BASEL

My arrival in Basel has given me so much joy.  It is so good to be back here and in such beautiful and familiar surroundings.  I can hardly believe it.  To know so many of our friends are here and ready to welcome me back is so lovely and warms my heart.  In some ways it really is like coming home as Roger and I spent 4 1/2 very happy years together in this area from March 2006 - September 2010.

This is where I have truly felt Roger is with me in spirit.  As I walk along the Rhein, travel on the tram, go to Centrepoint, see interesting new building developments, travel on the S6 train - I am conscious of Roger being with me and making little comments like "what a mess, how long is it going to take them to finish this"..... speaking about the building works going on at Messeplatz where all the big conferences are held here in Basel e.g. Art Basel and Jewellery and Watch Show.  

Being right in the heart of Basel is quite fantastic, but it has taken some little time to get used to the evening noises!!  Buskers begin playing outside the open window around 7pm and can go till 10pm.  But I think the Swiss laws have this in hand.  Even at lunchtime they seem to disappear for siesta!!  There is no traffic noise but lots of pedestrians walking back and forth to early hours of the morning (especially on weekends) and the talking carries up to the apartment 4th floor window.

I took myself off to our German Church (FeG Loerrach) Sunday morning and it was good to be back there.  Of course I didn't understand a lot of the service but that didn't worry me one little bit.  It was wonderful to see special friends again.  Then Johnny and Bettina (Ghanian friends) took me to their apartment in Zell for an African lunch of Black Eyed Bean Stew (my favourite and request).

Sunday 6pm I went to the Anglican Evensong in a small chapel off the Munster and a short walk from where I am staying.  I had arranged to meet one of Roger's friends there.  Talk about an Evensong totally out of date.  My goodness I didn't even understand some of the language.  A very well attended service with everyone obviously living in the past.  Definitely King James english!!  I won't be going back, just wasn't my style, though I did enjoy singing the hymns and the organist was very accomplished.

Today I treated myself to a pedicure and I was very, very pleased with the result and price, especially as it took 2 hours.

I will be having dinner with my lovely Swiss friend Christine and her partner Gaudenz this evening.  They have a beautiful apartment on the Rhein, so I am going to enjoy myself.  We won't be sitting outside though as it is rather nippy today.

My Kiwi friend Christine, who I am staying with, is currently in England and will be back on Thursday night, so I have the apartment to myself.  I've been enjoying watching the Olympics, even though the commentary is very GB one sided!!