It’s been some time since my last post – and the virus is still around … but I meanwhile got my immune system up to speed – and the same is true for family and friends around me. Being fully vaccinated, travel now is turning into an option again and many of the restrictions simply don’t apply anymore. I have used the past months, to get back into some old habits – from enjoying missed flavors in restaurant, to bar visits – and simply just using my time for more than just going for walk or hike.
Well – my first international trip got me into Switzerland – and the city of Basel at the Rhine River in the three-border region between France, Germany and Switzerland – meeting with the same group, that I had been to Vienna with a good two years back (and in fact my last non-business international trip pre-Covid).
I got to Basel by train Friday afternoon – and Friday was mainly spent, to get together as a group, for good discussions, drinks and a nice dinner in a brewery restaurant – essentially celebrating that – at last – we could meet in person again.
Saturday was greeting us with cold and rainy weather; we made our way to the main market square – to then enjoy a guided tour through rainy Basel. The tour around town was really good (and Basel indeed is an adorable, picturesque city) and the guide was very knowledgeable. The tour ended near the Petersplatz – a great opportunity to go around the booths of the Basel Herbstmesse (Basel Autumn Fair), to try some of the local sweets (Magenbrot – anyone?), get in something more substantial or just enjoy the usual smells of a fair – something – as I realized here – I had been missing for the past 20 months. By now most of us were quiet cold (I felt like frozen to the bone), so we made it back to the hotel, to warm up before heading out for another great (meat-heavy) dinner.
The sun was back on Sunday – just in time for a boat tour on the Rhine river covering the whole downtown area and cruising all the way up to the three-border area and making it into German and French waters before finishing the trip at the Basel Rhine Port. After a visit of the port museum and a walk along the river, we made it back to downtown and the hotel – to get ready for another traditional meal.
On Monday it was time, to say good-bye … all in all, this has been a superb weekend with great company, great food and well organized to a small, but nice city. It was great, to finally travel again and to meet with people – essentially, what I have missed most over the past months. Plus – this being my first international trip since Covid, it was also good practice for my upcoming trip to Madeira.
Ohh … this entry not only celebrates my first international trip since Covid – it is also the 1000th entry overall 😉
