On Monday morning, my third day in Freiburg, I woke up to some dense fog. I ate a quick breakfast in my pension, talked a bit with Greg over email, then made my way back to the Seepark to take a few more photos near my dorm area. The thick fog reminded me a lot of our fall mornings growing up in Oregon. At this early point of the day, there were a few people coming out of their homes to start their morning commute to work, but other than that, I had the entire place to myself. It was peaceful and very ethereal!
Back in the center of the city, still very early in the morning, I stood right in front of Zum Roten Bären, a 700-year old hotel and restaurant, and took some photos of people riding their bikes up and down the cobblestone streets. Going to work, going to school, dropping their kids off at day care. Many Germans, like so many people in Boulder, ride their bikes to and from work every day. They are all about public transportation and staying active!
Then it was finally time to say goodbye to my special and wonderful friends at the train station. They took off on an eight hour journey back to Padua, Italy, and I hopped on a small commuter train all by myself to ride over to a nearby town in the the Black Forest called Titisee.
When I arrived in Titisee, I bought some groceries to make my favorite sandwich lunch: salami and Butterkäse (mild, white cheese) on a Brötchen (small, hearty roll). I packed my small lunch for one inside my hefty camera bag and set off to hike eight Kilometers around the lake. Halfway around, I stopped to eat my lunch and ended up sharing some of my roll with a few of the local, hungry, Mallard ducks swimming by my spot. The fall colors were still out some and although the air was brisk, it was a perfect day for a hike!
I loved the little details I found on my walk. It’s amazing what cool things you can find when you have the time to stop and focus on your surroundings! Forest trees. I loved how the light was shining through the trees as I walked the lakeside path. Forest blooms. I caught this feathery beauty in the middle of some fall leaves. Forest logs. At the end of my hike, these were stacked up and perhaps ready to be transported somewhere to keep a person’s home warm during the winter months?
I hiked almost all the way around the lake, but eventually I ran into a pretty major street and walking along a busy street with lots of cars was just not as enjoyable as walking through the forest, so I cut my hike short and hopped on a bus back into town. I spent my last few hours in Titsee relaxing at the local spa, Badeparadies Schwarzwald. Inside, they had all types of (hot!) saunas, a steam room and a large indoor swimming pool. My favorite part was sitting outside in a hot tub for one with a glass of champagne in my hand while looking out at the gorgeous Black Forest. It was idyllic for sure and completely awesome! After spending the past few days walking everywhere I went, my muscles and joints sure thanked me for that little stop to refresh my feet and relax!
I spent my last night in Freiburg eating a döner kebab (turkish lamb kebab) al fresco and treated myself to a movie in a theater close to my hotel. I spent most of this day and most of the next few days of my journey completely alone. It was heavenly and I can’t wait to share more!
