Switzerland (Part II)
Day 12 (May 15, 2006).
Baden
Being Monday, Uli had to work. So for the rest of the week, I would be exploring the Swiss towns on my own. This day, I decided to check out the town where I was staying. It is a very small town. The heart of it consists of medieval Swiss buildings lining cobblestone streets, and at the center are the remnants of an old castle perched on a steep hill.
In the evening, I went to bathe in the local hot springs (ThermalBaden), which was a short walking distance down the street. I marinated in the mineral bath for about an hour (until my fingers pruned), while gazing up into the blue and white sky and surrounded by the bloom of Spring. I wanted to soak longer, but then I would have looked like a California raisin.
I was still battling an annoying cold, so my sightseeing ambitions had tempered considerably compared to my first week. So it was very nice to wallow in the charming ambience of a small slow-paced town.
Day 13 (May 16, 2006).
Woke up, ate breakfast, dressed, and headed out the door to visit my next Swiss town. Locked the door, walked halfway down the stairs, and looked out the window. Rain. 180 degrees, and back into the apartment. I was not in the mood to walk in the cold rain at the peak of sickness. So I decided to use my first sick day and rest. I watched two DVDs: Imagining Argentina, and a Swiss movie (Snow White) that portrayed the common usage of cocaine in the high society of Zurich.
Day 14 (May 17, 2006).
Basel.
I took a daytrip to Basel. From the train station, I walked across town to the "old" town. I hiked up a tower of a small cathedral, and was the only one up there. At the top was the base of the gothic spire. Then I walked to a peculiar-looking fountain that had several mechanical robots spraying and splashing water in a pool of water. It was the best fountain ever! I was quite fascinated with it, so I decided to eat lunch (lamb Kebap) there. It seemed to be a popular spot for locals to eat lunch and take their kids. I wandered the streets some more and sat by the river, and then visited the main cathedral of the town.
When I got back to Baden, I hit up the grocery store for a food adventure. It's always fun to browse grocery stores in foreign countries!
Day 15 (May 18, 2006).
Bern.
Another rainy day, and I still had a cold. Despite this, I took a daytrip to Bern. I visited the Einstein House, where he lived for two and a half years. He developed the Special Theory of Relativity and began work on the General Theory of Relativity here. Not much to see... just a small apartment with random objects, quotes and facts, and a video. I walked the arcade of shops, which was good because it sheltered me from the rain. Saw the main cathedral. There was also a bear pit (with live bears), which was one of the attractions of the city. But I had no interest in seeing captive bears in a Swiss town... it just seemed odd.
After seeing multiple Swiss towns, I began to feel like I was seeing the same things over again. In each, I noticed a river running through it, high bridges arching over the river/valley, a main gothic cathedral, an "old" and "new" part, and a main street of shops. And of course, there are the grassy green hills/mountains that surround the towns. The most noticeable observation was the that they are all very very small. They are more like villages, than cities. One can easily see two towns (maybe three) in a single day.
On the train back to Baden, it was during rush hour. I sat in first class, and it was completely full with business people. Every single seat occupied by a businessman who was busily talking on the phone and typing on his laptop. A true testament to the money machine that is Switzerland.
...
baden
basel
video: basel fountain
more photos: switzerland (part ii)
Baden
Being Monday, Uli had to work. So for the rest of the week, I would be exploring the Swiss towns on my own. This day, I decided to check out the town where I was staying. It is a very small town. The heart of it consists of medieval Swiss buildings lining cobblestone streets, and at the center are the remnants of an old castle perched on a steep hill.
In the evening, I went to bathe in the local hot springs (ThermalBaden), which was a short walking distance down the street. I marinated in the mineral bath for about an hour (until my fingers pruned), while gazing up into the blue and white sky and surrounded by the bloom of Spring. I wanted to soak longer, but then I would have looked like a California raisin.
I was still battling an annoying cold, so my sightseeing ambitions had tempered considerably compared to my first week. So it was very nice to wallow in the charming ambience of a small slow-paced town.
Day 13 (May 16, 2006).
Woke up, ate breakfast, dressed, and headed out the door to visit my next Swiss town. Locked the door, walked halfway down the stairs, and looked out the window. Rain. 180 degrees, and back into the apartment. I was not in the mood to walk in the cold rain at the peak of sickness. So I decided to use my first sick day and rest. I watched two DVDs: Imagining Argentina, and a Swiss movie (Snow White) that portrayed the common usage of cocaine in the high society of Zurich.
Day 14 (May 17, 2006).
Basel.
I took a daytrip to Basel. From the train station, I walked across town to the "old" town. I hiked up a tower of a small cathedral, and was the only one up there. At the top was the base of the gothic spire. Then I walked to a peculiar-looking fountain that had several mechanical robots spraying and splashing water in a pool of water. It was the best fountain ever! I was quite fascinated with it, so I decided to eat lunch (lamb Kebap) there. It seemed to be a popular spot for locals to eat lunch and take their kids. I wandered the streets some more and sat by the river, and then visited the main cathedral of the town.
When I got back to Baden, I hit up the grocery store for a food adventure. It's always fun to browse grocery stores in foreign countries!
Day 15 (May 18, 2006).
Bern.
Another rainy day, and I still had a cold. Despite this, I took a daytrip to Bern. I visited the Einstein House, where he lived for two and a half years. He developed the Special Theory of Relativity and began work on the General Theory of Relativity here. Not much to see... just a small apartment with random objects, quotes and facts, and a video. I walked the arcade of shops, which was good because it sheltered me from the rain. Saw the main cathedral. There was also a bear pit (with live bears), which was one of the attractions of the city. But I had no interest in seeing captive bears in a Swiss town... it just seemed odd.
After seeing multiple Swiss towns, I began to feel like I was seeing the same things over again. In each, I noticed a river running through it, high bridges arching over the river/valley, a main gothic cathedral, an "old" and "new" part, and a main street of shops. And of course, there are the grassy green hills/mountains that surround the towns. The most noticeable observation was the that they are all very very small. They are more like villages, than cities. One can easily see two towns (maybe three) in a single day.
On the train back to Baden, it was during rush hour. I sat in first class, and it was completely full with business people. Every single seat occupied by a businessman who was busily talking on the phone and typing on his laptop. A true testament to the money machine that is Switzerland.
...
baden
basel
video: basel fountain
more photos: switzerland (part ii)
posted by a(-_-)c at 3:22 PM
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