Sheep and Goats

One of the nicest parts of my time spent in Basel is that I get to leave while the children are taking repasso (Italians insist that this is different from the Spanish siesta, though I'm still not clear on why or how).  This means that every weekday, I have the chance to roam the city if I so desire.  I'd be lying if I claimed to have never frittered away any of these hours either sleeping or on the internet, but I think for the most part I've taken advantage of my time.  The city of Basel is not all that large, and as a result of these semi-daily walks, I've come to know the city pretty well.  I try to go to different places every day, but there's a path that I generally take through the town.  St. Jakob's-Strasse-Freie Strasse is sort of the main thoroughfare of GroßBasel (literally, 'Big Basel'), leading me past Tinguely Fountain to Barfüsserplatz, at which I take a right, go past the many cafés and shops on Falknerstrasse and am led to Marktplatz.  Marktplatz is the place for fresh food and homemade goods from every kind of vendor each morning and it is also the residence of Basel's bright red city hall, always catching the eye amidst all the neutral shades of the surrounding buildings.  The Rhine is just a stone throw away from Marktplatz.  Elisabethenkirche can be seen at most any point during this walk; its massive gothic cathedral with bells that ring every fifteen minutes -  a beautiful but also somewhat obtrusive sound that never quite fades into the din of the city.  The entire walk takes me about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace.

I've walked through several spots in Basel, but the place my feet lead me to again and again is Münster - what Basel calls its cathedral, what I call its old cathedral.  I make this distinction because it no longer functions as a church, but is instead a small museum dedicated to the city and its history.  Whatever its capacity, Münster is a sight to behold.  The church stands high above the Rhine and is easily recognized from its colorful - green, yellow and red concentric diamonds - roof alone.  It stands in a square--Münsterplatz--with what used to be the bishop's residence and what are now very beautiful office buildings.  The church, like so many others, was built in stages, but its earliest outer walls date back to 8th century.  In 1019 it was consecrated Heinrich Münster in the presence of King Heinrich II,  but was destroyed in a fire sixty-five years later.  It was rebuilt and destroyed again in a earthquake.  In 1363 it was re-rebuilt in the now-standing Gothic style.  There was another fire in the 15th century that only affected the inside of the church and that was rebuilt in a Roman style, which makes for a visually interesting transition when entering or exiting the cathedral.  It used to be Catholic, was made Reformed, and is now a museum.

After becoming Reformed, the lower church in Münster was dedicated to Brother Klaus and his wife Dorothy Wyss, two exceptionally holy German peasants.  After marrying Dorothy and raising ten children with her, Brother Klaus obtained her permission to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and become a monk.  He never actually made it, and the story goes that he met an angel on the way who told him to go back to his family, for that was where he was needed.  Still, Dorothy must have been like, the best wife ever.

The upper church is home to many who have passed from the land of the living, but the most notable is Erasmus of Rotterdam, a great thinker and a great Catholic.  He left the city of Basel during the tumultuous years following the Reformation, but returned at the request and under the protection of the mayor of Basel himself and died shortly thereafter.  Catholic though he was, those decent Reformers buried him in their cathedral anyway.

My favorite part of Münster is actually its courtyard.  Looking over its walls to the right the rolling green hills of Germany can be seen; look left and there's France.  Not to mention KleinBasel's ('small Basel') horizon right across the Rhine and the Messeturm sticking out like a modern sore thumb.  The courtyard is always filled with people; there are always some Baslers just lunching there and enjoying the view, as well as tourists coming to explore the Cathedral.  I think I've heard every language but English spoken up there.  It's a great place to read, and I have on occasion sprawled out on one of the benches and slept in the sunshine, listening to the street musicians who tend to congregate in Münsterplatz.

Yesterday as I was leaving, I passed the side of Münster that has the scene starting at Matthew 25:31 carved into its walls.  A small family of street musicians had set up right underneath of it and were all playing guitars.  I had fallen asleep earlier and was awoken to their singing.   It's the first time I regretted not having a camera, though now I'm glad I didn't have the option.  I listened for a while to the father and his two children harmonize and then I threw what money I had in their case and walked on.