If I hadn’t already pushed my diet out the window, now I was ready to hold it down in the bathtub. I had basically checked off all the touristy things I wanted to do around Freiburg and was left with zero interest in any of the small (but I’m sure lovely) museums. With only a matter of days left in Germany and a stack of study resources to thick to power through, even the drive to study German is suddenly waning to its low tide. But there is food… and beer.
After a couple cups of coffee, a bowl of cereal, and an hour at the internet PCs to catch up on news from the week, I retreated to the hammock to power through the remainder of the novel I had been working on. Once finished, I slipped it onto a bookshelf and did not grab a replacement. Puttering around looking for something to do, I bumped into A, making a breakfast of his dinner, and we chatted for a while. He had a train at noon, and I having nothing better to do, offered to walk over to the train station with him.
It was truly impressive how little stuff he was carrying given that he was planning to spend six months in Germany, doing a semester abroad in Aachen. I don’t know if it is a generational thing or a class thing, but I’m always taken aback by the ease with which travelers these days whip out their credit cards. Anyways, even with the luggage it didn’t take very long to reach the train station, where there was a bit of an adventure as A’s pre-booked ICE train was neither listed at the scheduled platform or any other platform. The train had been cancelled for mechanical reasons, but the DB staff at the travel center were able to put him on a different ride to reach his destination in Switzerland.
I was getting pretty hungry, so I made a beeline for the pizza place I had spotted on my first ramble around town. Because the weather had turned a little cold and rainy the inside area was completely full, but I was able to snag a table in the inner courtyard. When I overhead the waiters speaking to each other in Italian, I felt like I made the right decision to get my last pizza in Europe then and there.
After finishing the pizza, I walked 50 meters towards the Rathausplatz and grabbed a gelato from the eisparlor right there. I had glanced at it before, but figured it would be overpriced for its location. However, in the discussion of ice cream last night, some travelers mentioned it and its 1 euro per scoop price so I simply had to check it out. The tiramisu and double chocolate were spot on.
I returned to the hostel where I took a nap while charging up my electronics, then headed out to the Starbucks so I could get some quality Wi-Fi time in. I sat there for about two hours before getting restless and noticing that it was “beer o’clock.” There were still two local breweries that I was interested in checking out. The first, a craft beer place next to the Markethall, suddenly seemed deserted without the sunny terrace seating. So, I went to the other which I first noticed when I could smell the mash (or wort) cooking when I walked by one day. The bar section was open and inviting and I ordered one. I should have made a note of the name of the beer because I didn’t recognize it. I did note that it was “bio” (organic).
After one glass, I continued heading towards the hostel, but popped into a small grocery store to grab a bottle or two to throw in the fridge for later in the evening. I wasn’t particularly hungry yet but went straight towards reheating the final portion of shakshuka for dinner. Afterwards, I stretched out on a couch with my laptop until I noticed a situation at the front desk.
There was past middle aged Chinese man who did not speak any English (or German) checking in with great difficulty. The hostel staff had beseeched help from another Asian guest, who though Korean did speak a little Chinese. I butted in. After resolving the information transfer, I realized my little play had an audience of two girls from Texas who were parked at the computers and a Dutch girl waiting to check in.
I end up chatting with the Texans and the Koreans (there were actually two girls) announce they are going to check out a bar and invite us to come along. I still had half a beer, but I agreed. The One Trick Pony was something of a speakeasy, specializing in fancy cocktails illustrated in comic book format. It was quite cool and chic, but rather than choose a cocktail, I figured it would be better to order bourbon as a nightcap. It was also cheaper and I went for a double…which at 4 cL is basically just an American single. And it was served in a stemmed glass.
It was quite interesting to hear the back stories of the women I was accompanying to the bar. One of the Koreans was fluent in English and German and had been working translation at the game company outside Seoul. The other had been a hairdresser, but recently quit. One of the Texans (Corpus Christi) was also a hair stylist, while the other was a real estate agent. I think everyone had either just come from or was going to Switzerland.
I have nothing against Switzerland, but when you meet people in hostels, ostensibly they are trying to travel cheaply, so it is surprising to hear them talk about how they only go to the most expensive places. The Texans had booked two nights in Freiburg, but didn’t want to stay there during the day the next day, so I suggested they try Heidelberg or Strausbourg. They were thinking of a day trip to Mannheim, but hadn’t booked the tickets because of the internet situation. Back at the hostel, I spent some time helping them make a decision, the ultimate result of which I don’t even know. However, they did help me finish the rest of my nougat (Nutella) flavored cereal.
| Pizza and beer | 9.7 |
| Eis | 2 |
| Starbucks | 2.19 |
| Organic Draft beer | 4.10 |
| Bottled beer (local) | 2.6 |
| Whisky @ bar (with tip) | 10 |
| Total: | 30.59 EUR (238.6 RMB) (USD 33.53) |
Running Total: 33126.2 RMB (USD 4655.39)
Daily Average: 360.1 RMB (USD 50.6)