Basel

The view from my Swiss flat:
The River Rhine

Yesterday I walked around the adorable town of Basel.  The buildings are very old and endearing!   The weather here has been absolutely perfect.  It has been so warm and mild that I haven't really needed my coat!  The sun has been shining bright, warming the streets.  I had a fantastic time window shopping in the chocolate stores and expensive boutiques.  My favorite part of Basel is a very narrow street I found between two cute old buildings that led right to a flower shop!  Basel has a lot of character and everyone I met was friendly.  Here are some photos of the town:

For lunch I found an organic restaurant only a few doors down from where I am staying.  The owner was happy to translate the entire menu in English for me.  I ordered a vegetable concoction on top of a crepe.  A few hours later Billy and Irene picked me up for dinner.  A big question weighed on our minds: Where should we go for dinner –Germany or France?  They're each only a 10-minute drive away!  We decided on Germany and had a delicious Indian dinner.

Billy and his girlfriend Irene

Today Billy showed me his favorite 500-year-old Oak trees in a village called Bubendorf.  We took a hike up to the trees and laid under their shade.  The earth was soft and heavenly, filled with crunchy leaves beneath our feet.  Billy absolutely loves these trees.  

Afterwards we had lunch and then drove to a small village in France called Altkirch in the Alsace region.  This town was very cute, just like Basel!  Billy says he can really feel the difference between German, Swiss and French towns, even thought they are all so close to each other.  In Altkirch we shared the most delicious chocolate cake.  It was absolutely amazing.

I can't believe tomorrow I am leaving!  My trip is over!  It feels so unreal, so incredibly weird.  I have to wake up at 5 am and then spend 16 hours traveling!  I feel like I am in a Twilight Zone right now... time is lost and tomorrow is something I have only briefly thought about.  I have decided to write my final post when I am safe and sound in California, so check back in a couple of days. 

Talk to you when I am back in the States! 

Kisses!