Switzerland

We left Julie, Alex, and Budapest as we once again boarded a sleeping train. And once more, we found ourselves shelling money out. The powers that be had booked 7 of us in a 6 bed space--a room barely big enough to hold 2 of us with our luggage, certainly not 6 or 7 of us. Fortunately, they allowed us to pay them to fix their mistake. You've got to love the European ingenuity-they know how to get money out of us unfortunate tourists without ever mentioning the word "bribe".

By morning, we could look out the window and see the beautiful Swiss alps flying by.

Soon we joined the rest of the family, checked into a hotel for the night, took a quick shower, and began to explore the city of Basel. I couldn't help but notice building styles looked, well, Swiss. Here, for example, is the Town Hall of Basel. With its deep red color and detailed painted flourishes, it was unlike the buildings we'd seen so far.

Love this cobblestone side road.

Our first stop was the Basel Munster- originally a Catholic Gothic/Romanesque cathedral, built in the incredibly olden days starting around 1019. At some point, ownership changed hands and it became a reformed Protestant church.

Like virtually all old churches in Europe, it was hit by disaster (an earthquake in 1346) and rebuilt over the next one and a half centuries, finishing up around 1500.

 

Just one of your typical church embellishments.

Once again, the stained glass windows were incredible.

Christ's baptism--not quite the biblical version, but note the dove.

Beautiful Gothic arches with a medieval flare.

These cathedrals have so many details, so much to take in. 

No doubt that explains why I've got 3400 European pictures to slog through.

The pulpit of Basel Munster. They just don't make those like they used to.

There were really old looking murals in some of the more out of the way areas.

During the Protestant Reformation around 1528, many of the iconic religious paintings and statues of the Munster the city of Basel were destroyed. Apparently, Protestants considered the religious depictions to be idol worship, especially the depictions of Mary and/or Christ.

A small plaque identified "parts" of these paintings as having survived that 1528 destruction.

Like most cathedrals we visited, there were ancient crypts.

Of course, no cathedral visit is complete without the "Cathedral Tower Climb".

Judy helpfully counted all 242 steps. I could have sworn it was 2420 steps, but I wasn't counting.

 The stairs are circular, narrow, and recently rebuilt. When someone passed you coming down, you had to cling to the inside and hope you didn't get knocked off

or slip on bird poop and plunge 241 steps to your death.

Climbing the stairs means you get great views of the city,

and close-ups of building details.

Not to mention the ability to really see the intricate and colorful tile roofs.

 Why is it that ancient graffiti is so much more acceptable than modern graffiti?

 When we got to the top, we found the good,

 the bad,

 and the ugly.

 We decided not to climb that final steeple (cause we didn't want to be arrested)

and headed back down to join our ant/siblings below.

On a side note, we saw poppies everywhere in Europe. I've always considered them a cultivated flower, like marigolds or zinnias, but they are clearly wildflowers.

 Our next visit was the neo-gothic St. Elizabeth's Church.

It was built in 1857 and like many European cathedrals, is no longer being used as a parish.

Love this "Jesus at the Well".

 St. Elizabeth's Church

Here's some unique glass in unusual colors.

Worn tile floor. Imagine the millions of visitors to this church over the centuries.

 Detail from the pulpit

 Finally, we headed to Peterskirche, St. Peter's church. Built in 1529, it is a reformed church.

This was a simpler church, with whitewashed walls.

This organ dates back to the time of Johann Bach

Fresh flowers provided some of the only color inside.

The choir area had delightful details.

There were some interesting murals tucked into some of the side chapels.

 

 including this very interesting depiction of the Trinity.

After viewing so many beautiful and ornate churches,

 I found myself, nevertheless, enjoying the quiet simplicity of this church.

Finally it was time to board our ship. I can never express how wonderful it was to be with my family. I remembered all the reasons I love and admire my siblings and spouses. We had such a great time!

 I only wish Mom could have traveled with us.

And we're off!!!