La Vida Laura

Those who know me well know that I am tennis-obsessed (see: Exhibit A, Exhibit B). So, it should come as no surprise that the first – and only, really – thing I thought of when it came to the town of Basel was Roger Federer, who was born there. Yet, as I wandered around town I didn’t see any signs of its most illustrious native son. I’m not sure quite what I was expecting – maybe a statue? A plaque? A display case of golden tennis rackets? I don’t know, but as far as I could tell, the town was Federer-free.

What did I find in Basel then? Well, a lot of loveliness. I didn’t do much of anything there; I didn’t poke into a single church or museum. Instead, I walked. And walked. I meandered through the town’s colorful streets, passed through its quaint squares, and spent quite a while strolling by the Rhine. It was our first real day of spring (note: I visited in early March; yes, I am behind on blogging), and the weather was just perfect. With all the sunshine and clear blue skies and warm temperatures, everybody’s coats quickly came off, and it seemed that everyone – Swiss and non-Swiss alike – was out and about enjoying the beautiful day.

A part of me feels guilty that I didn’t make any attempt to be more cultural in Basel; the town has plenty of museums and other attractions that I could have taken advantage of. Yet perhaps I’ll tackle those if I ever get the chance to return. For now, I’m happy enough with what I did do there. There are some days you just need to soak up the sunshine, and a city as charming as Basel is the perfect place to do just that.