at the Trodelmarkt, tho that pbly would have been scooped in an instant!
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