A walking tour of Basel

Hey Everyone,

We are safely arrived in Basel and after a nice weekend relaxing, spending time with family and adjusting to a new time zone we have finally begun our program.

Today we took our walking tour of Basel and saw some of the important sights around the city. We began at their school, the Gymnasium Leonard where we spent some time catching up and talking about our experiences. From there we wandered off to our first site, the famed Tinguely Fountain in Basel, named after an architect with a flair for the dramatic in terms of style. The fountain featured several water shoots and pistons that spread the water out in an unusual, but futurist and robotic type way.

From there we headed to Basel's oldest and largest church called Munster. It is famed for its sundial clock on the side, and its roof with very colorful shingles. Inside the church there was an giant organ and high cathedral ceilings that gave the experience a grandiose feel. After that we saw centuries old grave markers from wealthy Basel residence who paid to have their final resting spot be in an historic location.

We proceeded to cross the Rhine River on a small wooden ferry and continued on pass many wonderful shops and bakeries until we reached the tri-country corner. Here you can see the shores of both Germany and France from our perch in Switzerland. Each one of these stops we paused to take pictures and get a lesson in the city's history and culture from our exchange partners.

Our day ended on the sixth story terrace restaurant where we had a fine lunch and sent the student on their way for some free time with their friends and exchange partners. A great day by all accounts.

Tomorrow we have been given the green light to head to Jungfraujoch, the highest peak in the Alps to see the most majestic mountains that Europe has to offer. We are quite lucky for a clear day for viewing, and it promises to be a treat that these students will remember for a long long time.