In this episode...I went to Basel, Switzerland.
The highlight of this day was the free lunch. Seriously. Switzerland was boring. I would have much preferred having another long weekend to be able to explore a new city. It's cool though because now I can at least say I have been to Switzerland! And I love that!
The first stop on our "tour" was to take in the views of the Dreilandereck, which is the meeting point of France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Germany is to the left of me in the photo while France is to the right. The Rhine River, which I am so conveniently blocking, separates the two.
Germany is to the left of me in the photo while France is to the right. The Rhine River, which I am so conveniently blocking, separates the two.Here we have the view from the top of the Basel Cathedral. The structure itself looks eerily similar to the Strasbourg Cathedral. Myself and two other girls in the group were actually able to climb the winding stairwells to the very top and take in the view. It was kind of a "right place, right time" kind of thing, so I was lucky that I was able to go. 
We went up to the very top point that you can see in the photo.
I think the weather kind of mimics my feelings on the whole day...just kind of blah. But the photographs turned out great. If you look beyond the roof you can see the Rhine.
Our guide also took us on a walking tour of the Botanical Greenhouse Gardens next to the University of Basel.
I imagine the sign says something along those lines. :) The official language of the region is a mix of German, French, and a unique Swiss dialect. Needless to say, I could not interpret the sign. 
I liked it there, mostly because they had functioning gardens growing lettuce! Nom, nom, nom...
Speaking of food, let's review the highlight of the day...Lunch at Manger Boire (translates as: to eat, to drink).
Upon entering, I was greeted with a highly amusing sign. Foreshadowing of a good meal, perhaps?
We began with a chilled cucumber pureé. I attempted to decipher the ingredients and so far as I can tell there was definitely a hint of dill. I believe they used a milk base as well. It had a light texture but a very heavy taste.
The main course was the vegetarian option of the day. It was a vegetable tart served with a side of roasted vegetable in a light cream sauce. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables we were served. The tart included everything from beets and carrots to spinach. The side melangé included both white and green asparagus and eggplant.
Also, brownie points for the presentation of the dish. The meat-eaters of the group enjoyed a beefed-up lasagna. Pun intended.
Dessert was a strawberry and rhubarb mousse alongside candied rhubarb and fresh strawberries. It was a delicate balance of sweet and tart.
After lunch, our group was led to a "cutting-edge contemporary art museum" called Museum Fur Gegenwartskunst.
Now I have never been to a modern art museum so I remained open-minded throughout. I waited to form my opinions until after I had read about the artist and his background. Honestly, I see where he was trying to come from with his presentation, but I felt as if the whole thing felt a little flat. His symbolism was masked too heavily in bizarre contraptions that left me feeling confused and unmotivated to delve deeper into thought about the exhibit.
That concludes the extent of my day in Basel. I was tired and hungry when I returned home. Luckily, my host mom once again managed to cook a colorful feast.
(Yes, my french dictionary is attached to my side at dinner. We have to communicate somehow.)
My plate included a generous serving of broccoli, quinoa, fish (I asked my host mom what kind and she responded "from the sea!") topped with a tomato and onion pureé. I also nibbled on a piece of melon before I realized that my host mom made dessert.
Bam. A brightly colored mousse cake type thing that resembles my lunch dessert. Of course, I could not mention that to the host mom, so I ate it and smiled. It was topped with a fresh jam that she made by grinding up strawberries and raspberries.
After digesting, I took the time to honor my body, which I have not done in a while. I completed an hour of seriously relaxing yoga. I was able to completely clear my mind and was left feeling relaxed and sleepy afterwords. I then dozed off for the most restful 9 hours of sleep I have had in a while.
It was quite the busy weekend! Now I need to get back in school mode and bust out this 15 page paper that is due in less than 2 weeks! Eek!
Until next time,
~Jenn
We went up to the very top point that you can see in the photo.
I think the weather kind of mimics my feelings on the whole day...just kind of blah. But the photographs turned out great. If you look beyond the roof you can see the Rhine.Our guide also took us on a walking tour of the Botanical Greenhouse Gardens next to the University of Basel.
I imagine the sign says something along those lines. :) The official language of the region is a mix of German, French, and a unique Swiss dialect. Needless to say, I could not interpret the sign. 
I liked it there, mostly because they had functioning gardens growing lettuce! Nom, nom, nom...Speaking of food, let's review the highlight of the day...Lunch at Manger Boire (translates as: to eat, to drink).
Upon entering, I was greeted with a highly amusing sign. Foreshadowing of a good meal, perhaps?
We began with a chilled cucumber pureé. I attempted to decipher the ingredients and so far as I can tell there was definitely a hint of dill. I believe they used a milk base as well. It had a light texture but a very heavy taste.
The main course was the vegetarian option of the day. It was a vegetable tart served with a side of roasted vegetable in a light cream sauce. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables we were served. The tart included everything from beets and carrots to spinach. The side melangé included both white and green asparagus and eggplant.
Also, brownie points for the presentation of the dish. The meat-eaters of the group enjoyed a beefed-up lasagna. Pun intended.Dessert was a strawberry and rhubarb mousse alongside candied rhubarb and fresh strawberries. It was a delicate balance of sweet and tart.
After lunch, our group was led to a "cutting-edge contemporary art museum" called Museum Fur Gegenwartskunst.
Now I have never been to a modern art museum so I remained open-minded throughout. I waited to form my opinions until after I had read about the artist and his background. Honestly, I see where he was trying to come from with his presentation, but I felt as if the whole thing felt a little flat. His symbolism was masked too heavily in bizarre contraptions that left me feeling confused and unmotivated to delve deeper into thought about the exhibit.That concludes the extent of my day in Basel. I was tired and hungry when I returned home. Luckily, my host mom once again managed to cook a colorful feast.
(Yes, my french dictionary is attached to my side at dinner. We have to communicate somehow.)
My plate included a generous serving of broccoli, quinoa, fish (I asked my host mom what kind and she responded "from the sea!") topped with a tomato and onion pureé. I also nibbled on a piece of melon before I realized that my host mom made dessert.
Bam. A brightly colored mousse cake type thing that resembles my lunch dessert. Of course, I could not mention that to the host mom, so I ate it and smiled. It was topped with a fresh jam that she made by grinding up strawberries and raspberries.After digesting, I took the time to honor my body, which I have not done in a while. I completed an hour of seriously relaxing yoga. I was able to completely clear my mind and was left feeling relaxed and sleepy afterwords. I then dozed off for the most restful 9 hours of sleep I have had in a while.
It was quite the busy weekend! Now I need to get back in school mode and bust out this 15 page paper that is due in less than 2 weeks! Eek!
Until next time,
~Jenn
I love how you say "in this episode" hahaha
ReplyDeleteI want to try that strawberry mouse...it looks so good!
I love clouds, so I loved all those pictures =)