What a day. Perhaps it’s been too long since I planned a day because not only did I forget to check the weather when I headed towards Basel today, but I forgot to check whether the 3 museums I was heading to were open. Spoiler alert – it rained and the museums are closed on Mondays and my phone just died while I was out there. But, it turned out to be a good day. I went somewhere I hadn’t planned to go, hopped off a tram and had a lovely bite to eat and met a slew of helpful people who got me up and running – cellularly speaking.
It isn’t easy taking pictures from a train but I did manage a few form the ride in… rivers, farms, houses, trees, a picturesque little town.
and this thing that I cannot identify
After arriving at the Basel train station I took the number 2 tram towards the number 6 which was going to take me about a half hour outside the city center to the Beyeler Foundation Museum.
The tram ride was fairly entertaining.
With remnants of what might be the last carnival if we don’t get the coronavirus under control. (Across Switzerland any event where more than 1000 people are expected has been cancelled. )
I changed trams at Messeplatz, the plaza was sort of open and closed with this at the center
you could definitely walk around it and stay dry… It reminds me that this city is known for its great architecture, and SAM, the Swiss Architecture Museum was one of my scheduled stops.
The other thing that struck me was the Charlie Chaplin event. Yesterday in Berg at the Paul Klee Museum they had done an exhibition featuring Chaplin and here he was again?
I trammed through the suburbs and past allotments and trees starting to bloom
Look carefully at the top photo and see they have solar power on the roof of one of the huts. I wish so many things as I saw this but mostly that I spoke the language and that people were out and I had gotten off and wandered through chatting everyone up as to what goes on here.
Eventually I reached the Beyeler Foundation Museum which is not on the ‘all museum’ entry pass that is part of the Swiss Rail Pass, but it was worth the 20 francs to get in.
Because of the rain and the time of year I didn’t walk the gardens but I did take a rest and look out the windows.
From their website “In 1952, Ernst Beyeler and his wife Hildy renamed their antiquarian bookshop at Bäumleingasse 9 in Basel “Galerie Beyeler,” thus laying the foundation for a unique career. This led to the establishment of the Beyeler Foundation in 1982 and culminated in the opening of the Fondation Beyeler in 1997, now one of the world’s most important and beautiful art museums.”
The collection on view today contained one sculpture by Giacometti
But also a number of prints also by Giacometti. I have seen his work exhibited a number of times and never seen prints so it was great to learn and see something new –
I also think I experienced my first exposure to Fernand Leger
The room for the Monet’s
It was all on such a grind scale.
Richard Serra indoors!
and plenty more. The temporary exhibit was Edward Hopper
and I saw things I had never seen before nor associated with Hopper.
And then the ride back to town where I had selected a few chocolate shops to try only I got distracted by hunger and as the tram went along I glanced out the window to see a cafe. The tram stops are close enough to each other and it seemed the tram ran often enough that I thought I could hop off for a moment, grab a bite and hop back soon. The catch, the cafe only served dessert!
So here at Bettingerstrasse I had a slice of cake at Cafe Bar Dolce Vita.
It was about this time that the phone went dead. I found my way back to the main station, went into the Info area, got directions to the apple store, hopped on another tram with only a slight idea of what the directions were and onto an adventure.
The apple store was located on Freie Strasse, and it turns out so was the Confiserie Brändli, number 1 on my list. So with the rain pouring and me in my throw away red rain coat I selected 8 bites and was on my way.
Wandering in the rain, hoping I was getting closer I forgot to snap a photo of what is probably a lovely shopping street. And noooo, when I arrived at Apple it was closed.. the sign suggested it might open tomorrow. I never knew apple stores closed? on a Monday? in a city? what is this? Fortunately a couple with limited English searched out a repair shop 4 blocks away and off I went – to a repair shop that was also closed. So on I went with only hope to guide me and voila I am now the proud parent of a third phone card. Then a quick hop onto the number 8, back to the statione and home to do laundry.
The list of thing to do upon my return to Basel tomorrow(?) include Xocolatl for hot chocolate, try a few bites at Schiesser, perhaps chinese at Nua Dumpling or Lotus Garden. Also, see the clock at Town Hall, the toy museum, the Tinguely fountain & Museum Tinguely, SAM (Architecture Museum) and some fountain searching.
Oh, and this was across the street from the Beyeler
And while I am next in the neighborhood the people at the caffe suggested Denner as a chocolatier nearby. But when I google it a discount store comes up – perhaps like the rotisserie chicken at Costco, this could be the loss leader?