Memories

A rocking horse evokes memories of Christmas past : Basel, CH

The rocking horse in this shop window in Basel caught my eye and reminded me of the year my parents made a rocking horse for my younger sister. They'd seen a picture in a magazine ad for Lysol disinfecting spray featuring a child on a rocking horse. My father took the picture and made a negative, then produced an enlargement, figured out all the dimensions, and crafted a rocking horse that became legendary in our family. Over the course of the next 30 years, I think my parents made a few more horses for various friends as gifts. This little horse made me think of that and of the many happy Christmases I enjoyed as a child. May your Christmas season be filled with equally happy remembrances and the creation of new memories.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Come In and Freak Out

Come in and freak out : Basel, CH

Basel has some interesting murals spread throughout the Altstadt paying homage to music and its legends. This one was just around the corner from La Fonda, which featured in yesterday's blog post. As you're finishing up your holiday shopping and planning do not freak out. It's just not worth it.

Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, et al. memorialized in Basel : Basel, CH

Is this Basel's Abbey Road? : Basel, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

La Fonda

La Fonda decks its halls : Basel, CH

During our Thanksgiving weekend in Basel last month, we walked past our favorite Mexican restaurant in all of Switzerland--La Fonda. It was all decked out for the holidays and I snapped this picture.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Basel Christmas

Shopping for wood-carved ornaments : Basel Christmas Market : Basel, CH

Glass ornaments : Basel Christmas Market : Basel, CH

I love how the towns around here decorate for the holidays. I especially love all of the outdoor Christmas markets with their unique gifts, hot Christmas punch, and festive moods. Here are a few pictures from around the Gross Stadt in Basel, Switzerland. Last weekend, we covered three Christmas markets: Basel, CH; Colmar, FR; and Freiburg, DE. I'll feature photos from each over the next day or so. And for the record, the Christmas markets in the German-speaking countries are the best. Colmar was suppose to be one of the must-see markets of Europe and it was a dud.

Even the local cigar shop is festive : Basel, CH

Basel Rathaus and Tree : Basel, CH

P.S. The snow is real. We had a nice dusting that lent a chill and even more festive air to the whole scene. It was lovely! To see a few more photos from around Basel, go here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Black and White Dogs in Black and White

Dee Dee : Basel, CH

I've posted photos previously of our friends' dogs, Dee Dee and Gibby. They're rat terriers who live in northern Switzerland.

Gibby : Basel, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Stained Glass Reversal

Jesus in Reverse : Basler Münster : Basel, CH

This is the back of this stained glass. Pretty cool, huh?

100 Unnamed Strangers: Morgen Fruh'

Morgen fruh'... : Basel, CH

After a glorious day in the Alsace with Rachel, Maya, and Basel-based friend Diana, I gave Rachel a whirlwind tour of Baselstadt. I go there quite frequently and it has featured often on this and my D.C. Confidential blog, so I was looking for photo opps other than my standard photos of this beautiful Swiss city on the Rhine River. I found my moment when we were at the Münster. As Rachel was photographing all the touristy stuff, I caught a photo of this gentleman enjoying the relative peace and quiet along the river.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Tuckered Out...

Bookending the pillow, these dogs are tuckered out and ready for bed! : Basel, CH

Spent a lovely weekend in Basel with friends Scott and Diana. Right before bed, I noticed their dogs, Gibby and Dee Dee were passed out on the couch and bookending a pillow. It cracked me up, so I grabbed my camera and stole a shot.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

100 Friends and Family: Carl

The Perfect Hair Day : Carl at the top of the Basler Münster : Basel, CH

I'm starting a new series here at The F-Stops Here... . In addition to my photos of strangers, I've been taking pictures here and there of friends and family. Every once in a while, with their permission, I'm going to post a photo of someone who is more than just a stranger in my life. I'm launching the series with my friend, Carl. Carl is currently staying in Ferney at the home of my boss. Carl is from Minnesota and is a music teacher. He has a fabulous voice! Every once in a while, he joins us for jaunts around Switzerland and France. I took this photo on a recent trip to Basel. We were up at the very top of the Basler Münster and I noticed that the style of Carl's hair that day matched perfectly with the carving in the sandstone tower. Instant tourist shot!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

Basler Münster (Interior)

Contemplative : Basler Münster : Basel, CH

Thursday's entry featured the Basler Münster from the outside. Today, I'm posting a photo from the inside. To see more pictures of this simple, formerly-Catholic-currently-Protestant cathedral, visit my Picasa Web Albums.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

Basel by Night...

