Of Hanzel and Gretel and Cuckoo Clocks

Bus, plane, bus, train, tram and 10 hours later I arrived in Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany. It was still dark, the birds still sleeping as I stepped onto the busling platform. Sleep was quite evasive on the ride south from Frankfurt to Freiburg, but the magnificent scenery with the fog sweeping through the trees of the black forest at four in the morning was worth it. Tired, and more than a little hungry, I was welcomed with open arms by Anne and her parents, who agreed with the idea of grabbing a quick pastry for the short tram ride to the beautiful apartment that they rented in the Lehen district of Freiburg. I couldn't have asked for anything more, truly, with my trip to Germany. The trip was rejuvenating, a much needed break from the heavy load of studying and exams that I went through and our very rigorous trip to Istanbul less than a week before. We wandered lazily through one of the greenest cities I've ever seen, passing bakery after bakery nestled within picturesque German architecture. We talked of anything and everything, played cards, watched The West Wing, went for long and relaxing walks in the woods, took a lift up a mountain overlooking the city, ate way too much, had Schnitzel and cooked French Onion Soup among other typical German dishes that Anne's mom wanted, and successfully so, to take a crack at it.
For those of you who know me well, you might be surprised that I went to Germany in the first place. Believe me, it was not on the top of my list of places to see due to my, lets say aversion, to the German Language...I'm truly glad that I did though. Germany is an extremely beautiful and charming country, full of history, and with very nice and welcoming people-well in the South at least.
To top off the vacation, although it was hard to beat wandering in the colorful meadows of the black forest (a bit counter-intuitive, I know) and lying in the sun at a lake near Anne's dorm, or the towering Gothic Cathedral in the city center, was our short yet wonderful trip to Strasbourg, France. A very, very expensive lunch across from the cathedral, a boat ride through the city and a coffee later (and of course a good dose of exploring) and we wrapped up my last full day of vacation with Anne and her family.
I'll let the pictures tell it all, although for pictures of Germany follow my link to facebook:

Strasbourg. Can't decide between seeing France of Germany? Go here!