Basel - Europe's Gateway

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Hello All,

This next trip was a really great opportunity to see a lot in just a sort amount of time. The destination was Basel, Switzerland; the very heart of Europe. What makes this location so special is its close proximity to both France and Germany. Its located in the Alsace region of Europe, so it a cultural stew from Germany, France, and Switzerland.

I went with my old flat mate Max, and out friends Tanya and Sarah. We arrived late on a Friday night, and just spent the night playing cards. It was a really great time. On Saturday we decided to venture out of Switzerland and headed to Colmar, France, arguable the must see medieval town in Europe during the holidays. It didn’t disappoint. We went to check out the Christmas markets there. It was full of them. The town was very cool. All the buildings were from the 1500’s. WE are taking a lot of Tudor style architecture with sinking foundations. After a long afternoon of Gluhwein and good eats, we headed back to our central point of Basel.

That night we went out for some Italian food. The restaurant was really great. After dinner, we headed to the Basel Christmas market. This was a lot more commercial than Colmar, Munich, and Salisburg. That night, we went to bed early and exhausted from all the travelling.

The next day, we were to head back to London. We woke up, and decided to go to Freiberg, Germany for yet another Christmas market. This was by far my favourite market. It was very provincial and cultural. It also had the nicest gifts. I picked up Amanda a Seal with the letter ‘A’ on it and sealing wax for her to put on her correspondence.

After our return from Germany, we decided we had to go and try the Swiss cuisine. This of course meant FONDU! After a decent walk from the hostel, we arrived and a little hole in the wall suggested by hostel staff. It was delicious; however, I think I had plenty of grease and cheese for at least a month. That would have been true if I hadn’t had a flight leaving in the next few weeks to go home for the holidays.

The next trip scheduled (found out while in Switzerland) was a ski trip with Amanda to the Olympic ski park in Lillehammer, Norway. Should be exciting.

Until next time - Cheers!

Aaron

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Photos

Reflection
I just thought this was a cool picture

Max and Me
WE tried chocolate covered chili peppers in Freiberg