Ch. 1 Climb Every Mountain

Friday, Oct. 24 - Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008
Freiberg, Germany and the Black Forrest

Well we arived successfully in one piece. The flight was great. Meadow Vole (MV) was smart and slept while City Mouse (CM) was excitable and watched Indian movies the whole time and paid for it later. We arrived in Frankfort at about 7:45 am and hopped on a train to Freiberg which is located in southwest Germany (almost to the borders of France and Switzerland) in the Black Forrest. We were starving once we got off the train in Freiberg so we walked a bit until we found a deli/bakery. Freiberg is nice. It is a college town. And it seems to be quite progressive in terms of environmental awareness and attitude, compared to the US...come to think of it ALL of Germany so far has blown me away with how integrated being environmentally concious is. Note to the US: YOU REALLY HAVE TO STEP IT UP. All the trash bins are separated into 4 parts for different kinds of of recycling. EVERYONE rides bikes and the towns and cities seem to be very well planned around that. Everybody recycles. It's very refreshing.

After lunch we called our host, Stefan, and he met at the train station and we walked back to his place. (For those of you who don't know, MV and I are CouchSurfing through our trip. For more information go to www.couchsurfing.com and learn all about it. It is an amazing organization!) We ended up dropping off our bags at Stefan's place and roaming the city. Stefan gave us some suggestions of wheat to see so we set out on our day's journey. Here's the basic breakdown: He suggested a local mountain to climb, called Schlossberg..I think...(I have trouble remembering). And also because MV and I have vowed to "eat our way through Germany" MV was on the hunt for some good bratwurst. Stefan suggested a place, and friends, can I say that we spent 4 freaking hours walking around looking for sausage. Do you think we could find any?!?! NO. On top of that I got us completely lost and we walked about 30 minutes in the completely wrong direction. After that MV was self appointed as the Prime Minister of Directional Information. I am not allowed to have any more input. After we had given up on the "Great Sausage Hunt", we settled again for yet another delicious soft pretzel and a variety of pasteries. Germans sure do like their carbs! Finally we headded off to climb the mountain, because there you are able to look out over Freiberg as well as see the Alps. First, we couldn't find the path. MV said it was one way, I found another, so we went with my path. So we started to climb up this very steep and narrow plath deep in the woods. OH MY SOUL, I was quite unprepared on how it was going to be to climb to the top of this mountain (which I'm sure is just a large hill, but for my purposes it is a FREAKING HUGE MOUNTAIN). Finally, I sent MV ahead because I figured my fate was to die of exhaustion on the side of this mountain. Eventually we made it to a landing where I stopped to enjoy the beautiful sunset over the city, and MV climbed higher up to the top of a tower on the peak. As I was on the landing and woman walked by me pushing a baby stroller! So I followed after her a bit. And guess what I found....A FREAKING ELEVATOR! Again, Prime Miniter of Directions has no business taking my advice. I clearly have no idea how to function properly.

After that we walked back to Stefan's flat where he put together a dinner party for us with his flatmates and some friends. Can I just say right now that this was one of the greatest experiences I have had with people. Stefan and his roomates were so kind and generous! He is from Germany, and lives with two girls, Alicia, from Poland, and Elnaz, from Iran. They were so wonderful to us. Also there were some of their friends, Christoph and Jon (pronounced Yon), and Benjamin, all German. We had the most fantastic time with all of them. the cooked us a shrim scampie pasta dish, with salad and really delicious beets. The also got a sample of some local beers for us to try. We sat around the kitchen table for hours visiting and learning about each other.


It was really spectacular. The said that they were so impressed with us. That we seemed so much more open minded than they thought Americans were. They told us that they thing we are more European than American. They asked us alot about politics. Apparently the US presidential race is heavily covered over here. They also had this cool wall covered in paper for people to make artwork, so I did a little painting for them. And Stefan was so great. He spent the day getting us the information and train schdules we needed for our adventure the nest day. None of it would have happened without his gracious help. So raise your glasses and toast to my friends, Stefan, Alicia, Elnaz, Christoph, Jon, and Benjamin. Is it possible to love people you only know for a short time and are so sad to leave? Yes it is.

Saturday we got up and headed out on an adventure that MV was the mastermind behind.... you see MV is interested in the writings of German philosopher, Martin Heidegger. Apparently the house he did some of his more prolific writings is located deep in the hills of the Black Forrest. And friends, we ste out ot find that hut. I will make this short. We took a bus from Freiberg to Trodtnauberg (sp?). We got off. We walks to the Information center to get a map, (apparently Heidegger's Hut is not a big tourist draw). and we started out. First we climbed up this huge hill, then we climbed this other huge, steep hill. Then we climbed up some more hills. Then I lost all feeling in the lower half of my body. After that we climbed up this really steep mountainside. Then we climbed up another steep road going up this mountain. At this point I am pretty sure that I am going to die here on this mountain side, so I started making out my will. However my brain got numb and I stopped being able to think. Finally we reached a path with some indication of his hut. so we alked along this mountain top dirt road (at an incline, of course) till we found a dirt path leading into the woods. Fortuantly this path goes straight down. We come to shat we think is an electic fence. We find out it is not. We open the gate and walk through. We climb straight down this steep hill ot another "non-electric" electric fence that said something resembling PRIVATE. I opened the freaking thing and went on through, because lets face it...when did a DO NOT ENTER sign ever stop me? Finally we arrived at this little boarded up house, way up on the mountain top overlooking this gorgeous valley below and off into the distance you could see the Alps. We sat in the grass, nest to the hut, busted out some fruit that we bought at the market in the town, and a pretzel we had gotten at a bakery that morning and had lunch. It was not Cliffs of Mohr, but stunning none the less. I have to say I was pretty proud of myself. Mostly for not dying.

After that we caught the bus (the wrong bus) and eventually made it back to Freiberg, picked up our bags and headed off to Munich. Black Forrest, I bid you farewell. You were lovely, but your shining star was definitly the night we spent with Stefan and gang.

City Mouse (aka "I have blisters on every one of my toes" Mouse)