Last Bits in Basel...

This urban art was quite adorable. 

Prices in Basel were crazy high, but we managed to find another riverfront restaurant that didn’t break the bank for lunch. 

Ufer7 served excellent craft beer and salads that came in shakers. 

One last glance at the elaborate designs along one of the bridges with the cathedral in the background. 

Took these selfies outside of the train station before our journey home. 

 

Kunstmuseum Basel...

The Kunstmuseum Basel houses the largest and most significant public art collection in Switzerland. This extension was added in 2016 with a nightly flow of sayings...

…and an impressive entrance. We enjoyed a special exhibit called The Incredible World of Photography and then visited the permanent collection with a mix of contemporary and classical art. 

Tar Baby III was made in 2016. 

Ten-Foot Flowers was a silkscreen made by Andy Warhol in 1967. 

Always love it when I can catch a reflection inside a museum. 

If you look closely, you’ll see that there’s a human flying along the ceiling. 

The main building was more traditional, having been built in 1936. 

Baboon and Her Young was sculpted by Pablo Picasso in 1951 using two of his son’s toy cars for the head, a pottery jar for the body and a spring from a car for the tail. 

At the top of the stairs was this massive painting: View into Infinity by Ferdinand Hodler in 1916. 

Although I normally bypass religious art, I was instantly drawn to the vibrant colors of The Coronation of the Virgin Surrounded by Angels and Saints from 1470...

…and The Triumph of Death by Pieter Brueghel in 1608. 

 

Churches in Basel...

We spotted a few versions of Saint George and the Dragon sculptures, or in this case, just the dragon.

The red sandstone Basel Cathedral was built between 1357 and 1500 on a prominent hill above the Rhine. 

We couldn’t go up the towers...

…but could wander inside the cathedral...

…and the cloisters.

I failed to catch a photo of the entire front, but here’s a side view with a surprising Star of David...

…and the view from behind the cathedral. 

We also went into the smaller St Peter’s Church next to our hotel...

…which had some impressive frescoes.
 

Rathaus Basel...

That evening we came across this incredible building, which turned out to be the city hall built in 1514 with the tower added in the 1800s.

We were surprised that the doors were open late at night and were thrilled that this beautiful atrium was open to the public. 

I love that my zoom lens could help reveal the small details.

It was still beautiful, but not as dramatic to walk past during the day.
 

Along the Rhine...

The following day we took the train to Basel for a one-night stay for an early celebration of our 27th anniversary. We were determined to dine outside and were thrilled that we found Sri Veda with delicious food and wine plus a lovely terrace, which was surprisingly empty...

…with this incredible riverfront view. 

We were surprised to see swimmers bobbing along in the Rhine. We later discovered that there is a section of the river that is shut to boats to allow folks to float down while carrying a dry bag that works as a floatation device. We were disappointed to learn about this too late for us to be able to try it ourselves. 

After dinner, we crossed the nearest bridge and walked along the river. 

The weather was fantastic, so it wasn’t surprising it took awhile to find an open space for us to sit by the water and enjoy some wine. 

The views were extra special as the lights of the city came on.

 

Sunset on Mt Beer Butt...

It was easy to understand why Jim and Nina like to watch sunset from Mt Beer Butt. 

Mt Blanc even made a surprise appearance. 

I was very nervous about hiking in the dark, but the headlamp worked great and we all made it safely back to the car.

As an extra bonus, we managed to spot Comet NEOWISE, the brightest comet in the northern hemisphere since 1997. Jim set up telescope when we got back to their house so we could check it out further. It was a great end to a fantastic visit!