Our last full day of the trip proved to be very nice weather. We covered a lot of the "To-Do's" on my list for Basel. Our first stop was right near our apartment, at the Andreasplatz "jovial monkey" fountain. Is the monkey jovial? We report, you decide:
I'd say he's beyond "jovial,"
and is oozing joie de vivre.
From there we headed up the hill to the Petersgasse, known for the irregular, half-timbered houses.
Among the last half-timbered houses of the trip.
Through the tree you can see the Spalentor Gate.
Just a block above the houses is the famed Spalentor Gate, which dates from 1356, or the early 1400s,depending on your source. It is the only remaining of the six city gates from that time period.
Tram going around the gate.
Gate door.
From the outside.
Roof tiles.
From inside the old gate looking out.
Basel easily could be nicknamed the "City of Fountains." I make that observation because there are a lot of, um, fountains.
(Editor's Note: Whoa, the in-depth analysis you provide your readers! I'm shocked you still have any.
Writer: I'll bet none of my readers are confused, doncha think?)
The "dancing fountain" is so named because
I never found the actual name of the fountain.
At first I thought this was the skull of an elephant.
Now I think it is the skull of a bull. I'm just
glad it's not the skull of a hippopotamus or
else that annoying Christmas song "I want a
hippopotamus for Christmas" would be
stuck in our heads right now.
Another fountain. The best is yet to come.
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