My Great Great Great Great Grandfather Andreas Eidelwein was born in Bavaria some time ago, although I did not see him there on this, my first visit to the great nation of Germany. So on May 25 (I had to refer back to my journal for this date, as I'm writing about five weeks after the fact now), just after sunrise, I entered the small city of Freiburg in the Southwestern corner of Germany and detrained at the station.
As I waited on the platform, I had an awkward conversation with a painfully drunk local, which ended as soon as I saw my friend Franziska, whom I had not seen since our travels together ended in Moscow a few weeks prior. I was happy to see a familiar face and we headed back to her house on the other side of the town, me riding a street car and her a bicycle, the bicycle being the preferred mode of transport in this university town. After a pleasant German breakfast we headed back out on the town, as I received a set of wheels (two wheels, to be exact) and we set about exploring a bit of this pleasant place nestled in the Black Forest.
After a tour of the downtown area, Franziska headed off to class as I rode a short distance out of town to a trailhead, at which point I locked my bike and ascended through green forest, eventually reaching the top of the hill that rises just south of town. I climbed the artful metal spiral tower at the top of the hill and enjoyed the 360 degree views of Freiburg and the forests and countryside surrounding it. I ate some fresh strawberries that I had purchased from the church market before descending slowly, savoring this glimpse of nature after so many days and weeks in cities.
I rejoined Franziska and her friend (whom I had also met on the train from Beijing) for coffee, then we bought a couple local beers and headed down to the river to sit and enjoy the warm afternoon. After we were thoroughly relaxed, we headed home to make a salad for the evening's barbeque (that's right, a real German BBQ!).
We rode to a big house in a nice neighborhood where several friends of Franziska lived, and the next few hours were spent eating lots of food and having compelling conversations with some truly cool Germans regarding guns and American culture, as well as other cross-cultural topics. I appreciated the fact that every one of them spoke proficient, if not fluent English, despite the fact that I was in their country. In the end I drank far too much delicious German wine, and Franziska and I rode home, not without stopping by a hip bar for a nightcap.
The following day, we met some of Franziska's friends whom I had met the night before and we had some lunch and relaxed on the campus lawn before the two of us headed out to explore the Black Forest. Our plan was to try to catch the tram and then the bus out to a chairlift that goes up a mountain, providing good but expensive views of the forest and the land. By an act of grace though, me met a kind young German woman at the second bus stop who recommended against dishing out 12 Euros for the lift and instead suggested that we follow her back to her village, thus providing a more authentic experience for far less scrilla.
Yes, as good American children we all learned not to trust strangers, but when traveling perhaps the opposite should be suggested. Besides, this woman spoke good English and was a Chinese herbalist, so she seemed trustworthy. We caught the bus with her and talked about her times living in North Carolina and also her times working for a popular German television host.
We got off the bus at the base of the chairlift but instead of taking that, we followed our new friend through the forest and up a steep and narrow trail towards her home. She described how she had moved out to this village recently to find a peaceful life, and as we rounded a bend and the place came into view, I understood what she meant. For the next couple hours the three of us walked around this small village upon a hill overlooking the Alsace Lorraine region of France, discussing history and borders and eating schnapps-infused chocolate cherry cake. This is the kind of experience that a traveler loves: free and "authentic". We eventually descended the hill and took the bus back into town.
That night and the next morning were rather uneventful. Franziska helped me secure a ride to Paris for the following day through a popular German ride-share website, so early the next afternoon, we rode into downtown, got some ice cream, then patiently awaited the black Mercedes SUV that was set to pick me up. The guy finally showed up and I once again said my goodbyes to Franziska as I disembarked on an awkward but rather interesting trip to the city of love.
I thoroughly enjoyed my short time in Germany. The people I met were incredibly friendly and accepting and I loved the relaxing atmosphere of Freiburg, a town which reminded me not just a bit of Flagstaff. It was a joyful feeling to know that I was really getting the local experience by staying with a native and seeing the place through her eyes. It was great to get out of the hostels for a few days, and I see my time here as some of the best of my European adventures.
Paris of course, would prove to be a totally different experience.
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