Along the Elbe

Saxon Switzerland is nowhere near Switzerland, of course. It is a name given to a portion of the Elbe by marketers seeking to entice visitors. That said, there are a lot of pretty little villages along the way.	This part of the Elbe is very popular among the locals for cruising and paddle wheelers like this one make regular runs to and from Dresden as day trips.
Those who wanted to could take a tour up into the mountains and walk down to this bridge for a bird-eye view of the river.	So off we went. From the top of the mountain there were interesting rock formations similar to the hoodoos in Utah. Both are caused by the uneven weathering of sandstone.
It was worth the walk because it was a gorgeous view.
	On to the Czech Republic
Out first stop in the Czech Republic was Litomerice, a small town	All Saints Church
House of the Black Eagle, decorated in Renaissance style with sgraffitto walls showing biblical themes.	All around Peace Square (the main square of Litomerice) the buildings have been restored in a variety of styles.
Shops below and fancy apartment above--houses like this must take a lot of upkeep.	A Plague Column. These are found in many towns and commemorate the end of a plague in the town.
A beer tasting. Decisions, decisions. Which one did I like best? Judging by the glasses, it must have been the second one. The Czechs are justly proud of their beer. In fact, beer costs less than water in restaurants.