Day 52. Bad Sackingen to Munchenstein (Basel). 52 km, 3h05.
A hearty breakfast (including scrambled egg, a first since Graz) was followed by a quiet cycle along the German bank of the Rhine to Rheinfelden. There we crossed to the Swiss side, and I immediately took us upstream in the wrong direction until Jen said that it didn't feel right.
After stopping in Augst at the Roman Amphitheater of Augusta Raurica (1st and 2nd century AD settlement) which is still used as an outdoor theatre, we were caught up in the confusion of multiple roadworks in Pratteln. Even the locals with GPS devices were going around in circles, and two traffic officers added to the mess by sending us in the wrong direction. After disentangling ourselves we made our way to Munchenstein and arrived at Michael and Jenny Rensch's home in time for lunch.
Michael spent 3 months with us as a Rotary exchange student 13 years ago, so it was great to see him and Jenny and meet their 3-month old son, Laurin. Michael is a physiotherapist in private practice nearby. They live in a quiet suburb close to Jenny's parents with a garden with every type of berry imaginable growing there. Eventually we could sort out the various varieties like johannesberen, heidelberen, cassis, blackberries, blueberries and sauerkirchen from each other.
In the afternoon we took the tram to the centre of Basel. Basel has been a trade and manufacturing centre for over a thousand years as it had one of the earliest bridges across the Rhine. It become an important textile and dye centre, and later developed a paper industry stimulated by having the first university in Switzerland. Today it still has big chemical industries, including the pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Roche.
The old city of Basel is situated on a steep hill above a ninety degree bend in the Rhine. The old houses on the shore are 2 stories high on the town side and 6 - 8 stories high on the riverside. The centre was bustling. We followed a few of the "old town walks" to see the Munster (built from red rock), the Marktplatz with the ochre Rathaus, the Spalentor City Gate (14th century) and numerous small alleyways. The annual international art festival is on in Basel at the moment which is one of the reasons the city is so busy. We ended up at a photographic exhibition called the "other side of beauty" which displayed numerous black-and-white pictures of very hairy female armpits - very far from beautiful.
A big summer pastime here is to float down the Rhine. There were literally hundreds of people hanging onto inflatable bags with their belongings inside, floating down the river. There are also a few ingenious ferries which are attached to pulleys on cables spanned across the river. By altering the angles of the attachment and rudder, the ferry moves across the river without any power other than the flow of water.
The evening was spent back at Michael and Jenny's home where we were treated to an excellent braai and a very good Swiss wine. (Gutedel, otherwise known as Chasselas, the most planted of Swiss white varieties). Switzerland has 40 indigenous cultivars, little known in the rest of the world.
The amphitheater at Augusta Raurica.
The very colorful Rathaus in Basel.
Michael, Laurin and the two Jenny's.
Wonderful amphitheatre - fantastic it is still in use! Must have been special to meet up with exchange student of so many years ago. Cast your bread on the waters.....
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