30 Sep 1985, Posted by Scott An Chora in Travelogue, No Comments.
09/30 Freiberg, Germany
I found a gorgeous room in Fribourg that overlooked the main square that surrounded the church. It had a lovely café out front and was an ideal location to watch foot traffic and to catch up on my journal. There was a gentleman who showed up playing the harmonica and really put on a show. Talk about envy, “I wish I could play like that”. I liked wandering Fribourg’s narrow streets, the rows of small close-set shutter windows, tall dormers covered in fish scales and the gutters that line each street brought back fond memories. On rainy days when I was about six, I was allowed to go into the street in front of our home and race boats against myself down the curbed gutter. I had a blast challenging the local kids to boat races.
I decided to head deeper into the black forest and boarded a late afternoon train heading south into Titisee. Rich meadows, dairy farms dotted with gardens, villa’s set among orchards and well-wooden hills stretched away into the horizon as I entered into the mantle of the forest. There stood the tress that hid where Hansel and Gretel were left to stew. “Mysterious spreads the forest where strange shy creatures bide, within its dim remoteness who knows what wonders hide?” I don’t know where I heard it or who had told me that the Virgin watches over those who travel in those dark places. Those were the thought that stayed with me as I walked under their shadows.
I ended my trek at a large hostel overlooking a soccer field and sat alongside the hill allowing my youth to rise up and fill myself with the desire to join in. This was quiet place and clean. I must have stood in the shower for at least an hour. It had been a long time since I had found hot water under that kind of pressure. I decided to make this my home base for a few days as it made an ideal location from which to explore the Black Forest. It was nice to settle down somewhere for a time and to know where I’d be sleeping and to avoid having to carry my dirty clothes around with me. I spent a day at the lake, went in and out of cuckoo shops after cuckoo shops and took hikes into the forest. I love trees and always get the feeling that they are looking over me. I had the opportunity here to wash everything I owned and once packed back up, I headed towards Basel.
On the way to Basel somewhere between Zurich and Chur I met a young Italian sporting jewelry from head to toe. It appeared that he hadn’t showered in about a week or so. He wandered up and asked me if I had a light gesturing with his pre-smoked cigarette. He didn’t have to get too close for me to notice that he wasn’t just smoking tobacco. I turned down sharing his wet cigarette but introduced the idea to him of selling me some for the road. I then realized that I only had traveler checks and not enough pocket change to make any kind of impact. I guess between the toes is the place for hiding hash in these parts. He pinched off a piece and handed it to me saying “Have a good time”. I got off the train in Chur to search for food. Late that afternoon I headed into Innsbruck and arrived relatively late. Everything was closed up. The skies were cloudy but surprisingly it wasn’t all that cold so I headed towards the hostel I had stayed in before, to find that it was also closed for the night. I picked out a park bench just north along the river and with my pillow and jacket I managed to fall asleep, but that only lasted for about an hour or so. I laid there debating on what I should do and that debate woke me up. Sleep began to look as if it were no longer an option. I had no idea what time it was but assumed it was about three in the morning, so I decided to head back to the train station for a hot cup of coffee. Talk about good timing, the exact second I walked into the station the sky opened up and rain literally bounced off the pavement. It’s funny how things that looked as if they’re against me actually turned in my favor.
