August 30, 2022
Day 8: Eurovelo 15 - the Rhine river (source to sea)
A rest day in Basel
First, the big news ... Joel Wicki is the new “Schwingen King” of Switzerland. The 25-year-old triumphed in this weekend's national wrestling championships. The winner of the kid's downhill carting is still to be determined!
I slept in this morning before heading out to explore Basel on my rest day. Basel is a city of amazing galleries and museums, and I was looking forward to seeing a few. The Kunstmuseum Basel began life as a private art collection in the 16th century. Interestingly, the museum has one of the most significant Picasso collections in Europe. In 1967, a local art collector who owned two of Picasso's works fell on tough times and needed to sell his collection, which was on loan to the Kunstmuseum at the time. The good people of Basel were in uproar and took to the streets to collect donations and lobby the city to purchase the works. 8.4 million Swiss francs sealed the deal! Picasso was so impressed with the citizens’ passion that he donated four more paintings to the city. I was eagerly looking forward to seeing the collection ... unfortunately, I discovered that the museum (and most museums in Europe) are closed on Mondays! By the time the museum reopens tomorrow, I'll be pedalling towards Strasbourg.
To make matters worse, my personal favourite, the Caricature & Cartoon Museum Basel, was also closed.
I used my now free morning to continue exploring the old town. It is on a hillside and consists of narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways connected by stairs. These streets don’t seem to have any obvious layout, so it’s easy to lose your way. GPS and Google Maps aren’t useful - GPS because the narrow streets make it hard to pick up a signal, and Maps because of the lack of detail. Not that any of this mattered; it was a relaxing and interesting wander.
Today and tomorrow will hit 30 degrees Celsius, warm even by Australian standards. I'm already thinking about tomorrow's ride and the need to get away early to beat the heat.
A Swiss chocolatier (chocolate shop) caught my eye, and it was a perfect time for a break. I ordered a chocolate sorbet and a pilsner beer. The waitperson gave me a weird look until I explained that I wanted them separately. She still gave me a strange look ... I guess they don’t have sorbet with beer chasers in this part of the world!
I've enjoyed Basel, although cities differ significantly from their rural and regional cousins. The old town has managed to blend the old and the new in a harmony that works. As I people-watch, I hear street performers to my left and right - one playing traditional Swiss German folk music on a piano accordion, the other a world-class cellist performing modern popular music for a watchful crowd. Seems about right!
I leave Switzerland for the last time tomorrow. My next chapter will involve criss-crossing the Rhine River, alternating between France and Germany. Thank you, Switzerland; you have been a wonderful host!
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