I happened to short-visit Freiburg thanks to a friend who was living there back in 2018. It was my first visit to Germany in my adulthood. Among all the ancestries my blood carries, German is the one that I feel less attached to, due to an unfortunate series of events and decisions during my childhood that resulted in my lack of exposure to the language and culture. But being there was something special, knowing that my past generations live within me. Freiburg is a small city in the south that flourished at a strategic location: a historic junction of trade routes between the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea, steps away from both the Rhine and Danube rivers. Today, its proximity to the Black Forest attracts tourists from all over the region, a place known for its gorgeous lush valleys, typical byre-dwelling farmhouses and wood carving crafts. Freiburg has been recognized for its exemplary sustainable urbanism. One of its most well-known urban landmarks is the Bächle, a network of runnels built along most streets and alleyways within the old city. First documented in the 13th century, the Bächle once served as a dual water supply system, used to help fight fires as well as irrigate fields in the town's periphery. Later on, as the 19th century elapsed, a rapid increase in population—and with it a rise in traffic—forced the system to be moved from its original location in the middle of the roads to the sides, much of which ended up covered.