Basel, Switzerland

Our current location in Freiburg, Germany which is  near the Black Forest and both Switzerland and France has made exciting day excursions possible. Last Saturday, we hit the roads and rails again to visit Basel, Switzerland. Our main item on the agenda was the Van Gogh exhibit, "Between Earth and Heaven - The Landscapes" at the Kunstmuseum. We stood in line for quite a while for tickets (apples had to be retrieved from the backpack to stave off hunger and keep squirmy toddlers from completely losing control), and the wait was well worth it as the exhibit is touted as the most important European art event in 2009. Our entry time was not until 4 pm, so we had several hours to tour the city.
Top left is a photo of "Middle Bridge", the oldest bridge in Basel. The original was financed by the sale of church treasures in 1125. The current bridge was constructed in 1905. 

Tinguely Fountain is located on the site of the old town theatre. The machine sculptures spewed and splashed water at one another. Basel has an interesting mix of the old and new.

I doubt this window display would make anyone's "Must See" list for Basel, but my boys were nonetheless impressed. Poor Caleb had to stretch to see from the stroller. We didn't free him for this one.

The Rathaus (town hall) is located in Marktplatz.

Caleb is standing in Munsterplatz (Cathedral Square). Members of the Cathedral Chapter built residences here, and the the open space was used for ceremonial processions, festivals, tournaments, and parades. When Basel fully converted to Protestantism in 1529, the bishop and cathedral chapter left, and the empty  homes were purchased by rich merchants. 

Cooper's trying to scale a fountain in Munsterplatz. We did stop him at this point to avoid destruction of historical property.

Noah, of course, joined Cooper on the edge of the fountain. He somehow managed to get his foot in the water. 

Here's a first glimpse of the Basel Munster from Munsterplatz.

The Gallus portal is considered the most important Romanesque sculptural work in Switzerland (at least in some literature I read).

I thought the arches and windows were beautiful.

This view from one of several courtyards shows the multicolored roof tiles.

Nick is standing beside a statue of Johannes Oecolampadius, a Reformer, who lived from 1482 to 1531.

And here, Nick is near the tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam. His mom would be proud. She loved taking him to cemeteries and taking pictures when he was a child (to see the grave of someone related to the family or otherwise important, of course).

Noah, perhaps wanting to be like his daddy, requested this photo.

The ornate pulpit

One example of many stained glass windows

This shot gives a sense of the enormity of the cathedral.

Finally, a picture of the front of the Munster. It was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic style. It's red sandstone walls and twin towers make for an impressive structure.

A canal was constructed to carry water to drive this and other water wheels for the 12 mills in the St. Alban valley. Ten of these mills were converted to paper mills during the late Middle Ages making the area the most important producer of paper in Switzerland during the 16th and 17th centuries. Paper was produced in the Stegreif-mill and the Galiciean-mill (which now house the paper museum) for 446 years, until 1924.

We ended our day by exploring the Kunstmuseum, the oldest public art collection in the world. The Van Gogh exhibit included 70 masterpieces from major museums as well as private collections. We also saw paintings from his contemporaries including Pissarro, Monet, Cezanne, and Renoir. We moved on to some Picassos which Noah declared were his favorites (I'm not sure what I think of this.)

Culture, Culture, Culture...Culture Shock!

Our ear drums were vibrating as we left the Kunstmuseum. We went from Van Gogh and Monet to "Beat on the Street."

Several floats with monster speakers drove down the street blasting techno, rap, and other music.

Some folks lined the street, and others (like these) followed the floats and danced as they went. Caleb had some crazy moves but freaked out every time I tried to take a picture.