Next up in our adventures, we went to Basel, which is located in northwest Switzerland on the Rhine River (and also where the Swiss, German and French borders all meet!). Basel is part of the canton of Basel-Stadt (City of Basel), which is actually a half-canton. The other half is Basel-Landschaft (Land of Basel). The separation occurred due to concern over the rights of people in the agricultural areas. These concerns led to the separation of Basel-Landschalt from the city of Basel on August 26th, 1833.
To get to Basel from Thalwil, we took our dependable Inter-Regio to Zurich HB, and then transferred to another completely new type of European train: the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV)!
The TGV can go faster than 200 mph (320 km/h) when on the correct tracks!
This train goes all the way to Paris! Definitely another place we have on our checklist.
While the train may look empty, many of these seats were reserved from Basel to Paris, which is certainly a popular destination.
A very modern cafe inside the TGV.
We arrived in a speedy 53 minutes, covering about a mile an hour to reach Basel. Three more hours and we could've been in Paris! (The train can run at faster speeds once it crosses into France.)
Very open and grand station.
Certainly felt like one of the larger stations we've visited.
We made our way to the Basel Münster, a cathedral situated right next to the Rhine with Romanesque and Gothic lines. The building is made of red sandstone with colored roof tiles, and listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
The Münster towers over every other structure.
Very grand interior with an organ at the end.
As noted in earlier posts, I am always stunned and awed by the stained glass windows.
Feeling hungry, we took to Altstadt, the medieval Old Town in the heart of Basel. At Marktplatz (marketplace), a bustling farmer's market was filled with delicious and fresh local foods, which we took full advantage of!
Tens of farmers and other producers filling the entire market square with their goods!
We could not resist the delicious looking and smelling bread!
Homemade bread filled with cheese and roasted peppers.
Green and black olive bread, filled with cheese and zucchini!
As we ate our bread, we made our way to the Rathaus (City Hall), the seat of government for the Basel-City canton. It definitely stood out with its brilliant red facade, built with Gothic and Renaissance elements. Here, we also saw an amazing street musician perform on his accordion!
Stunning Rathaus stands out at Marktplatz.
Interior is ornately decorated and just as vibrantly colored.
Can you name the piece he is playing? One correct comment will be randomly chosen to receive a prize!
We continued to explore Altstadt, visiting the Spalentor city gate, (about 400 meters west of Marktplatz) one of the three gates to survive the wall's demolition. Unfortunately, it was under renovation when we visited, so we'll have to come again when it's finished. It was also very pleasant to stroll down the many narrow lanes to gaze on the centuries-old houses in Basel.
A gentle stroll on the historic streets between Marktplatz and Spalentor.
I think our bagpiping readers would appreciate this. Happy Father's Day!
Since I like eating and am constantly hungry, we decided to linger at one of the many cafes in Basel for lunch.
Very happy (Ms: or creepy!) with her Latte Macchiato (typically a three layer drink, with milk on the bottom, a shot of espresso in the middle and milk foam on top).
Me with my Cafe Lungo (Italian for long). Similar to an espresso, but twice as much water is used to make the drink, resulting in a stretched espresso, or lungo.
Spicy salami panini oozing with mozzarella cheese, grilled to a golden brown.
Fortified with (more) food, we made our way to the Kunstmuseum (art museum) in Basel to see the Picasso exhibit! We could not take any pictures in the exhibit, but it was definitely worth the trip and made me appreciate the diverse talents of this artist. We also got admission to the rest of the museum, so we were able to look at other wonderful works of art by Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Renoir, and many many more.
Very much worth the visit!
After a very busy day, we decided to go back home, but not after getting some of the famous Basler Läckerli, a traditional hard spice biscuit (recipe over 700 years old!) created by local spice merchants and made with honey, hazelnuts, candied citrus peel and Kirsch (a fruity brandy, made from distilling cherries).
Packages of this stuff go quickly!
They even have different flavors. Extra candied lemon peels are used in this one.
Basler Läckerli!
More adventures coming up (and quicker updates too!)
-Herr Cervelat
The accordionist was playing Vivaldi's Seasons (Winter I think). Loved the piper on the pillar!
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