Colditz

After Jena Nick and I headedover to Colidtz, although 3 1/2 hours parked on an autobahn meant that we didn't get there til gone 11pm. Ralf met us and showed us to a hotel (he was booked), although we moved into his Guest House for the Sunday night.

Colditz was wonderful. We feel we caught it just in time as the Saxony government is gentrifying it into just another Saxon Schloss, and half is a building site for the new Youth Hostel that is takign over part of the old german quarters. Our guide - Frau Lippman - was superb and we had plenty of time to look at everything, the remains of old tunnels, equipment, photos, locations and so on. What struck me most was not only the ingenuity of the escapers (the British being after points for style more than success), but the way that the Germans appeared to give them every opportunity to escape (eg allowing a theatre group so they could then justify access to costumes, a sowing machine and electric lights).

The town itself was very quite, and old east germany lay just below the surface - more so than in Jena.

On the way back we had a quick look round the old Soviet airbase on which the Altenburg airport has been built. There's a Mig 21 on display, and the old parade square is now being taken over by weeds, but is still surrounded by soviet murals.

All-in-all a great weekend, and having spoken to some re-enactors it looks like Nick and I are set for the Penninsular Campaign, then on to Borodino and Leipzig (back here again), before doing Waterloo when we 56!

All in