Day 1-
3 trains and a lot of anxiety (and running between platforms for connecting trains) later, I’ve made it to the south-west of Germany to Freiburg, southern most part of the Black Forest.
The hostel is situated outside of town, with the Black Forest right behind it. Perfect location for me to go hiking and exploring der Schwarzwald!
I woke to snow falling outside my window….a sight that never ceases to excite me! I’m definitely glad I chose to have a day set aside just for hiking around these parts of the Black Forest. Especially now that it’s blanketed in snow and looks simply magical. I did wait for a little bit, after breakfast, for the snow fall to slow down before rugging up to head out. I tested out my thermals (which, luckily, work very, very well-I was sweating-as I need them for Iceland where it will be even colder).
Just me, my camera and my hiking boots. I took a path that started from behind the hostel and made my way into the forest. The further I went, the whiter it all became. I spent a couple of hours wandering along paths, enjoying the magical views and the peace and quiet of the forest. The snow had settled on the trees, turning them white, everything looked as if it were from a scene from Narnia or a winter fairytale. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
Back to the Hostel to dry off (I got snow all over me as it was still falling gently) I went for a walk towards town to pick up some food for lunch and dinner. I found a health food store and stocked up on healthy snacks for my last train trip on Saturday. I’ve eaten waaaaay too many sweets here. Damn inherited sweet tooth-must be a German thing!
I spent a couple more hours back wandering in the forest this afternoon. This time taking my wide angle lens with me and following a different track. This one wound it’s way upwards until I came out towards the top of the tree line. So much white, every where I looked. I don’t think I’ll ever get over seeing snow and waking up to snow falling. I’ve been making sure to enjoy every moment of snow whilst on this side of the world. Snow here is so much better then the snow I’ve experienced back home. It’s actually soft and fluffy!
Day 2-
Checked outside as soon as I woke up. No snow falling, but still some left from yesterday. The sun rose and the sky was blue and clear. The Black Forest was a different sight to yesterday but still just as amazing to see. I enjoyed the morning sun on my face as I walked in to town.
First point of interest for the day was a big climb up to Schlossberg, where I got to enjoy plenty of amazing views along the way up. There was still lots of snow towards the op and it was quite a steep climb too. Schlossbergturm is a tower at the top which can be climbed to get even higher views over Freiburg. I made it about two thirds of the way up the steps of the tower before remembering I have a fear of heights. Froze, panicked, then made my way back down the stairs on shaky legs. It’s ok though I still managed to take in some views of the forest and town whilst up there.
Back down and into town. I spent the day wandering around the Altstadt. I ate Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Blackforest Cake) for morning tea and then again for lunch at a nice cafe that had many options for the sweet tooth. Blackforest Cake is one of my favourite cakes after all. I looked around the market in Munsterplatz and checked out the sales in various shops. Traveling the past two weeks has made me forget about things I’d normally be doing, such as Boxing Day sales. I did buy a new pair of winter boots as my current pair have worn out with all the walking around Germany that I’ve done recently. It was nice to simply wander around the town without needing to be anywhere specific. Just taking in the sights and enjoying myself.
Tomorrow I’m on the train to Frankfurt. The final destination of my German Christmas/winter adventure.
Stephanie's Test Kitchen 