Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Basel, Switzerland

It was so good to be back in Switzerland and it was like returning home to see old friends. Tamara and Stefan I travelled with in Argentina in 2003 and Kevin I travelled with in Turkey in 2000. They hae all visited me in Melbourne and now it was catch up time in Basel. When I saw them it was with great happiness as I know that they are all warm and sincere friends.



Basel is an amazing city and I loved every moment of it. We had many laughs together and they were all so cool how they took time to show me about. We talked about our travels together and our first meetings. Swiss people seem to have thie gentleness about them and they are so so polite. I like this very much. Stefan was really good to me and he spent so much time with me as he is on holidays. Thanks so much for this Stefan.



This is Tamara and myself having fun in a fountain after getting a bit soaked. We had just seen Kevin off as he was travelling to Austria. I felt like a little child in the water as it was such a hot day and it was so nice to cool down. I also liked the way that Tamara is such a caring person. She is really sensitive and I could talk to her for hours and also talk about many things.



We shared some good moments together drinking beers and this is where Kevin dashed off leaving me to pay the bill.....only kidding Kevin as it was Stefan who paid. It was so good of Kevin to travel to Basel to see me and to meet Stefan and Tamara. Its amazing as now I have met Kevin in Turkey, Switzerland and Australia and we have kept in touch for eight years. He makes me laugh a lot as he is travelling through Europe and his plans kept changing. I think maybe he changed his itinerary more than me.



Kevin's backpack weighed a tonne and Im not kidding I think he has a kangaroo stored away in it. I am travelling for six months and he is only travelling for three weeks and his backpack weighs heaps more than mine.



The trams in Basel are great and make me feel a little homesick for Melbourne. Not really but I liked travelling on them heaps. They are everywhere and you have to watch where you are walking. I caught many trams with Stefan and Tamara during my visit to Basel.



My first day in Basel and Kevin came in to see us. He drove all the way from Schmitten and it was so cool to see him again. Tamara's apartment is so colourful and of course Stefans apartment is like a second home to me now. Here we are on one of the many bridges in Basel. Stefan really made me welcome and it was great to talk to him about his music. I liked the way Stefan and Tamara just met Kevin for the first time and they all chatted as though they wer long lost friends.



Kevin loves his football team. I cant understand why as european football is nowhere as good as aussie rules football in Melbourne. I did like his car though, and it was great that he drove us up to a look out to see the night lights of the city. It was cold and windy at the lookout and myself and Tamara laughed as we were both freezing. I was also a bit scared of the heights but Kevin forced me to go up.....hahahaha only kidding.





The trams are amazing but I have to be so careful as in europe I am always looking in the wrong direction. Back in Grenoble I was almost hit by a tram. The tram driver gave me a big smile as she passed by as she knew I was taking photographs.



I walked around the city of Basel with Kevin, Tamara and Stefan and they showed me many interesting places. Its such a beautiful city and I would say it has to be one of my favourite cities in the world. It seems to be a really yound city although the area I stayed in, outside of the city centre had many older residents.


The buildings are so old and some are really colourful. I walked around with Stefan on my second day in Basel and I saw many great places in the old part of town. Then we met up with Tamara and we went back to her apartment and we had a beautiful Thai Green Curry. It was so great. Later on Stefan and myself caught the late bus and tram back to his apartment.



Tamara and Stefan you have to promise me that you will come back to melbourne as my family loved you when you were there last. The same applies to you Kevin as I think you spent much longer with me in Melbourne last time.



Tamara and myself on the steps in the old part of the city. It was fun to catch up and I'm sure we will catch up again, maybe in Paris. Pokwa pa (why not) We had many good talks while I was in Basel and she has promised to visit me in Melbourne. I'm holdinf you to that promise Tamara.




How great do the old buildings look. I loved the style of buildings that I have seen in both Basel Basel and Strasbourg as well. This used to be a part of the old city wall of Basel. Its close to the entrance of St. Alban. I loved this building and it was right near the Rhine river.


This is my favourite photo as it shows my three good swiss friends meetings. It would have been even better if I had been in the photo, only joking. The photo below shows Stefan, Tamara and Kevin with the Swiss cow in the city. I myself think a kangaroo would look much better but the cow is okay I guess.

No comments: