Emily and Linda’s Travel Blog

On Tuesday, we boarded the Viking River Boat Rolf and got settled into our state rooms.  Our quarters were compact to say the least, but very efficiently laid out with a veranda balcony just roomy enough for 2 chairs and a small table.  Nice spot to sit out and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and also providing access to the breeze off the river. As we recalled from our previous Viking trip, the staff is welcoming and helpful and the procedures are well thought out and efficient.  

On the river, the fuel comes to the boat, rather than the other way around

I was able to watch the process from our balcony as they pulled up right beside us. 

The “light lunch” provided for new passengers turned out to be a buffet feast with everything from salads and cold cuts tor ribs, corn, and multiple desert options. 

We decided to go for a stroll on the dock to a point they told us was the junction between Switzerland, Germany, and France (though technically I think that point is located in the River). This monument marks the spot 

Behind the Münster, we found a small park, looking over the Rhine and caught a glimpse below of a cable ferry.  Developed by the Romans, it’s attached to a cable that traverses the river. The current of the river provides the force that pushes the boat across, using the hull of the boat like a sail to tack across. if you are interested in how it works, you can watch this short video 

As we looked down from the Münster, we could see that there were super steep steps down to the launch point and then another set of metal steps that looked challenging. Marg and I opted out, but the adventure team: Mel, Diana, Linda, and Chris decided to take on the challenge. They ended up crossing over bridge a little further downriver and then were able to double back and access the ferry on the other side.  On their way, fearless Mel scampered down the steps to put her feet in the Rhine.    

They found a ferry on the other side that wasn’t so daunting and rode back across  The boatman told them he had been on the job for 30 years and had recently semi-retired, leaving his son to do the work except for the Mondays when the dad still ran the ferry.

They also learned that the authorities have now cleaned up the Rhine sufficiently that it’s safe to  swim in again (unlike the Potomac) - and Linda got a shot of one swimmer. Evidently the current is so strong that many people bring a dry bag for their clothes so they can swim only in the direction of the current and then come back on foot or by public transportation  

 Sunday we took a train to Basel and checked into a really nice 3-bedroom Air BnB on a quiet residential street, but close to a bunch of restaurants and groceries (or so the maps and reviews said).

Unfortunately Sunday is a true day of rest for most businesses in that neighborhood, but after some further reconnaissance, we were able to locate one restaurant for lunch and with the energy remaining, we found a convenience store where we could buy some basics for a light dinner and the next day’s breakfast. 

The Murano on Hardstrasse welcomed us with a lovely outdoor space and a menu with 2 pages of Spring asparagus dishes as well as some local classics. The stand-outs were the cream of asparagus soup and  flamenküche (sort of a cross between a crepe and a flat bread with creme fraiche, cheese, ham, and potatoes). The pictures don’t really do either one justice, but both were very tasty.

The next day we were joined by our friends Melissa and Diana who, despite having just arrived on the redeye from Newark and a connecting train from Zurich, declared themselves up for adventure.  We decided to take the local tramline to the old town neighborhood of Basel.  It took us a while to figure out the ticket machine, but we were soon underway and into the old city in about 10 minutes. Riding on the iconic narrow green tram made me feel like I was in a foreign film where some trench-coated Continental type should get on and engage us in a mysterious conversation. But no such luck. 

First stop the Münsterplatz (Minster plaza) and the Basel cathedral, known for its Romanesque and Gothic architecture and its history of going back and forth between Catholic and Protestant occupants (not uncommon in this region as we’re learning). It has two towers - one dedicated to St. Martin and the other to St. George. Inside, it’s a light, airy space with amazing acoustics.

There was an odd sort of fellow playing a small portable organ.  Not the usual image of a cleric or church organist, but he played well and the music highlighted the sanctuary’s liveness. 

I particularly liked the crypt beneath which was set up for small scale services and recitals. 

The statue of St. George slaying the dragon made me laugh. The dragon looked more lie some kind of hound with wings than a scary creature. 

