I just returned from a month in Dresden, with side trips to Berlin, Erfurt, Leipzig, Nuremberg, Würzburg and Frankfurt. I enjoyed the eastern part of Germany more than the western part; Leipzig and Erfurt in particular are lively, attractive cities with many interesting dining and cultural options. Dresden has made impressive strides in rebuilding; the exterior of the reconstructed Frauenkirche is pretty much complete and has finally filled the major gap in the pre-war Altstadt silhouette. I also had one of the most exquisite meals I've ever had at Caroussel, the Michelin-starred restaurant in the wonderful Bülow Residenz hotel. As others have noted, Nuremberg at Christmastime is a must for its Christkindlesmarkt. Nearby Würzburg is also worth a visit for its very good restaurants and wonderful wine culture. I had a particularly good dinner there last week at the restaurant in the Hotel Steichele. I started with a bowl of strangely delicious Franconian wine-soup. It reminded me of zabaglione, but with some broth, no sugar and local half-dry white wine standing in for the Marsala. It was hot, frothy and wonderful, and came with little brown-bread croutons and a tiny sprinkling of cinnamon. For my main dish I had Wildragout, which I think had wild boar in it, along with fresh wild mushrooms and a ruddy, expertly-seasoned sauce. It came with homemade spätzle and blaukraut (aromatic braised red cabbage, redolent of juniper, marjoram and caraway). I also had some excellent, half-dry local "Bacchus" wine. Overall, I found the quality of the food and cooking to be exceptional during my trip. The palm for baking, however -- breads, pastries and wonderful cakes -- definitely goes to Dresden!