Quest for Ming

Yesterday after class, inspired by the sunny, mild weather, I headed off to visit the neighboring town of Meißen. Known around the world for its porcelain, the city is popular here for its undamaged medieval core and good wines.

The quick (30 minute) train trip deposits you at the station on the opposite side of the river from the town, which presents a postcard-perfect approach vista with the Schloß (castle) perched just above the red-roofed Altstadt. The narrow, winding streets are pretty but not surprisingly quite touristy-looking, with seemingly every other store selling all manner of souvenirs. Off the Markt a sign beckoned with those famous crossed swords (the mark on the bottom of Meissen china), and I was drawn in as if by a magnetic force. I quickly decided I had to have a piece in the Ming pattern, which features a green fire-breathing dragon, but the shape I wanted was not available. The saleslady recommended that I head over to the store attached to the actual factory about 1 km away, and off I went.

About 10 minutes later I found myself in a veritable treasure trove of porcelain, glistening with pieces of every size, shape and color. Oddly, it was packed with young German soldiers, all in uniforms, who wandered around looking bored. I quickly found the green dragon display, but -- oh no! -- the shape I wanted was not there. I asked the nearest saleslady for help, and she sent a colleague to the storeroom to see if they had one. About 20 minutes later she returned, bearing exactly the piece I was looking for. It was even better-looking than I expected, so I bought it despite the horrifying price tag. "But it's Meissen...", I rationalized, for about a nanosecond. Out popped the AmEx, into the bag went my prize, and now I have one more thing not to break on the trip back to New York.