Tog Blog

Basel, san Eilbheis.

Bha mi tric gu leòr aig  Port-Adhair Basel, às dèidh dhomh tadhal air caraidean anns a’ Ghearmailt a Deas, ach cha robh sa bhaile fhèin. An turas seo (sa Mhàrt) chuir mi dà oidhche seachad an sin gus sealladh mun cuairt, agus dhrùidh am baile gu mòr orm. Leis nach e àite air a bheil thu a’ faicinn tòrr sna sanasan-siubhail, bha mi airson innse dhuibh beagan mu dheidhhinn.

Tha Basel na laighe air an Rhine, aig crìochan na Frainge ‘s na Gearmailt, agus ‘s e an abhainn seo a chruthaich e; a’ toirt malairt is iomlaid chultaraich dha, ach cuideachd nàimhdean, dealaidh a shuidheachadh ‘s a ghoireasan a chleachdadh airson amasan armailteach no poileataigeach. Ach tha e daonnan air mhaireann, agus an-diugh tha e na ionad eadar-nàiseanta de ghnìomhachas, chreideamh, ealain, cheàirdean agus fhoghlam, agus gu ìre mhòr nas fhosgailte na mòran de a nàbaidhean.

Coltach ri iomadh baile Eòrpach, a dh’aindeoin a mheud an-diugh, tha Seann Bhaile deagh-ghlèidhte/aisigte aige, a’ sealladh a dhualchais cultaraich, malairtich is eachdraidheil. Mholainn turas-coiseachd stiùirichte 90 mionaid a dhèanamh gus faireachdainn fharsaing dheth fhaighinn, agus gus rudan a thaghadh airson tadhal orra thu fhèin. Tha cuid mhòr dheth na h-àrainn-choisichean, le clachan-càsaidh is caol-shràidean, ceàrnagan duilleagach, agus fuarain bheaga bhreagha le uisge-òil glan às na beanntan mun cuairt. Gu tric tha ìomhaigh basilisk orra, oir thathar ag ràdh gum b’urrainn dhan chreutair fhionn-sgeulach seo do dhèanamh nad chloich leis a shùilean, ach latha a bh’ ann chunnaic e an t-aodann aige fhèin san uisge, agus is esan a chaidh gu clach. A-nis ‘s e beathach-taic air gearradh-arm a’ bhaile a th’ ann, ‘s dòcha air sgàth a choltais ri ainm “Basel”.

Tha an àrd-eaglais ana-mhòr à clach-ghainmhich dhearg air mullach chnuic bhig le sealladh air an Rhine agus cearnag mhòr air a beulaibh. Chaidh a togail thairis air grunn linntean, le stoidhlean Normannach is Gotach. ‘S e àrd-eaglais Phròstanach a th’ innte – chuir Basel fàilte bhlàth air an Ath-leasachadh; mar sin tha i gu math sìmplidh na broinn, ach tha an obair-chloiche mìorbhaileach.

Tha iomadh eaglais bhreagha eile sa bhaile, agus tè dhiubh, eaglais Barfuesserkirche (eaglais nam manach casruisgte) a-nis na Taigh-Tasgaidh Eachdraidheil, a’ taisbeanadh obraichean prìseil ealain-adhraidh, air an caomhnadh bho mhilltearan-ìomhaigh nam bailtean eile – obair-shnaidhaidh, obair-fhiodha, dealbhan, obair-mheatailt amsaa. Tha Taigh-Tasgaidh Eachdraidh-Nàdair inntinneach ann cuideachd, agus Ealain-lann ana-mhòr iongantach, ann an dà thogalach drùidhteach aghaidh ri aghaidh, an darna fear à 1936, am fear eile à 2016. Agus cha deach agam ach air pàirt fhaicinn ann an 3 uairean a thìde!

Ann am meadhan a’ bhaile ‘s urrainn dhut coiseachd air feadh an àite, ach faodaidh tu cuideachd gach bus is tram a chleachdadh, fiù ‘s dhan phort-adhair, saor ‘s an asgaidh, leis a’ “Basel card”, ri fhaighinn bho gach taigh-osta. Gheibh thu lasachadh prìse ann an taighean-tasgaidh leis cuideachd.

