Return to Freiburg after 21 years

Saturday (7/13):  Two-hour drive, mostly on the autobahn (A8 and A5), to Freiburg.  What a rush!  

We arrived around 12:30 at Birgit's house.  She'd prepared a huge spread for us.  We met her wonderful family--Leonard and Leonie--and sat down to breads, meats, cheeses, banana milk, tofu (made by Wolfgang, her partner), yogurt, berries, coffee and more.  So much food!  This is very customary as we were her guests for the day/night, so she did it up in true form.  It was good to see my friend again.  She's very happy, has remodeled her home (second floor of her mother's home), and has two beautiful children.  Leonie is simply beautiful.  Both boys agreed!  And Leonard is a character--19 years old, good English, works hard and plays harder, I think.

We headed into town--from Um Kirch, Birgit's little town just outside of F'burg--where we parked in the tiniest parking garage I've ever seen.  Glad I purchased the additional insurance on the car.  Walked the streets of Freiburg, shopped a bit (Leonie's choice), took pics of Cafe Atlantik (where I spent too much time and money as a student), ascended the Munster's tower (huge Gothic cathedral), visited Bertoldsbrunnen (statue in the town center), and walked the route I used to take on my way to class, including the Martins-Tur which still has a McDonald's located right next to it.

  

Returned to Birgit's to look at Facebook pages--mine, hers, Anna's, the kids'--and talked about what we've been up to the last 20 years.  Dinner that night (10:00 p.m.) at a little cafe in Um Kirch.  Great day and great night!  It was good to be back in Freiburg, especially with Anna and the boys.  It was a thrill to show them where I'd studied and traveled so long ago.

Sunday (7/14):  Big breakfast after sleeping in a bit, followed by a trip into the Black Forest and up to Schauinsland.  We hiked down to an old farm house/museum where we had lunch, including sausages, bread, cheese, and wine, and took a tour (in German) through the old house and its many tiny rooms.  Reminded me/us of the farm, though it was about 100 years older.  The kitchen area was really the site of all family activity.  It's a stube or parlor area where they would eat, talk, sleep, etc.  In the winter, it was the warmest area in the house because of the oven/fire, so it made sense that they would all congregate there.

  

Hiked up to the top again and took in the view out across the Schwartzwald/Black Forest, the Rhine Valley, Freiburg (off in the distance), France to our west, etc.  Impressive! 

Headed down, stopped off for either cake or spaghetti (Birgit's options for us), and packed things up at her house.  The boys swam in the basement pool briefly before we headed out for the autobahn once again.  Returned to S'gart around 9:00 p.m.