Dear Basel,

We only got to hang out for a bit and I might not know you too well but I'm glad we met. Basel is the city that I arrived in upon finishing the Westweg and it's where I'd relax until my flight to Budapest. I spent two and a half fun filled days being lazy here.

As I mentioned in a previous post after arriving I headed for a campsite just outside of town. From the German train station I first took a bus to the Swiss/French station which many of the town trams arrive outside of. There's something about public transport that I love. It's so convenient, and after walking so long it was a nice rest. The bus took me through town and over the Rhine. The whole trip I'd be fascinated by the architecture and life in the city. Often I'd find myself wondering about the people I saw and the lives they live. And I was always envious of those on bikes who seemed so at home going in and out of traffic. These cyclists were a different breed. They didn't appear timid at all, they knew that they owned the road just as much as a car driver. And they were so fluid, looking at home on a bike. Often I saw elderly folks hop on and off their bike like a pro cyclocross racer. And everyone had such interesting bikes. Mostly old, rarely new. Everyone on the road did respect the dinosaurs. The busses and trams. After I hopped off the bus I hopped on a tram. It was just as much fun, if not more, as the bus. Like a train that uses the roads. What a great thing. Luckily I was never in a rush so I hop on and off whenever I wanted. Miss one? No problem, I could wait for the next. Often I'd see folks in a full sprint only to have the ruthless Tramlord shut the doors and drive away. Good thing trams arrive often.

After hopping off I had to try and find the campsite. After spinning in a few circles I noticed a sign with a tent pointing down a dark street. I'd follow this street until it hit an end with no signs. Time to choose left or right. I picked right and luckily a young couple that passed would ask me if I needed help. I had picked the wrong direction. After a bit of walking and talking, the woman exclaimed that she loves the USA, they pointed me down a staircase assuring me the campsite was there somewhere. I would find it, reception closed, and have to pitch my tent in the dark. In the morning I'd find out I had pitched my tent in a place designated for a camper. Oops. After moving my tent and doing a bit of laundry it was time to see the city.

On tram 11 at the Gartenstadt stop there was a Co-op, a swiss grocery store. This is where I'd be buying most of the things that I ate. Stopping for breakfast and dinner each time. In Iceland I acquired the taste for Skyr, a delicious yogurt, and the store had a great bakery. Most meals I ate included Skyr and baked goods. It wasn't the healthiest but I loved it. Switzerland is also quite an expensive country so it wasn't too cheap either. Most of the money I saved by sleeping in a tent went to food. Once I made it into town my goal was to try and reach Augst. A small town outside the city. Home to the largest Roman theatre north of the Alps. After a short walk and long bus ride I'd arrive. Two ladies also got off at this stop and like me began to wonder where the ruins were. Turns out they're a couple of New Yorkers in Basel on a work trip. They work with dancers to help them recover. We consulted a map and then took a walk eventually ending in Augusta Raurica, tiny Rome. We walked around admiring the mostly reconstructed ancient ruins. They seemed a little underwhelmed by it all, one claiming she had seen better, but I was a bit fascinated. Here were the remaines of a theatre, bakery, amphitheatre, temple and walls. All built so long ago! How cool it all was. Except the temperature, it was actually a very warm day. After looking around we'd head back to catch the bus back into town. Off the bus we said our goodbyes and I headed back to the campsite.

The next day my mission was to send a few postcards and maybe see a museum. I headed back to the station at the end of the Westweg for postcards, free internet and free bathrooms. I ended up also having a nice conversation with the woman that sold me my postcards. She was very interested to find out that I'm an American. Saying my English was "very good". She usually has a problem understanding folks from the US. This got us into an interesting conversation about language. I was unaware that there really isn't a Swiss language. She said it's mostly dialects of French, German and Italian. Once our conversation was over I headed for the Kunstmuseum which I had seen outside of the window from tram 2. Having sent my brother a postcard with a picture of it I figured I might as well visit. And so that is how I'd find myself wandering around halls filled with art from Van Gogh, Picasso, Magritte, Dali and Monet. Plus a lot of other names I didn't recognize. A few I knew I should have from an art history class at App. Surprisingly I found myself enjoying quite a bit of it. Maybe I didn't "understand" it all but it was nice to look at. There was of course only so much time I could spend looking at it all so I was soon back out on the streets. Here I stumbled across Basel's downtown shopping area filled with lots of shops I mostly hear about from rappers. I passed most of these and opted to buy food instead. I'd eat some form of roasted acorn like thing and a Swiss Quesadilla, I enjoyed both. The only shop I spent much time in was a Gamestop. Here I was nostalgic over good times back home having my adventures from the comfort of the living room. I do miss playing video games and I've spent some time talking with Will about them. But, my love for games and explanation of it is for another time. It was horrifying to see that a new game here costs almost $95. See Mom, I could have wasted more money! We've got it easy back home.

After exiting the Gamestop I was off to find a tram stop and a way back to the campsite. Last night was my last night in Basel. Currently I'm sitting in the Euro Airport on the corners of France, Germany and Switzerland. At 2:10pm (here) I'll be flying off to Budapest. There I've got a campground space conveniently close to my friend Camille's university. From there I'll be spending the next while exploring Budapest and the surrounding area. Can't wait. Hope all is well for all who are reading this, and thanks for reading! Until next time.

Sincerely,
Zeb