Dispatch from Germany: Mayor Barnett Tours Freiburg, Discovers Car Sharing and His 'Inner Julie Andrews'

Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett has embarked on a , where he is one of seven elected officials selected to attend a series of special seminars on city planning. It's all part of the German government's "Transatlantic Climate Bridge" initiative, designed to invite U.S. leaders to exchange ideas and success stories. While there, he'll chronicle his trip for Rochester Patch.

Here's his latest installment:

We woke up early to catch the 8 a.m. train to Freiburg. The train system is very intricate here as most of the population takes the train either for travel or to work on a daily basis. The experience is complicated, given that all of the signage and overhead announcements are in German. It is a challenging and uniquely rewarding experience when you can successfully navigate the system.

In any event, the train ride was long (six hours) to the French/Swiss/German border. Freiburg is a medium-sized town of around 200,000 inhabitants nestled in the Black Forest on the footsteps of the Alps. We arrived in the afternoon and were met by our third program host, Alexander. We travelled by bus to our hotel located just outside of town and changed quickly for our meeting with the mayor of Freiburg.

Freiburg is a medieval city with a fascinating history. It has 900-year-old cobblestone streets and centers on a beautiful cathedral. We met with both the mayor and the manager of the Department of the Environment at city hall.

Freiburg has much to be proud of when it comes to sustainable practices. Nearly every home here has photovoltaic panels on the roofs and everyone, and I mean everyone, bikes!  There is also a tram that runs every 7 minutes, and stations are never more than 300 meters apart.

There is also an extensive "car-share" program in place. Residents walk up to a car, usually a grey four-seater, swipe their card and take the car anywhere they need to go. They pay only for the gas and a small membership to be in the "car-share" program. The result is that only around 40 percent of Freiburg's population have vehicles – in a city of 200,000! Quite amazing!

We had a few minutes to walk to town after our meeting, and I took the time to purchase a few souvenirs for my boys (I sure hope that the candy doesn't melt before I get home).

The evening brought us to our most spectacular meal of the trip, where we were hosted by one of the more famous couples and successful business owners in southern Germany. Their home was incredible. He has the most extensive collection of Voltaire in Europe; she has one of the most valuable modern art collections in Europe. Together, they have a home that would probably be among the most impressive in Oakland County.  

At one point, we pushed a button and the entire wall, approximately 40 feet long, disappeared into the floor and we walked out into the garden – a garden that looked over the mountains with the only noise being that of the cowbells on the cattle grazing in the distance. I felt my inner Julie Andrews awaken!

The meal was exquisite and the conversation even better. There was a great breadth of experience with our delegation both in terms of years of service, as well as geographic representation. We have gotten along famously and have certainly forged long-lasting friendships. We discussed challenges, successes, most embarrassing moments, crazy experiences with the public, the weirdest place we've every been recognized, the strangest question we have ever been asked and our proudest moments.  

It is certainly nice to develop a strong peer network, and is a wonderful side benefit to a program like this.

After a harrowing ride down the mountain back to our village, I called it a night.  More Freiburg tomorrow.