The Basel railway station - actually one of two - where people go places much faster than I do. But they don't see as much!
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Kayaks and bike, just before parting ways in Basel.
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If that's a Starbucks, this must be civilization.
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I'm sitting here in a restaurant with a picture window looking out at tram railcars clanging by, a tangle of narrow streets, and people, people, and more people. I'm in shock.
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This is Basel, which bills itself as the cultural capital of Switzerland, and I’m eager to explore its streets and museums. It was also good to sleep in a bed last night and spread my things to dry.
I’ll stay about three days here learning why Basel–at the intersection of France, Germany, and Switzerland–became such a cultural center, and why it is here that the big ships stop their journey up the Rhine.
At the moment, though, I’m feeling a bit of withdrawal from the gentle flow of the river and the company of friends. The culture we saw was the culture of small old towns, which felt real and pure. The pace we set was our own.
The camps were dark, our beds the ground, but it was good. The city will be its own adventure, and then I’ll be more than glad to get back into the countryside where I belong.
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Treasures from Ancient Greece go on show
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Swiss archaeologists have been in Eretria since 1946, when the co-founder of the Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig was first involved in the excavations at the Ancient Greek city on the island of Euboea.. The exhibition Cité sous terre (Underground city) presents stunning objects in a setting composed of real-size images allowing you, for instance,…
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What are known as the “three most beautiful days of the year” began at 4am on Monday morning. Hundreds of colourfully costumed drummers and pipers crammed the streets and alleys. Basel Fasnacht is famous for its large lanterns illustrated with cartoons lampooning events and people who made the headlines over the past year (pictures and…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.