Ach an rud as motha a chòrd rium, sin dìreach coiseachd tron t-Seann Bhaile, bhon Àrd-eaglais dhan Talla a’ Bhaile dhearg ann an stoidhle Ath-bheòthachaidh, suas is sìos na leathaidean is ceumannan eadar na sràidean, a’ gabhail tlachd de na geataichean is tursan, fuarain is cùirt-liosan, aghaidhean-gèabhail air togalaich eachdraideil, seann sanasan-bùtha… cothroman dealbhan-camara gu leòr! Agus feumaidh mi ràdh gu bheil a h-uile rud fìor ghlan is toirteil, gun cus kitsch-turasachd.

Agus tha cothroman-ithe gu leòr agad – ged a tha prìsean nas àirde na an-seo, mar as àbhaist tha càileachd, meud is taisbeanadh fìor math. Bha margaidean ann le toradh ionadail is grèimeannan-bìdh ri reic. Mar lòn mu dheireadh ann am Basel ghabh mi Flammkuchen, biadh sònraichte sgìreal (à Alsace thairis air a’ chrìoch) le sliseagan beaga tana beucoin is uinnean air crème fraiche air taois-arain tana chruasbach. Mmmmm!

Mar sin feuch nach bi thu a’ cleachdadh a’ phuirt-adhhair a-mhàin – tadhail air Basel fhèin cuideachd fad latha no dhà!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Basel, Switzerland

I’ve often been to Basel Airport after visiting friends in South Germany, but not in the city itself. This time (in March) I gave myself 2 nights there to have a look round, and was very impressed. As it’s not a place that seems to feature much in tourist advertising, I thought it might be worth telling you a bit about it.

Basel lies on the Rhine, on the borders of France and Germany, and it’s the river that has shaped it, bringing trade and cultural exchange, but also enemies, keen to exploit its position and resources for political or military purposes. But it has always survived such times, and flourished as an international centre of business, religion, art, handwork and learning, generally more tolerant than many of its neighbours.

Like many European cities, although nowadays very large and spreading, it has a well-preserved / restored Old Town, reflecting its cultural, trade and historical heritage. I’d recommend doing a 90-minute guided walking tour to get a feel for it, so you know where you want to go back to later. Much of the Old Town is pedestrian, with cobbles and alleys, leafy squares, and small pretty fountains with clean drinking water from the nearby mountains. There’s often the figure of a basilisk on them, as a city legend tells how this mythical beast, which can turn those who look at it to stone, once caught sight of its own reflection in a fountain and itself turned to stone. It became the guardian creature of the town, perhaps due to its similar name, and can be seen as “supporters” in the city coat of arms.

The huge red sandstone Cathedral (Basler Münster) is on a slight hill overlooking the Rhine, with a large square in front of it. It was built over several centuries, incorporating Romanesque (Norman) and Gothic styles. It’s a Protestant cathedral – Basel strongly embraced the Reformation, so it’s fairly plain inside, but the stonework is beautiful.

There are many other lovely old churches in the town, one of which, the Barfuesserkirche (Barefoot Monks’ Church), is the home of the Historical Museum, displaying precious works of religious art spared from the iconoclasts that other cities saw more of – sculptures, woodwork, paintings, metalwork etc. I also visited the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, and the fantastic Art Gallery (Kunstmuseum), housed in two very different but impressive modern buildings facing each other, one from 1936, the other from 2016. And I only managed a part of the collection in about 3 hours there!

In the centre of town, especially the Old Town, you can walk everywhere, but you can also hop on and off the many trams and buses free – visitors to Basel automatically get the “Basel Card” from hotels etc which allows this (including the airport bus), and also gets you good discounts on museum prices.

But the greatest pleasure was just wandering around the Old Town, from the Cathedral to the red Renaissance Town Hall, up and down slopes and steps linking the streets, admiring gates and doors, Renaissance gabled facades, fountains and courtyards, old shop signs…. Photo opportunities are everywhere! And I have to say that it’s all very clean and tasteful – not much in the way of tourist kitsch.

And of course many eating opportunities too – though prices are higher than here, the quality, quantity and presentation tend to be very good. There were also markets with local products and snacks for sale. As my last meal before leaving I treated myself to Flammkuchen, a regional dish (from over the border in Alsace) with finely shredded bacon and onion on creme fraiche on a paper-thin, crisp bread-dough base. Mmm!

So don’t just use the airport – visit Basel for a day or two as well!