I’m not one for history or walks through old architecture… well… at least I didn’t think I was. The roads here are beautiful and the food here is the best I’ve ever had. The people are all friendly and make me feel so welcome even though I can’t speak a word of German yet. The prices are much better than home and you can spend an entire day just walking around doing nothing and you would still be just as content as you were when you began.
The more I travel, the more terrible I feel not knowing the language. I wish I was more educated sometimes. I believe that the more I travel, the more I learn. Though no travels have been long enough to learn more than a sentence of a language. This time in particular I feel more ashamed that I am so juvenile when it comes to learning foreign languages.
For those of you who don’t know and who haven’t followed my blog since September, I met Paul in Durban, South Africa on my 30 day backpacking adventure. Although, I never actually realized who I had met at the time and what he was capable of doing with my heart strings. Without trying to brag, I think it’s worth mentioning that the reason I have taken a 9 hour flight to a country I never had any desire in visiting was because this man is incredible, I mean something more than incredible.
Somehow he has managed to give me the best of his time, go to work on a regular basis and spend time with his friends. Wine, cheeses, breads, flowers, walks, city tours, big rides. This trip has been incredible and I hope at some point soon I can continue my blog and become an Au Pair in Germany (I just have to learn the language first).
I have spent the passed 5 days in Freiburg, a small city in the south of Germany. The transit here (trains, trams, bikes, Vespa’s, motorcycles, cars, scooters) is amazing and the views are breathtaking.
Though I don’t want to admit it just yet, Freiburg is better than I ever imagined it being.
I have done city walks, been around on the Vespa, visited the Black Forest, gone out to the bar, experienced my first ‘football match’ on TV with his friends and been to more restaurants than I can count. Every minute, both adventurous and relaxing have been amazing.
Other things I have noticed while being a foreigner in this area is that everyone rides bikes. There are a lot more bikes than you would see in Ontario. People are also very materialistic here, but in a different sense… nice cars, nice clothes, nice shoes, even (as I learned from Paul) nice groceries. I haven’t really thought of a grocery store being for wealthy or poor… more like cheap and expensive… so… who wouldn’t want to shop at the cheap store? He seemed to think it was funny when I walked in the door with a Penny Mart bag. People don’t shop at Penny Mart if they don’t have to.
Other silly things that I notice every time I look is their 80×80 pillows instead of rectangles, their jail cell curtains on every window down the street and their huge knobs of light switches. The one thing I like the best about Freiburg is the fact that no one is judged when riding a tiny scooter, a shitty bike or roller blades down the road. It is normal and it is active. I guess people judge certain things across the world, I just wish transportation wouldn’t be judged in Ontario. Although, I must admit I am glad I don’t have to buy the ‘popular brand’ groceries, I like sales and I like my groceries cheap.. no matter how rich I may be.
Up next: Amsterdam & Dusseldorf!
Interesting in reading more about my European adventures?! Take a look at this post: Top Reasons You Have to Experience the Autobahn!
