Basel

Main photo Basler Munster from the Rhine;
+Basel Old Town
And Couple on the Rhine ferry - bottom right with thanks to Basler Tourismus (copyright)
www.basel.com

top right Globus
bottom left - Rathaus
middle right Rathaus
with thanks to Claudia Held

In the morning after a substantial  breakfast, (including cold meats, cheeses, cereals as well as my favourite Hero conserve black cherry  smeared on Knackebrot - crispbread) we set off down the tow path towards the city of Basel.  Our Shearings guide, Jane, assures us its just an amble away. 


I take myself in hand, remembering that it's just not the same city I left all those years ago, and better not to get too excited.  Then I hear a clang, and look up to see the familiar silhouette of a tram purring its way across the Mittlere Brucke (Middle Bridge,  which straddles the Rhine) in very much the same way it did all those years ago.  Some things never change!

Woman's best friend

It's not long before we encounter a large black Labrador stretched out over most of the tow path .  Take my word for it, although not menacing, this dog's just not up for moving. It's too darn hot. I dredge my German memory bank for something to say to change his mind. 

 Long long ago when I lived in a small village just outside the town, the lady of the house had two dogs; one a dachshund, and a second, an Alsatian.  She loved them with a passion.  So it's her words I reach for now. The dog surely hasn't a clue what I am trying to say, but he gets the drift and his tail starts to thump good-naturedly.  Finally, he tosses his head with a low 'woof', allowing me to ruffle his jet black fur, before shuffling to one side for his mistress, who smiles back at me.

The Spirit of Travel

It turns out that this lady is not Swiss but Austrian. She's here on a visit to her daughter who's working for one of the huge pharmaceutical companies in Basel. She points at one of the sky scrapers across the Rhine thrusting  into the heavens. 

She speaks to me in halting English whilst I speak to her in pigeon German, with a few hand signals thrown in for good measure.  What a wonderful opportunity this is, she declares, to meet some-one you would never normally get the chance to speak to.  I have to agree.  We sit in companionable silence thinking about that one. 

This to me is the Spirit of Adventure.  It has nothing to do with a bucket list or a to do, ticking kind of list.  It's not even about the language or the culture, it's about what makes us all tick, and that goes beyond words.  As our Rhine trip continues, I get to meet and chat with other women I would never otherwise have done.  Some are grandmothers like me, who revel in their children and their children's children. Others just gravitate to my English accent. A smile speaks volumes where words, especially the grasp of strange sounding words stops us in our tracks.  The bottom line is beneath the veneer and division created by different cultures as well as languages, we are basically all the same.  

Into the City

It's time to say our farewells to both mistress and hound, and so armed with a street map, we continue our stroll along the Rhine to the Mittlere Brucke, where we turn off towards the city.  Up until this point, the only traffic we've come across is occasional cyclists wending their gentle way along the tow path much like us.

When we hit the city, however, it's a different ball game, especially since we are still travel weary and a bit disorientated.

Tall buildings rise up either side of us, and we are besieged on all sides by trams.  At this point, it hasn't quite hit me that they do things differently over here; left is right and right is left.  They drive on the wrong side of the road even! It's not the done thing to step off the curb onto the tram lines and then to stop dead wondering which direction that clang is coming from. I can tell you that.

Market Place

To me, this is Basel life, all crammed into a small triangular island resting next to the tram-lines.  A snug fit maybe, but for me it works really well.  Bruce and I sit down on some plain fold away chairs next to one of these smart chrome pop-up coffee shops sipping the delicious aromatic coffee, and savouring the hustle and bustle.  

The stalls are crammed full of food stuffs; scintillating Swiss cheeses, sausages, breads, all kinds of unbelievable goodies on offer to try before you buy.  Everything here is served up with the same Swiss courtesy.  The back drop is the crazy yet lyrical Swiss-German dialect even the Germans have difficulty deciphering. 

A tram purrs to a full stop, a much sleeker and brighter colour version of the ones I knew way back when.  Two flags adorn the driver's window directly above the Route Number.  These trams work like clock-work and are a wonderfully efficient way of exploring town or surrounding countryside.  Had we more time, I would have made off to do a bit more exploring but that's for another day.

