Yesterday, I spent one last day in Basel. Not because I thought there was so much more to see here, but simply because the day before I was out in other parts of the country from 10:00 am until after midnight-so I didn't feel like packing up, checking out, getting on a train, and checking into somewhere else right away.
I would love to say I did anything exciting-not hardly. One thing just about every hotel in Basel (including the hostel I am at) comes with is an unlimited pass for city trams and busses. So after a good breakfast at the Co-op supermarket, I got on one tram at the rail station (just a short walk from the hostel), and decided to ride it as far as I wanted to see if it got to someplace interesting. i must have stayed on the tram about 1/2 an hour, riding through city streets, suburban towns, and finally into the bucolic countryside. Being the weather was perfect (sunny, no clouds, mid-70's), I decided to get out in the countryside. it was so peaceful I laid on my back on the pavement next to the tram station, and just relaxed. (I find laying on my back is good for circulation, and because I carry a lot on my back while travelling, is helpful). While there we're houses in the short distance, other then the occasional walker or person riding the bicycle, nobody was around, and there we're no noises except for birds chirping, bees buzzing, and the occasional tram stopping going by.
After some indeterminate length of time (maybe 1/2 an hour), I waited for another tram to take me back to town. And I waited. And waited. While i was resting, trams kept going back and forth along the line, but now that I was ready to go back, no trams we're coming in either direction. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, some women who was walking saw me waiting and said to me "De fur se lunget de tram". I explained I only spoke English, and she repeated "DE FUR SE LUNGET DE TRAM!". (or something completely different). By this time, I figured out that another tram wasn't coming, though.
I walked back up the line, past peaceful meadows, churches, etc, and only had to walk up two-stations, as fortunately, I found out trams we're running that far (if not, I would still be walking at this moment). I discovered there was a temporary stoppage at the tram station I was stuck at, and busses we're being used (although I didn't see any).
When I got back into town, about 2:00, I think I dicovered just about every store is closed on Sunday. So I went back to the store I bought breakfast at (the Co-op), and bought some bread and a hunk of Swiss cheese (yes), and had lunch. Then I went back to the hostel and took a nap.
Later on, I woke up and took a walk to the river. First I stopped at a bar in an area that had been recommended by the front desk. The sign in front of the bar said "Soup of the day: Cider with water croutons (meaning ice)". It was sort of funny, and it seems that most Swiss people I have encountered, while not unfriendly, don't necessarily have much of a sense of humor. So I was immediately entranced, and had a good cider. Near to me we're a group of 6 guys and girls, seemingly in their 30's, having a few beers. Here is Basel, a lot of people speak English, are in their 30's, and work for either one of the Swiss banks, or one of the large pharmeceutical companies headquartered here, like Roche and Novartis. I would guess these people worked for the latter, as they we're having a lively discuss about the human geonome, and how one of their collegues discovered a new virus and thought it was a new species, or something like that. (where I could only understand they we're speaking English, but not what they we're saying).
At the river, being a beautiful Basel day, people we're gathered along side the river, while some we're peacefully floating down the river, as they do on warm-summer days. The Rhine, while a beautiful, historic river, hugged by banks with centuries old buildings and churches-well it's still a river. Sort of makes me glad to live in Florida where I can sit by the ocean on a hot day.
Finally, i took yet another tram-ride. this time to Weil am Rhine. Now Weil am Rhine, unlike the other ride in the morning to the country, isn't in the country. But it is in ANOTHER Country-Germany. Germany didn't look much different then Switzerland-except some prices we're in Euros. From here, I walked across the tri-country brige to another country. France. France did look somewhat different, simply because all signs we're in French (in Basel-German is the main language). After 1/2 an hour, I walked across the Swiss border, and took another tram back to the hostel, (stopping for a delicious, expensive dinner at Subway). When i got ack, I discoverd that my polo shirt and underwear I left on the window sill to dry we're gone. (this morning I found them-in the courtyard 3 stories below of some neighbors of the hostel, inaccesible from the street).
