They said: “Offenburg to Titisee.” We rode the train to Offenburg, Germany, and laughed because they made everyone get off the train since it was the end of the line–Off-n-Burg. We were going to Titisee, Germany, to the beauty of the Black Forest. But when we heard the conductor pronounce the town’s name, well yes, it is what it is. So yes, they said, “Offenburg to Titisee.” You simply go with the flow.

Titisee is a charming lakeside village with woodcarving and cuckoo clock shops set amidst the beauty of the Black Forest hills that surround it. We had had a wonderful day, first in Freiburg, which has a wonderful Old Town (Altstadt), then the Black Forest. Then, the unexpected. The train in front of us had run over pedestrians, and the train lines were shut down–five hours later we finally made it to our lodging, which should have been half an hour. We had an unexpected encounter on our train journey with a Russian translator in Strasbourg for the European Parliament meeting. He was Mikhail Gorbachev’s translator and had made 35 trips to the U.S. He was also a personal friend of former NBC newsman, Tom Brokaw. What an enjoyable and delightful conversation to end our day of unexpected happenings! WEG

Cathedral door in Freiburg, Germany

St. Martin’s Church facade in Freiburg, Germany

Street scene in Freiburg, Germany

Lake village of Titisee, Germany

Lake in Titisee, Germany

Titisee, Germany