Gegenwart Bewältigung: Freewheelin' in Freiburg

Over the summer, Joe got back to his roots of doing ridiculous feats of endurance. A two-time Ironman, he has not been involved in any kind of formal race since we've been living in Germany, but he did go on several all-day bike rides this summer. And by all day, I mean all day. Most of these were 200-300 km in a single stretch. Once he rode to Munich, while our friend Rachel and I left mid-morning by train and met him for dinner. Another trip took him to Mannheim, then home by train late that night. He is famous to my colleagues for having biked to Strasbourg, on the border with France, and back, up and over the Black Forest, all in a single day. One weekend this summer he decided to ride to Freiburg, in the southwestern corner of Germany, which is also the sunniest part of Germany. Because the Black Forest stand between our house and Freiburg, it took me almost as long to get there riding the trains as it did for him. So we meet for a late lunch and enjoyed a sunny afternoon in Freiburg. Joe rode his bike back the next day, and I again rode the train.

We quite enjoyed the town of Freiburg. It is a university town, so has an openness and youthful energy about it. The town was quite wealthy and was able to buy its independence in the middle ages, hence its name. A unique feature of the town are the small canals that divert river water through the town center. These were perfect to dip your feet in on a hot summer day. We also hiked up for a view over the valley, surrounded by forest. And of course, we stopped in a local beer garden for some refreshment.