Trip to the Schwarzwald

Yesterday all 60 of us loaded onto two double decker charter buses to head into the Black Forest. We were originally supposed to hike up to one of the peaks, but as we awoke to rain that was not a happy prospect and we changed plans a little. After driving through gorgeous mountains for about an hour we stopped in a small village and toured a monastery and church that was beautiful. We stayed there for about half an hour and then got back on the buses. Our next stop was a town that is a popular stop for German Tourists called Titisee, or Little Lake. We walked around, looked at the scenary and ate some ham sandwiches. After another winding trip further up into the mountains we reached the clock museum where we saw a history of German clocks. It sounds boring and we went with trepidation, but there were some beautiful musical clocks and very ornate carvings. Our tourguide Viktoria was also pretty funny and that made things more interesting. She ended the tour with "Even if you haven't learned anything about clocks, then at least you should now know that you need to study languages hard so that you can speak better German than I can speak English." Of course she was basically fluent and only stumbled over a couple words.

After the clock tour we went to eat dinner where we were told to dress warmly because we would be outside for an hour or so before dinner and to expect some surprises. The first of which was that we were led back into the woods along a torch-lit path stopping under an aquaduct lit by a bonfire. There we were served hot punch and stood around talking. At 6 (dinner was to be at 6:30) we started to hear a drumbeat coming up the path. Out of the darkness come masked people in red and green pants. The masks looked like a cross between a dog and a dragon and were really fluffy. They were followed by drummers. They stopped, removed their masks and low and behold we were entertained by a Black Forest marching band getting ready for Karnival. They played classic German songs like Eye of the Tiger and Phantom of the Opera. Andrew and I sang along loudly to the ones we knew.

Dinner was truly classic Black Forest. Spätzle, Sausage, Schnitzel, Veggies and all in mass quantities served at long tables. It was a lot of fun. When we got back we went out for coffee and wandered around town before retiring for the night.

Our German class today was spent wandering around Freiburg on a pseudo scavanger hunt trying to find out information about the city. We were supposed to ask locals who we found didn't always know the information we were looking for, but as a group we managed to get all the data we needed. Then we started our seminar. Mine is led by a Brit who considers himself European (a rarity). He seems funny, and the people in my seminar group are some of the better friends I've made so far. I think it will prove to be challenging, but a lot of fun as well.

Off to figure out how to heat leftovers without a microwave.

-Halley