This is both the draw-back as well as the delight of river cruising.  It's a way to dip in rather than explore at any great depth; a snapshot.  However I love the diversity the cruise offers without the hassle of having to pack up every day to settle into another hotel. The Rotterdam is our hotel, and it travels along with us.  We have the luxury of the same cabin each night as we ease our way into this great adventure down the Rhine.  I love the seamless continuity the river provides, and also the way the market place has been there across the centuries, overlooked by the Rathaus standing along side.

Rathaus

Across the narrow road stands the Rathaus or City Hall, the centre of governance for Basel.  It is quite simply striking. The building is fringed with a number of symbols representing the Swiss Cantons. Its facade is a deep earthy red.  This seems to be a common colour for all the local town halls in the area.  Beautiful murals span its width, dropping down to a series of sleek arches, leading through into a quiet court yard.  There are more murals inside, and I can only gasp in admiration.  They speak for themselves. People, just people coming together in common purpose for the common benefit of the community. 

This building, although ancient, is still in full working use. There are guided tours for tourists but just once a week, so we didn't get to see beyond the courtyard unfortunately.

Globus

Globus stands more or less next to the Rathaus.  It's sign is so understated  you would be forgiven for missing it altogether, because it sits back in the shadows. But, make no mistake this is a huge department store set on several floors.

The first Globus began in 1907 in Zurich and spread its influence across Switzerland from there.  These days its part of the Migros supermarket group.  Migros are generally well priced and well stocked with a whole diversity of fare; not alcohol or tobacco however. They've been banned from their shops all together.  The powers that be don't want to encourage excess in view of the knock-down prices.

The exchange rate is definitely in favour of the Swiss franc.  Everything is very expensive, I am afraid.  However I don't regret my day in the sun sipping my gorgeous yet outrageously priced coffee, or the gorgeous Michael Kors necklace I treated myself too in Globus.

Food Hall

Globus have a Food Hall to die for.  It has quite a reputation.  Yes its pricey but I would definitely go and have a look, it's worth it.  There's so much choice.  Meats, cheeses, bread, exotic sausages dangling alongside the counter, shelves loaded with mustards, chutneys, pickles and other bottled delights.

Next door is all the girly stuff; potions, pots, make up, perfumes, jewellery and of course handbags, designer handbags galore, set against a mirrored background, and of course this is where I bought the necklace. Retail therapy here we come!

Munster Platz -   

From Globus, we turned left passed the Rathaus taking the left fork into Freie Strasse.  where lots more shops crowd round to invite you in.  We turn left again towards the cathedral, and it isn't long before the crowds start to thin out. The alley twists uphill slightly before opening up into a huge square.  The sandstone cathedral stands at one end, whilst at the other there's an elegant pavement cafe cum restaurant tables ranged against the wall. 

Some of the houses date back to the 1400's, and yet can still dazzle in the bright sunlight. Each house is 'spit-spot' in true Mary Poppins fashion, having a charm of its own and each painted in its own fresh colour. It's hard to believe we are only minutes away from the all the activity in the market square below, although somewhere is the distance I managed to catch the peep peep peep of a tram moving on its way.

The cathedral dates back to 1069, but was destroyed in an earth quake in 1356.  I am not a fan of red sandstone, but the peace and sanctuary  the Munster offers is without question.  

Back to where we started -

We walk over to the left of the square where the Rhine can just be seen above the roof tops.  Many of the shops seem to be set below eye level and have minute windows with very thick walls.  I peer into the gloom in one shop but can't see much beyond a mortar and pestle, and some deep blue bottles containing herbs. I marvel at just how ancient this particular quarter of town is, and yet it still manages to be very much alive.

This turns out to be the apothecary museum, where Erasmus, Paracelsus, and even Holbein lived in their time. Again so little time left explore, yet so much to come back for.

Our day out in Basel is almost complete now.  There's enough to keep any body occupied in this very small area of the Altstadt, and to keep anyone coming back.  

I make my way with hubby back down the tow path towards the Rotterdam, listening  to the purr of yet another tram as it makes its way back across the Mittlere Brucke, but there's always another day.