Next we wandered back along the Münsterplatz and down the windy cobblestoned streets to a plaza where we stopped for lunch. By then it was past lunch hour, but we happened on a basic looking place that turned out to have really good salads and another rendition of asparagus soup - definitely the star veg of the season in Basel. A bonus was watching them dismantle a huge Eurovision set (which required a crane to load the components onto trucks). 

By then Marg and I were done with walking and headed home while the rest of the gang, including the two most intrepid of travelers went off to explore some more. On the way back we noted an art gallery around the corner from our AirBnB and did a little shopping in the now open local Coop (I guess Switzerland also “runs on Duncan”.  

After our morning and afternoon perambulations in Baden, we were ready for some serious rest and relaxation. Turns out, 5 minutes from our hotel, there is a modern iteration of a baths facility fed by the hot, mineral-rich springs for which Baden is famous -Forty-seven Therme which opened a few years ago.  It didn’t seem like a place for cameras so the pictures that follow are from the website for You won’t recognize the people, but maybe it will convey a sense of the place. 

Saturday we started with a walk in the old town area of Baden. One perk for tourists is a pass  that gets you an admission to the museum of your choice, a free towel loan at the local spa, and a free pastry called a Spanisch Brödli at the Himmel (Heaven) Bakery. According to Wikipedia (and confirmed by the baker):

“Spanish rolls became popular in what was then Switzerland in the 17th and 18th centuries, when Baden was the seat of the Swiss Confederation's Diet [governing body], and leading politicians from the cantons and their entourages regularly came to Baden. They were particularly popular among wealthy Zurich residents, who often took spa treatments in Baden. In the Reformed Zurich, bakers were forbidden to produce such luxury pastries, so the servants of leading Zurich families had to walk the 25 km from Zurich to Baden at night to buy the pastries in the morning and serve them as fresh as possible to their masters for Sunday breakfast

When the Swiss Northern Railway from Zurich to Baden was inaugurated in 1847 as the first railway line within Switzerland, Spanish rolls could be transported from Baden to Zurich in 45 minutes. This use of the railway was so popular that the line was popularly known as the Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn (Spanish Brötli Railway)”

It’s a flaky layered puff-pastry affair with hazle nut paste filling. Chris and I liked it - Marg and Linda not so much  

Our walk continued along old town streets and onto the Limmat River walk with views of the famous covered wooden bridge

When we reached the other side of the river, the bells in the church let loose

Many of the buildings date back to the 1600s. Obviously restored since then, but with an eye toward preserving the structure. 

This one was particularly amazing - not surprisingly owned by an architectural firm  

On the other side of the river is the Historical Museum of Baden that has artifacts from Roman times forward to today. A special exhibit was dedicated to the baths culture in Baden which dates back to the Celts and was developed more fully by the Romans. There was a half-scale mockup of the old baths hotels where you could come to “take the waters”

And a number of displays about the baths themselves over the centuries 

Cupping was sometimes included - using “cupping horns”  definitely not the Gwyneth Paltrow et al kind  

After the history lesson we returned to the old town for outdoor lunch and happened on a festival of local Jägerhorn bands (hunting horns).  These are round horns with few or no valves so they sound like trumpets in different ranges. 

The outdoor restaurant was lovely with great pastas and salads under the trees and tents  

As we left, we saw a traveling taxidermy display of woodland animals - part of the hunting theme  

We arrived in Zurich and met up with Margaret and Chris smoothly, despite our worries about recent delayed flights (especially out of Newark which was their departure point). Found the waiting van pick up and headed off to Baden.  We had  initially planned to begin our trip in Basel, the embarkation point for our Viking Cruise, but discovered that the entire town was taken over by the annual Eurovision festival. Thanks to Katherine Belsey for the suggestion to spend the first couple of nights in Baden as an alternative.  A small town with just enough sights to occupy us for a couple of days and known as a place to “take the waters” at the hot springs fed baths since the days of the Roman occupation here. 

