Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Back in Basel - 3/31/08

As much as we would have loved to venture off to another city or country, we felt since we were leaving the next day we should stay close to home and explore more places we didn't see earlier in our trip. here are some pictures to give you a feel for Basel...


Cool public fountain - these would come in handy in the summer!




Cool mail slot!




Excellent use for old bottles! Way to recycle!



Stonehenge Basel Style.


A view of the Rhine from the base of the Munster Cathedral.

Einblick must be german for "see my weinerschnitzel!"

This is the Bariuserplatz (I think).


Sweet sundial with no sun!

St. Peter's Church today

St. Peter's Church back in the day - it's a little smaller.

Another picture of the Rhine looking northeast.

St. Elisabeth Church. Unfortunately it was closed :(


An intentional wall of graffiti by artist Dan Perjovschi done in November 2007. There was some really interesting political commentary in these pictures.

Cool garden neath St. Elisabeth's.

This is Aeschenplatz - a central hub near Robert and Melinda's house.

Ye Olde Paper Mill.

Pretty building and flowers at the Botanical Gardens near Robert and Melinda's place.


Close up of the building.

Our Swiss Chateau - I WISH!

Another cool building at the Botanical Gardens.

The key to a good vacation is apparently going to Switzerland!


See, I told you!


Sweet fuel efficient economy car - where can I get one of these.

The lesser known Trojan Horse of Basel.

The old city wall.

Statue inside the courtyard of the Basler Rathaus (Basel City Hall)

Nice skirt dude!

Sweet mural across the courtyard at the Rathaus.


The Marketplatz - a wealth of fancy food and flowers.


Mmmmmm, weinerschnitzel!!!

Clock at the Basler Rathaus.

Most of the Basler Rathaus.

Some really sweet intrical design work. They just don't make stuff like this anymore.


The tower at the Basler Rathaus.


Katie calls this one "Knirschen im Park" (Crunch in the Park).

Pope Grape the XIV (now parton saint of wine makers).


Les Trois Rois

An interesting old building.


An interesting street with the ubiquitous McDonalds (God help the Swiss).


Another cool street.

...and another.

Basel crest.

Another Basel crest.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Colmar, France - 3/30/08

These are pictures from our day trip to France. We went to this really cute little town close to the Rhine called Colmar. It is really picturesque. I wish we could have spent more time here and tasted some of the local cusine, but I am so horrible at French I probably would have been kicked to the curb for butchering the language! As always, these are in no particular order...


This was some cool painting on the outside of this building. It impressed me that they even painted the underside of the balcony. Love that attention to detail!


The cathedral - really big and really beautiful!


A very odd sundial on the side of the cathedral.


I have no idea what this little area was, but it is like someone stopped time, cordoned it off and left it as is for a few hundred years!


The French countryside - surprisingly flat! I guess I will have to go back and explore more!




Typical little square in the middle of twon - actually they are everywhere here, si I am not sure this qualifies as "the middle!"




Even the jail is fancy (actually this is the ministry of Justice - I assumed it was a jail)


Ok, the manequin piss has a pair of panties around his neck - must have been a rough night!

More cool paintings on that same building.


The catherdral in all its glory - notice the different colors of stone. You can tell it's been rebuilt a few times - probably post war repairs?

No, it isn't your eyes, the building really is cockeyed!

Our French Chateau - I wish!



Typical French street - so quaint and cute!

Yes, French graffiti.


Again a building that time forgot - too cool!



Another cute street.




SCHWEINHUND!!! (This one is for you Robert!)


Catherdral



More catherdral - ok, it was really fetching (in the words of Bill Bryson)



A cool fountain.

Another cool litle "square" in "the middle" of the city.

The canal that runs through it - too perfect!


The scenery is too good to be true!


The train station in Colmar.


Pretty flowers in the park.


General Rapp - Fancy!!

A French poodle in France - go figure!


Sweet architecture!