Coming from Paris, C and I had the weekend in Milan to rest and prepare for our next big trip. If you didn’t know, Milan is a ghost town in August because everyone shuts down and goes on summer vacation for a month. All of my friends from school went home for the summer but, for those of us that are far from home don’t have that luxury.
Anyway, I’m glad my little C-Bear came to visit me as we made use of our time and we happily spent our days jumping at various locations within Europe. What I find great about being in Europe is the fact that I can be in another country within a few hours.
Basel was one city that both of us have never been to. It’s 4 hours away by train from Milan and yes, we did another 7am wake up call nearly missing our train. Although, I’m happy to say we made it. When we arrived in Basel, the train location is very near to the city center. I love how convenient it was that we were in walking distance to practically everything. Basel is small yet, expensive. C gulped when she saw the price of her latte she ordered at Starbucks. I warned her ahead of time yet, she didn’t realize the conversion rate between euro and the swiss franc were outstanding. Yes, Switzerland is expensive.
One of the top attraction in Basel is the Rhine River. It’s hard to miss it as it is a connection between the old vs the new town of Basel. We walked along the banks, watched people swim and suntan. I thought it was cool and it looked fun that many people were swimming down the river. Too bad we didn’t think about bringing our bathing suits because that seemed to be a thing that was happening that day.
When we arrived, we walked around the city center and came to the Town Hall. I remembered reading a little about it and it is as beautiful in person as it is in photos. It’s a 500 year old colorful building and very much alluring.
We did a lot of walking and explored every little corner we came across in. Though it seems that Basel was also on their summer vacation because it was very quiet. The only time we saw a crowd was at the river.
If your heart desires for Basel, see the Münster Basel. It’s got two slim towers, red sandstone structures and it has a panoramic view of the city. It was a good stopping point for us to rest, relax and enjoy the view.
We found ourselves back at the river and nearby was a playground. C & I became silly and we couldn’t help to take over the see-saw. What can I say? Basel brought out our inner youth.