Schwarzwald

This weekend all the UMass kids in Germany met up in Freiburg and ventured off into the Black Forest in southern Germany. I honestly can't explain to you how incredibly breathtaking this place really is, you'll just have to wait to see it for yourself. Kilometers and Kilometers(yep that doesn't sound as good)of rolling hills with quaint villages at the base of the valleys, it's inevitable you will take way more pictures than you'll want later.

Saturday we hiked over to an old farmhouse surrounded by steep hills and your daily dose of cows. Inside the little house a lady will show you how the farmers used to live out there...lets just say you won't complain about the coldness back at the cabin again after that. It's always incredible to see how people survived back then. My favorite part was their lamp: a stick of kindling wood they lit the end of on fire. Or even the small bath tub, when they did bathe, the dad went first, then the wife, then the kids oldest to youngest. (That would have been the pits for me... five people later used water, no thanks!) Later you watch a T.V. show about a modern family from Berlin who does attempt to live that way. The poor teen cried when she got there...

One of the best parts--other than the food, the food is very good--is the cat, Susie! She's the friendliest--and most photogenic--cat I've ever met! Make sure to give her a pat from me!

If you do get the chance, there's an option to hike back to Freiburg, it's so beautiful don't pass up this option! Unfortunately I didn't get to do it, but keep it in mind.

Give yourself some extra time to explore Freiburg before setting off back to school. I got to see the famous "river" in the town as well as the cathedral. The cathedral was so unreal, very similar to Strasbourg! I wish I had