Into the Black Forest

“WHOEVER journeys through Swabia should, on no
account, neglect to pay a visit to the Black Forest; not
so much to see the forest itself, although such countless
numbers of vast pines are not to be found in all
countries, as to study the inhabitants, between whom
and the people in the neighborhood there exists a
striking difference.”

– Wilhelm Hauff  – The Cold Heart

Out of this entire month-long journey, the place I was looking toward to most was the Schwarzwald, known as the Black Forest in English. In a previous post, I wrote about how memories of childhood fairy tales made the place extra special. Even now, in my old age, whenever I hear the word 黑森林，I slip into daydreams about tree spirits, giants, gnomes and fairies.

We arrived in Freiburg – a sunny university town on the edge of the Black Forest – on Tuesday afternoon. Seeing local students biking past makes me feel rather guilty about not being in school…but at the same time, I’d rather die than suffer through an econ degree again. It’s a wonder I even survived the first time. Little streams of spring water – the bachle – criss cross through the old city along the cobblestone streets, and according to local tradition, if you accidentally fall in, you will marry a Freiburger. Emily spent a lot of effort trying to push me into one. -_-

I’m in love with the cobblestones!

 

Sunset in the old city.

But as beautiful as Freiburg was, it was not the real Schwarzwald. My unnatural passion for the forest led us to the village of Titisee, where the dark conifers – so tall and thick that you cannot see the sun while inside – were as authentic as it gets. Along the way, as the train took us through lush, never-ending forests, I nearly jumped out the window in excitement.

Venturing into the forest sent chills down my spine. The Black Forest…the name does not lie. The trees blocked out sunlight almost completely after just a few steps in. I half expected to see a house made out of gingerbread and candy in the distance, but instead, I was sinking slowly into moss covered mud on the forest floor. Perhaps turning back then was a good idea…

In the end, I got what I came for. I had never seen trees like this in my entire life, and despite being more than a century late, the forests still felt every bit as magical. The cute wooden figures scattered throughout the forest really enhanced the atmosphere! 🙂