Switzerland

Because of its proximity to the Black Forest region and, after having lunch in France, we decided it would only be right to have lunch in Switzerland as well. We did and we are happy to have done so.

We have become fairly familiar with the train/bus/tram system in this area so we thought we would use all of them to get us out of Germany and into Switzerland. The transportation system in Germany is superb so once you master a few skills you can do well even if you haven’t mastered the language. Besides. there is always a young person around who speaks enough English to confirm your plans.

We decided to go to Basel. It is the third most populous city in Switzerland and sits on the Rhine River. It is actually  located where the French, German, and Swiss border meet and has suburbs in both France and Germany as well. It is a beautiful old city internationally known for its renowned museums. One of them is the Knustmussen which housed the first art collection accessible to the public in Europe (1661) and still is the largest art museum in all of Switzerland. The University of Basel is the oldest university in the country and was founded in 1460. Students still attend the university  and enjoy a combination of old and new as some of the areas have been renovated and upgraded. The library is phenomenal.

We stopped by the tourist office to pick up a walking tour guide and map and we were able to see so much of this area. The entire Old City is considered a UNESCO site and we were able to see most of the sights and to hear the history of this area with our Basal Tour App. From the red sandstone Munster which was built-in the twelfth century to the more modern Tinguely Carnival Fountain this area is breathtaking and rich in history. The Tinguely fountain was built-in 1977 on the stage of where the old city theater once stood. There are nine iron  mechanical figures that are in constant motion and interact with each other like the mimes, actors, and dancers that once occupied the theater stage did. When this fountain freezes in the winter the sculptures freeze and then they  become ice sculptures. I am sure that it must be very beautiful.

We tried the local specialities and of course the chocolate. Both the white and dark were delectable as was the pastry. We tried something called diverse plunder and because of the name shared a small portion. It was like a cinnamon roll with currants and nuts. Wonderful.

The weather is due for a change soon, snow is predicted, and so we are going to into a little more rural area and nestle in for a few days. It is predicted to lighten up next week and we will head out to Baden-Baden for a few days. This is where the Stoeckel Family was originally from and we hope to explore this area.

Until then…we carry you with us.