Rolex

I bet you know that Switzerland is known for expensive watches.  There were watch shops all over Basel and our hotel had some for sale also.  We didn’t buy any but we did look and drool just a bit!  The display window shown is in our hotel.  Our room has this neat contraption that  keeps the watch “wound” by movement.  You just place your watch on the stand in the middle and turn it on.  Then it moves back and forth.  Well of course I turned it on!!

Outdoor Theater at the Munster Cathedral

What a surprise to find an outdoor theater in the square at the Munster Cathedral.  So sorry it is raining or we would head over to see The Martian.

Das Munster von Basel

The Munster Cathedral was built in the 12th century.  The architecture started in the Romanesque style and finished in the gothic style.  It was built  of red sandstone.  It is a lovely work of art inside and out.

Play Money

Beautiful Swiss Francs!  Tomorrow we switch to Euros so I need to spend it all tonight!!

Jazz in Switzerland

We headed out to dinner last evening and was surprised by a band playing Dixie Land Jazz.  I felt like I was in New Orleans!  The leader of the band came over and talked with us and told us about the festival happening in old town Basel.  We headed around the corner and down the street and found tons of people, heavily armed police and music all over the place.  The market place had a Big Band and down the street a bit we found this group playing jazz.  What fun!  Didn't stay long but long enough to enjoy a bit of music.

Getting Around Basel

Plenty of ways to see Basel.  You can ride a bike. 

You can take an electric bus,

a boat,

or another boat,

Or you can just float down the Rhine River.

Walking around Old Basel

We spent the morning walking and wandering the streets of Basel from the Market Place to the town hall and up and down the streets with shops.  We had no destination in mind, we just wanted to walk and see things.

 And OH MY...I just looked and drooled!

Caviar, truffles and Vodka...not for me

Now this is my kind of shop but I only took photos and bought nothing!

Beautiful Fruit but we still have some in our room.

The Breakfast Menu

I am thrilled the menu here is in German and English.  I have remembered just a tiny bit of German from when I lived in Germany.  I tried a few things out and people understood me so that is good but I only remember very basic words.  It is fun to look at the menu and study the words to see the similarities between our languages.  Check it out to compare...if you can...just a bit blurry.  I'll edit tomorrow with a better photo!

Our Own Library...and More

This really is a lovely hotel.  Right down the hall from our  room is my own library.  Well, I suppose I will have to share with others but for now, it is just my own private place to read.

The hotel has a center open area and beautiful chandeliers. We're on the 1st floor up from the lobby so tomorrow I am heading to the top floor to look down!  Happy I don't have to clean these!

Breakfast at the Les Trois Rois

Amazing but we woke at 8:30 this morning thanks to a bit of Melotonin!  Thinking we had missed our complimentary breakfast we rushed down to the dining room to find a perfect European breakfast buffet.  It was almost too much to take in but we did our best to try it all!

At home, I have a green smoothie every morning so I had to try one here.  Not quite like home...no spinach but plenty of concentrated juice.  Fortunately the glass was small and we shared!  Four swigs and we were off to other goodies!

The buffet was amazing complete with Champagne...too early for us so we had delicious coffee instead!  And some of this...

And a bit of that...

And a teeny tiny spoonful of this...

And just a few pickles here...

And one of these croissants fresh out of the oven..

Now to walk that breakfast off!