4th September, Leipzig

 ** It's Sunday morning and I just strolling through the old Gothic city in Leipzig. There are a few things I have been looking for. One is a tall round tower that I have seen from a distance but it eludes me while I am wandering around. The second is a food establishment, any food establishment, that will accept electronic payment. As one local shopkeeper proudly announced, "we are East Germany and we do things our way. We need to see the money".  That's fine but I am down to my last €20 note and I'm not sure if that will last me to Prague or even get to Dresden, my next port of call. All I can say is that Leipzig is living in the technology Dark Ages.

** A word about the McDonalds here. So far they are the only cheap place I can find outside of very upmarket restaurants, which are not within my budget, who take electronic payments. However I think I used the adjective cheap a bit too loosely. I ordered a crispy chicken on a bun with everything else removed, and that cost me €6.90 (about $9.40) and a natural sparkling water cost $4.99. I am going to write to McDonalds to nominate Leipzig McDonald as the most expensive location in the world.

** I have been coming across more water pumps as I have walked the streets. The signs all say it is pure drinking water but with my stomach I really do not want to take the chance.

Some more shots of buildings taken during my morning stroll 

Statue to Bach

** The last set of pictures are of a distorted statue of a walking or running person. I'm not sure why but people come up to it to rub the toe on the large foot. By the changed colour of the toes I would say that this is a popular thing to do.

However, when one views the statue as a whole the humour fades as the "Heil Hitler" salute comes into full view. As a human I am disgusted to find this in Germany of all places. How much more hatred, violence & death must take place before it is finally understood that any display of Nazism is totally unacceptable.

This statue, known as Jahrhundertschritt, has really lowered my mood. How can a city allow such an evil concept to be celebrated, especially in a country where any link to National Socialism is banned. I believe the artist, Wolfgang Mattheuer, who liked neither socialism not capitalism, could have been more astute if he wanted to celebrate the conquest of Nazi Germany. A Nazi salute is not the way, and totally rediculous the laws of modern united Germany regarding laws against Nazis symbols, and totally redicules the memory of not only the 6 million Jewish men, women & children who were slaughtered under those who believed in this salute, but also the other 45 million who also died between 1939 & 1945