The Black Forest and the French Croissant

Freiburg (Germany), The Black Forest (Germany), Colmar (France), and Strasbourg (France)
October 27 - November 5, 2007


Situated close to Switzerland and France, the German town of Freiburg exudes a sense of vibrant energy that seems to stem from both the university and the proximity to the Hansel-and-Gretel-fabled Black Forest. Driving into the forest was magical, as the threatening weather added to the mystery and the darkness. Winding roads, low-hanging clouds, lush grassy hills, deep dark green forests, and oddly shaped dwellings were scattered throughout. It seems that many of the old houses combined both the living quarters of the animals and family under a single vast sloping roof. As we drove through the hilly passes, the moving clouds drafted upwards through the treetops, creating the illusion that smoke was rising from the forest floor. Daniela and I continued to her parent''s vineyard near the edge of the forest where we stopped by for a sample of the 'new wine'. While in Freiburg, I stayed at a cool hostel that came complete with a pool table, ping pong table, and a conga drum!! Unfortunately I had to bow to the German to whom I continuously suffered disheartening defeats to at ping-pong.

A daytrip to Colmar was interesting for its architecture that resembled a photograph of a particular but anonymous building that would send me on a wild goosechase a little further north. Several months earlier, I had contacted an artist whose photograph I liked very much, and asked him where the building was located. He indicated a very small town on the French/German border. How hard could it be, I asked myself... not hard, unless the artist was attempting to deceive me!? My small quest led me to Strasbourg, France, with a daytrip to hunt down the elusive building in Kehl, Germany. I was disappointed not to capture the image I was seeking, but it did lead me on a small adventure I would otherwise not have had.

Strasbourg was a fairly pretty city with the downtown shopping core filled with old buildings and surrounded by canals. It was very apparent that there were many homeless people living on the street, while tourists and other folk crowded the massive street shopping districts. In nearby suburbs, people lived in vacated parking lots between the train tracks, highway, and river, living in makeshift huts or ratty mobile homes while their children played on the asphalt. From Strasbourg I had intended to go to Paris, however, the French were yet again not working... this time because of railway strikes. I decided to jump over to Ireland before returning to the UK to catch a flight back to Canada...



The Black Forest, Germany. The clouds hung low over the hills of the Black Forest.



The Black Forest, Germany. Typical style houses with massive sloping roofs. Many houses, as with this one, had the family portion up front while the livestock lives in the rear barn attached to the same building.


The Black Forest, Germany. Unseasonal sunflowers without the sun.


The Black Forest, Germany. More sunflowers in the fields.


Near the Black Forest, Germany. Daniela's parent's vineyard.



Freiburg, Germany. Cobbestone streets of this quaint town near the Black Forest.


Freiburg, Germany. Small canal through the town.




Colmar, France. Strikingly different architecture in this heavily touristed town.


Strasbourg, France. Nightview of one of the many restaurants in the downtown core.