Trip Report: Basel

New discovery: the joy of an “open-jaw” layover! In brief, a <24 hour layover does not incur an additional charge on the way between two cities. There are a few rules regarding these layovers based regional zones, but for a stop on one way of a long-haul itinerary, it seems very doable. On my recent trip to Prague, I had a 22-hour layover in Zurich.

But what to do? I wanted to go for a hike, but the weather was poor. As a placeholder for future planning, I was thinking of the Stoos Ridge hike. That plan was also a little ambitious in terms of the physical effort after a plane flight +  jetlag but really, it was the weather that stopped me.

I had been tracking the weather for the preceding two weeks since I didn’t want to repeat the mistake of my last September in Europe trip where I packed for Fall weather when it was decidedly Summer-like. Although I would have loved the sunshine, this trip featured clouds, rain, and Fall-like temperatures.

The coolness made me reconsider my second plan, which was a trip to Bern and a jump in the Aare. In retrospect, it may have worked because I felt very warm for the first few days of my trip but oh well. Instead, I decided to explore a new-to-me city: Basel.

I’ve come to realize I really like river cities. Walking along the riverbanks is a lot of fun and it influences the feel of the city. I’m a fan. Basel is very pro-arts and it would be fun to go during a festival. Although Art Basel is intriguing, I’m even more interested in Fasnacht, which sounds like a pretty wild party.

I landed in Zurich and made my way to the train station. I tried to use the SBB app for purchasing my train ticket, but I kept getting hung up on Apple Pay. Several times during the trip, I wanted to pay with Apple Pay, but my phone kept defaulting to Apple Cash, with my $0 balance (why do I want Apple to have more of my money) and I couldn’t add any. I suspect there were auto anti-fraud protections by my checking account bank, but before my next trip, I’m adding some Apple Pay money.

But no real problem. It was easy to buy the tickets and off I went. I bought a ticket directly to Basel and took my luggage with me. I was a bit concerned that I might not get a locker…and I didn’t. Shoot! They were full. But there is an alternative. There are websites and apps where a person can book a luggage storage spot in a local business. SMS and I did this in a floral shop in Alsace last year, and this year, it was in a small restaurant. It’s not very secure, so I had to carry a heavy-ish bag with all my electronics. But still, not hauling a roller bag, even a carry-on size, is a huge plus.

After I dropped my bag, I started walking. I had considered going to the Kunsthalle, but since it wasn’t raining, I decided to stay outside. It was such a quick trip and I wanted to get a feel for the city rather than spend time in a museum.

My first stop was a very kinetic fountain that featured multiple moving sculptures that interacted with the water in a very machine-like way. The sculptures are by a famous Basel artist Jean Tinguely.

Next, I walked to Marktplatz and saw the city hall. I liked how one renovation consisted of adding a painting of a balcony with trompe d’oiel people so there was more depth to the façade, but no actual balcony.

Then, I walked across the river and the houses were very cute.

Next, I had a beer at the Ueli Bier house. I was allowed to sit even though they were “full.” There were many empty tables, but they were reserved for the evening. But there was an hour available and I didn’t even stay that long. They were very nice, but I know now how important reservations are. This was a theme at several places and as a solo traveler, I liked the flexibility of taking my chances but when SMS and I travel again, I will make reservations since I want to be able to enjoy a longer with company (and a reservation!).

Then, I headed back to Zurich Airport. I stayed in a capsule hotel on site, which was super convenient. There were a lot of other pluses: very clean, reasonably secure and safe-feeling, and fun to sleep in a capsule. There was even a surprise small workout room in the back, which was great news because it meant I could continue my yoga streak! The only downside was that it was unexpectedly noisy. The capsules weren’t soundproof- honestly, it seemed that the ambient noise was the same as if they were open bunkbeds. It didn’t matter because I had brought ear plugs but still, I was surprised.