After a nap at the very nice Ramada by Wyndham Hotel du Parc, we decided to head into the historic part of town.  I got out my phone to call an Uber and on the advice of the receptionist, we headed toward the Bahnhoff  (train station - or so we thought). The price was 52 Swiss Francs which seemed very expensive for a 5 minute drive, but we had already noted that prices in Switzerland were steep so we accepted it (possibly in part due to jet lagged brain fog). We were picked up by a very friendly driver named Milena who said she was from Spain.  Her English seemed  good, but I was curious that her GPS instructions were in Russian. “ Oh yes” she said, “I speak Russian also, though my German is still not so good”.  No problem for us obviously.  We headed off in the general direction of the town.  Chris observed that we’d been driving for longer than 7 minutes, but we thought perhaps cars have to make a wider circle to get back into the center.  After about 10 minutes though, we were getting on the main highway and soon it became clear that we were headed in the direction of Zurich rather than Baden. I tried to ask her more about where we were headed, but I wasn’t connecting in English so I switched into Spanish and discovered that somehow I’d chosen the wrong Bahnhof on the App drop down and she was indeed taking us back to the one in Zurich.  Thank God we had a Spanish speaking driver because if her primary language had been German, we probably would have been all the way to Zurich before we got it straightened out, But my 3+ years of Duolingo Spanish paid off and I was able to ask her to get off the highway and she was able to explain to me how to cancel the ride and start a new one back to Baden. Lesson learned - be  very careful about the drop down menu.  On the way back, Milena was curious to know why anyone would vacation in Switzerland when they could go to warmer, cheaper Spain with beaches.  She just couldn’t understand the appeal of the Rhine cruise. 

After we concluded our “Aventura” as we decided to call it on the return trip, she left us in Baden where we were able to do a little shopping and find some dinner at an outside restaurant in a pedestrian street downtown.  And the whole trip cost a little more than half of the original price we thought we’d have to pay.  Our waitress turned out to be a Kurdish Turk at a restaurant serving pizza and kebobs. So it was a very international evening. No food pictures because we forgot to take them, but here’s a shot of the little square nearby.  We’re tiny in the right foreground because I couldn’t bear to crop out the  fabulous sky, By then, we’d had sufficient “aventura” for one day and headed back (more directly) to the hotel for some much needed sleep  

After our trip to the Banamex Cultural Museum, I was ready for a sit down while Max and LInda went off to purchase some hand-painted shoes that Max had discovered earlier in the week.  Ordinarily I would shun Starbucks in other countries, but this one had a really lovely interior courtyard that was the perfect place to hang out.  

I noticed that my beverage, like many foods and drinks sold in Mexico, had warnings on it about how I was about to consume too many calories and too much sugar.  While I’m used to warnings on cigarettes and some foods, I have to say I didn’t care for being scolded by my food all the time.  Even unsweetened cereals and high fiber crackers have such warnings.  Surely they must lose their effect when they’re plastered on almost everything. 

Once Max and Linda returned, we set off to buy the whale sculpture we had eyed a few days back.  We selected the one in the back row on the left to ship home.  They are the work of Juana Gomez Ramirez who is an artist in the village of Amatenango in Chiapas.  The village has a history of pottery created by the women of the town, with the techniques passed down from mother to daughter.  Gomez Ramirez is best known for her jaguar sculptures, but has now started making whales as well.  

The last event of our last day was a dinner at a different rooftop restaurant.  The view was as good as advertised - of the Parroquia cathedral in the waning pink light.  The restaurant itself and the food was unremarkable so I won’t talk about it, but here are a last few photos:

Tuesday we decided to go to the Banamex Casa de Cultura.  Banamex is the former Bank of Mexico which owns 3 historic buildings in the Centro area which house their offices and also a museum of culture and art.  The already dramatic courtyard is made more so now with the focus on this large sculpture as you enter.  It´s called ¨Que abre otro misterio¨  which translates as ¨which opens another mystery¨’ by Arnaldo Coen. 

The first exhibit is about the history of San Miguel de Allende - as told by Banamex.  Disappointingly, despite the claim to multicultural representation and support of indigenous people, the version of history presented is heavy on the narrative about the great things that the colonialists and the Catholic church did for the indigenous people without any acknowledgement of the land theft, plundering, and viollence that took place. They did acknowledge the later history of insurgency in the 19th century however:

In the upper galleries there was more work by Arnaldo Coen.

