Upon arriving at city hall, we received a tour from Mr. Inglin, our Swiss school counterpart who moonlights as a member of local parliament. Due to his access and connections, we received a tour that took us to places that most people never get to see, such as Executive Council room, the map room located in the highest tower, and the Parliament room. The Parliament room has probably the most interesting, just knowing how much history has happened there, and how many more important votes will take place there in the future. The Speaker of the House (of the canton of Basel) spoke to us first, giving a nice speech about the importance of cross cultural connections. Next the interim US ambassador to Switzerland spoke about his own experiences, and how our students were very lucky to be able to break down cultural barriers at such a young age. Finally, Karina Vargas and Cam Beebe addressed the audience, eloquently talking about their experience in Switzerland and with their exchange partners. Both students did a great job and made us very proud.
After a lunch hosted by city hall, we were on our way to the Basel zoo, which is the most famous and largest of its type in Switzerland. We saw lions, gorillas, monkeys and many other animals along the way. Of particular interest was the feeding period for the monkeys which was a bit stomach turning, but impossible to look away. It was a nice and laid back way to spend an afternoon, and everyone was in good spirits through out our time there.
Today we are headed to Bern, for a look at the capital of Switzerland. Bern is famous for its bear pit, clock tower, long arcades of shops and its national parliament building.
No comments:
Post a Comment