F R E I B U R G

Next up on our schedule was a day trip to Freiburg. To our surprise, we woke up to snow! Actual snow flakes falling- as many as we saw all winter combined.

Not the warmest weather for what is supposed to be Spring Break. Our day went on as planned.

More history and more of Germany... we had some miles to cover!

At the center of the old city is the Münsterplatz or Cathedral Square. Another beautiful cathedral built between 1200 and 1530.

The whole square with surrounding buildings was amazing- so much detail in every single building- kinda a theme going on throughout Europe.

chasing pigeons...

After visiting Strassbourg, we figured we'd take a look inside. Following other people, we slipped into the side door only to realize {again} they were in the middle of mass.

In Germany, Good Friday is a holiday, Easter Sunday {of course} and also the Monday after Easter is a holiday, which is the day our visit fell on.

It wasn't until we exited the back of the cathedral that we saw the sign saying it was closed at the moment for their service- no tours.

They even had it written in English. We weren't trying to break the rules- just came in the wrong door. Oops.

 We did enjoy the moment of reverence and the singing within the massive walls. 
As with all of these cathedrals, the stained glass is absolutely stunning. 

 The whole city has gutters running on every street. They add a lot of character, but also made me crazy wondering which little guy was going to fall in first.

Upon our return home, I read that these gutters, once used to provide water to fight fires and feed livestock, are constantly flowing with water diverted from the Dreisam. 

They were never used for sewage, and such use could lead to harsh penalties, even in the Middle Ages. During the summer, the running water provides natural cooling of the air, and offers a pleasant gurgling sound{Wikipedia}.

It is said that if you fall or step accidentally into a Bächle, you will marry a Freiburger, or 'Bobbele'. If I had known that, maybe I wouldn't have stressed so much.

No one got wet- fortunately. I'm still not sure how that happened.

 Ricky {our friend} took these pictures of the boys and a bunch of others that he graciously shared.

Look at these goofballs making this mama crazy! We did see a woman filling a bucket with the water- a good way to water plants.

The sweetest thing was watching little children with toy boats on a string running along the water as their boats floated down the gutters.

We enjoyed a traditional schnitzel lunch at a lower-level bar/restauraunt, then made our way in search of cuck-coo clocks. This is the Black Forest after all!