I felt sorrowful leaving the vibrant towns of Alsace behind, but more so because I was one day closer to Zach leaving me for England. As we crossed the border back into Germany, I decided not to think about that and to live in the moment, as our voyage was not completely over yet. Our next stop was Freiburg,one of the capital cities of the famous Black Forest region of Germany. I enjoyed it very much, Zach seemed to as well. We were welcomed by a large farmer’s market that was centered around a gothic style church, very grand in appearance as it towered over the tiny tents clustered around its base. Zach decided he wanted a bratwurst, so he stood in line at a little food truck that looked as though it had just opened. I was craving some more french style pastries, hoping to find a bakery with some french influence as we were still close to the border. However, after seeing the “Freiburg Style” bratwurst that the woman handed Zach, and after tasting it, my mind was made up. I went back for one, and savored every bite. I must say, it tasted much better than the brats I’ve had in Munich thus far.
I admired that Freiburg wasn’t overwhelmed with tourists, it was a local city, with a university, a decent variety of shops, bars and restaurants. Similar to Munich, but there was something a little more unique about it. I liked the fact that it was surrounded by the Black Forest, which made it feel like a fairy tale place in itself. When Zach and I searched down little cobblestoned streets and alleyways, we often found little canals with beautiful clear water and mini waterfalls diving underneath buildings and running alongside footpaths. In some areas, little rubber ducks of all kinds and designs remained tied up to posts, floating in the waterways. It seems that rubber duck racing might be a valued sport in Freiburg.
Zach and I used the little bit of time that we had left in Freiburg to hike up into the woods a short distance, as I was dying to get a feel of what the Black Forest was like. We were immediately greeted by greenery so thick, it acted as a carpet upon the soil of the steep hills we walked parallel to. The earthy smell appeased my senses, so pure and fresh, so healthy. Tall pines towered over us, creating a canopy above and cool shade below. Moss grew happily here, and the Ivy leaves were bigger than any I have ever seen. I picked three leaves off a vine, one for Kelly, one for Keith, and one for myself. Who wouldn’t want a magical Ivy leaf from the Black Forest?
Most of our return trip to Munich was extremely scenic, a pleasant surprise for Zach and I. We took a different route home, to combat traffic times and attempt to cut through a little portion of The Black Forest. It turns out, we drove through it for miles, and what a site it was for miles to see! Winding roads, deep valleys filled with a mixture of pointy topped pines with fluffy branches, ominously dark shadows at their bases. The depth and thickness of the woods allowed almost no light to penetrate through evergreen branches. I put my window down and let my hair blow wildly as I admired the views, and imagined so many fairy tales I had been told as a child beginning in these very parts. Zach put his hand on mine and smiled at me, happy for happiness. I thought my Lord of the Rings playlist would be an appropriate choice to match our mystical surroundings, enhancing the experience even more. I peered out into the foggy valleys of emerald green and unforgiving shadows, the music taking me away to another world in which the harshness of reality could not reach me.
