Bopping over to Basel

After leaving Viethorey, we headed east to Switzerland...mainly to just say we had been there. Enroute on a 2-way highway, we were stopped by 3 policeman and asked where we were going, how long we intended to stay and whether we were carrying more than $10.000. Stan's answer, "I wish!" The guard chuckled and let us go on. We were a ways from the French/Switzerland border, so it seemed odd to be pulled over. Anyway, no big deal and just another experience on our trip.

Basel is localed in Northwest Switzerland on the Rhine River, where the Swiss, French and German borders meet. It has a population of around 166,000 and is the 2nd largest urban area in Switzerland. It is a major center of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

We arrived around 3 or so in the afternoon and as we looked for a place downtown near the convention center to get a snack and a drink. After eating, Deb and I walked down the street to a second-hand store crammed with candlesticks, vintage clothing and accessories, and musical instruments - you name it, they probably had it! The man working there was so funny; when we asked if he spoke English, he said he spoke three languages - English, French, and German - so if customers couldn't speak one of those, he guessed a deal couldn't be made. We had fun looking around and eventually, Deb settled on a silverplated teapot and a couple of trays. I ended up with a hammered metal tray made in Germany. Anyway, we were happy with our purchases and wished we had more room in our suitcases to take things back with us!

That was about the extent of our visit to Switzerland - very short, but sweet!