Heading toward the Münsterplatz : Basel, CH

After dinner at La Fonda, one of the finer Mexican restaurants in Europe (and I'm not kidding), we took a walk through town. This little street comes out by this basilisk. Turn right and you're on your way to the Münsterplatz.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

Basler Münster (Exterior)

Transept roof of the Basler Münster : Basel, CH

The Basler Münster stands on a bluff overlooking the Rhine River and Kleinbasel. The original edifice was begun in 1019. An earthquake in 1356 leveled the city of Basel and severely damaged its main cathedral. Johannes Gmünd, who was building the Freiburg Münster in neighboring Germany, was employed to rebuild the Basler Münster. Both churches are constructed of red sandstone (I'll feature pictures of the Freiburg cathedral in a few days) and are built in the Romanesque architectural style.

You've seen this breezeway before, only from this perspective : 

Basler Münster : Basel, CH

On the day we visited, we climbed the stairs of the bell tower and enjoyed lovely views of Kleinbasel and Grossbasel, as well as the Rhine River and the foothills of Germany. To see more photos of the exterior and grounds of the Basler Münster, please visit my Picasa Web Albums. A photo of the west facade of the cathedral can be found in this album.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

Encore! The Basel Rathaus

A statue to Lucius Munatius Plancus (87 BC - 15 BC) stands in the inner courtyard of 

Basel's City Hall. I haven't been able to identify his connection to the city, though : Basel, CH

One of my favorite buildings in Basel is the Rathaus, or City Hall. This beautiful building features frescoes, statues, carved wooden doors, wrought iron, and a million other details that are breathtaking and fun. The building is still a working town hall; it's not uncommon to see the head of a bureaucrat peeking out from a window or folks with a variety of municipal business heading in and out. To see a few more pictures of this beautiful building and a few sights surrounding it, visit my Picasa Web Albums.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

Basel Back Alley's...

Basel Street Art : Steinvorstadt : Basel, CH

My power adapter for my Mac was fatality damaged on Tuesday, so I'm playing catch up. Be ready for a week's worth of back posting. In my catch-up for Tuesday, a few more pictures from the streets and alleyways of one of my favorite cities: Basel, Switzerland. To see a few more pictures, visit my Picasa Web Albums.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

The Tenin Technique

The Tenin Technique:* A unique perspective on an otherwise ho-hum stained glass window : Basel, CH

Today, City Daily Photo bloggers around the world are honoring the original city daily photo blogger, Eric Tenin of Paris Daily Photo. For the last five years, Eric has posted a photo of his beloved Paris without missing a day. Pretty impressive, if you ask me! In honor of his accomplishment and of the phenomenon he started, I'm posting two pictures. The first features a photo I took this past weekend of a stained glass window in the Baseler Münster in Basel, CH. The second features a picture I snapped in Paris last summer on the grounds of the French Senat at the Jardin du Luxembourg.

Applying the Tenin Technique to the 

chess board at the Senat in the Jardin du Luxembourg : 

Paris, FR

Congratulations, Eric! Here's to another five years of photo blogging.

* My understanding of the Tenin Technique is that you find unusual/unique ways to take pictures of things. Of course, many of us have been doing that for a while now, but it's good to give it a name and I can't think of a better person to name it after! Perhaps it will enter the lexicon and end up on Wikipedia...???
 
Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10 and 8/09
 

Perspective

Breezeway Perspective : Altstadt : Basel, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

Basilisk

Basilisk Column : Altstadt Basel, CH

The mascot of Basel is a basilisk and you find them all over the city. This little guy was in the Altstadt. To see more photos of Baselstadt, visit my Picasa Web Album. There are photos from this past weekend, as well as one's taken over a few trips last year.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

Baseler Rathaus doch wieder...

Basler Rathaus Tower : Basel, CH

This weekend, my sister and I went to Basel to visit my friends, Scott and Diana. I know I've posted photos of this building before, but it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful municipal buildings in Europe. Here, once again, is the Baseler Rathaus. To see more photos from this weekend, go here.

Dating back to the 16th century, these frescoes are among the finest features of this beautiful building : Basel, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

Beautiful Basel

Puppenmuseum : Basel, CH

A couple of weekends ago, Thanksgiving was spent in Basel with friends, Scott and Diana. Scott played tour guide on Sunday afternoon and we trekked off to the Basel Weihnachtsmarkt. This picture is of the puppet museum in town. I thought the lights and garland were gorgeous!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/09

Rüstung u. Robe

Rüstung u. Robe : Museum Tinguely : Basel, CH

The real reason for visiting the Museum Tinguely (and spending CHF 15 on a ticket!) was to see the special exhibit, Rüstung und Robe (Armour and Evening Dress). The armor is from the Imperial War Museum in Graz, Austria, and the evening gowns were designed by Roberto Capucci of Italy.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09