Europe Day 34: Frantic in Fribourg

Hello my dear readers, both the dedicated and sporadic alike!  I apologize for the recent delay.  I was online long enough to skype my little sister and Mom the other day  before the server crashed-probably due to an obscene number of SPU students suddenly all getting on at once.  Long days out of the hotel have prevented me from getting them all written anyway, but hopefully I'll catch up soon!  In the meantime, here is what we did on May 6th.
I know the days here are all full and crazy, but today was especially so!  We went to the Town of Fribourgh in Switzerland, where Madame B. studied abroad when she was young.  While she was there she sang in a “youth choir” where she met a boy named Alouise.  He is now the Historian for the city of Fribourg and has the keys to the city.  He took us all over the place!

We quickly toured an old house before going to the Cathedral.  With our particularly special guide, we got to go into the choir area, to the upper and lower belfry, and all 368 steps to the tippy top of the tower!  Having twisted my ankle the day before I hesitated at the thought of so many steps, but this felt like a once in a lifetime oppurtunity.  I refused to let my sore ankle hold me back!  So I climbed to the lower belfry, I struggled to the upper belfry, and I took each painstaking step to the top of the tower where I was finally able to enjoy the magnificent view!  Looking across the city, you could totally see where it shifted from "Old Town" into the modern area of the city.  The style of the buildings, the color of the roofs, it all changed with the era.  It was neat to see the old and new so close together!

We climbed back down the 368 spiral stairs to the ground floor.  It actually made me a little dizzy as the steps went down down down in circles circles circles.  Luckily, I regained my equilibrium before we left for a convent. While the sanctuary is still very much a church, the rest of the premises  have been converted into the offices where Alouise and his comrades work.  We visisted the sanctuary first, where we were embraced by the moody sounds of some one some where playing the organ.  Ironically, I had listened to the Phantom of the Opera sound track on the bus ride to the city.  My mind was alive with masked dancers waltzing across the marble floor and man dressed in black, except for the white mask that hide his disfigured face.  The jewel-encrusted skeleton only added to the scene.  Apparently, the skelenton was once a saint and had been traded across Europe several times before finally landing in Fribourg.  My imagination insists he had something to do with the Phantom- but that is a tale to be told on another day.

Alouise took us past the offices and into a conference room where we all recieved an individual pizza for lunch.  I do not understand how in America, two slices fill me up, but in Europe, even the most petite girl can eat the entire thing in one sitting!  I'm not complaining though. Actually, I am very grateful to the city of Fribourg for provided our lunch, complete with a yummy dessert of meringue covered in double cream-a thick, milky substance.  It was very satisfying.

Special arrangements had been made for us to visit a typical house from the 12th century.  It was actuall two houses that had been combined to make one.  It is interesting to compare the four meter wide, old Fribourgh house with the ginormous homes clumped together in America.  Who ever said we needed that much space anyway?

Our admiration of the little apartment was soon interrupted as we needed to head towards our next destination, a monastary.  It was refreshing, especially the cloister.  A cloister is supposed to be a heaven on earth and it was rather peaceful.  The shrubs were all neatly trimmed, and a simplistic fountain added a gentle gurgling noise, only loud enough to know it was there.  Cool and shady, it was a nice place to be.

After our brief tour we returned to Fribourg to see another church.  This one is attached to a college here, unique beause it is bilingual.  Classes are taught in both French and German, just as the city is half French and German.  I liked this places because it was done in the "Rococo" style.  This period of art focused on being light, cheerful, and fun.  The walls were bright blue and the wood curvy and white.  It greatly contrasted with the gothic style decor we have previously viewed, but is still unable to rival Chartres Cathedral in France for my favorite place of worship.

From the church we were led to the last functioning, water operated cable car in the world.  This cable car carries twenty people at a time up a hill, while twenty others simultaneously go down the hill.  They share the same railroad track that splits only in the middle.  Water from a river pours into a bucket, raising one car while the other falls.  While it was no roller coaster ride and we did no loopty loops, and the kids in the other car did not give me a high five when we passed, it did mean we did not have to climb 1008 stairs, so I was content.

At long last, our day of frantic sightseeing in Fribourg ended with a traditional fondue dinner.  Our class, tour guides, and the family Madame B. stayed with when she studied abroad all sat in the big back room at a restaurant, where we happily swirled our potato and bread in cheese fondue.  The Swiss love good, long conversations, and this type of meal is perfectly suited to that. A common rule is that if your bread or potato falls off your long fondue fork, you have to buy a bottle of wine for the table.  But, in the case of broke college students, you only have to kiss your neighbor.  I managed to avoid kissing anyone the whole night long, though I may have slipped the food off other people's forks...but never intentionally, I promise.

At long last we piled on to the bus and I soon landed in bed, ankle slightly sore, but I fell asleep right away regardless.  I hope to never have to cram so much of one city into one day again!