Title: “Espejo de lo invisible” (Mirror of the Invisible)

In another room, there was some of the artist’s more recent work:

Detail of the two smaller pictures on the right

The discussion of the paintings above makes a reference to the gold used on the large canvas in a manner similar to kintsugi technique in Japanese art where gold is used to accentuate breaks in the structure.  

It goes on to say, “In contrast to the minimalism of the large canvases, Arnaldo introduces small cubes painted in vibrant colours as information boards. These cubes not only act as information boards, but are also complete works of art in their own right. They are a game of perception and attention that generate a constant dialogue with the large canvases. A visual antithesis that invites the viewer to a dynamic interaction between the monochromatic and the polychromatic.”  A lot to ponder. 

The last exhibit we visited was of kites called “Papalotes” by Francisco Toledo.  The discussion mentions that kites are used during the “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) to help the spirits of the deceased to find their way to and from the celebrations.  Toledo also saw them as reflections on freedom.  The first two photos are his kites.  The last is the work of children from a project called EMPEZARTE which provides art therapy for kids in SMA

We enjoyed looking at the art, but as with many places in SMA, the feeling of the space and the views from different locations were part of the enjoyment of the visit to this museum. 

As I may have mentioned, Linda did a photography workshop in San Miguel some years ago.  She recalled that she enjoyed the Guadalupe district which is known for having a lot of murals and galleries and fewer tourists than the areas we had visited thus far.  The whole of San Miguel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  As a consequence, there are a lot of rules in the downtown Centro area about what you can and can’t do with your building.  The Guadalupe residents wanted to have more freedom to express themselves and petitioned to be exempt from those rules in order to allow murals and other forms of art to be more prominent.  Once we’d rested up from our very early morning balloon ride, we went to explore that neighborhood.

First stop was the Mercado de Artisanas (Artisan Market).  Inside there were some of the schlocky tourist items we’d already seen, but also work by talented silver smiths, basket weavers, sandal makers, weavers etc.  So we had a good time poking around and admiring the work of the local craftspeople.  

The Mercado is at the base of the neighborhood so we wandered northward from there.  

This was one of our favorite murals

And some of the facades and artists’ wares were pretty interesting too

We stopped into a restaurant that specialized in Camarones (shrimp) prepared in aguachiles or ceviches which depend on cooking the shrimp with acids like lime juice and vinegar. The proprietors seemed surprised that these three older gringa ladies had come in to try their wares. I ordered a shrimp tostada and I confess, I was afraid to eat it.  It just didn’t seem cooked enough to me and I didn’t trust my Spanish enough to be sure about the process when I asked.  I tasted one shrimp and then decided that perhaps experiencing authentic local cuisine was less important than being able to travel home comfortably 2 days later.  I decided not to take a picture since I was leaving it otherwise untouched and didn’t want to offend our hosts any further.  There was a delicious condiment though - a vinegar and herbs brew called Salsa Bruja (witch’s sauce) that was very tasty on its own and I’m sure would have been great on the shrimp.  Maybe if we come back for longer and can go with a local who can explain, I’d try it again.  Meanwhile, I might try to see where I could find Salsa Bruja in NYC

Ever since seeing Around the World in 80 Days as a child, I’ve wanted to go up in a hot air balloon. As I turn the corner into my 71st year, it’s getting to the now or never stage on that one. So when I read about hot air ballooning in San Miguel de Allende, it seemed like a great opportunity. Max and Linda were game so I booked it with #GloboSanMiguel Some folks might be concerned about falling o er the side or the balloon crashing, but I realized the most realistic worry for me was how I was going to get in and out of the basket. With a bad knee and stiff joints generally, it could be dicey. Also the website says you have to stand for the hour that you’re up which could have been a deal-breaker for me, but I finally cajoled them into letting me bring a small camp stool to sit on periodically.  All systems go!   

We met our guide and the transport van at a nearby hotel at 5:30AM so we could see the sunrise from the ballloon.  A chilly morning,  but very clear with just enough clouds for a little drama.  The process of setting up the balloon or”globo” in Spanish, was fascinating.  They inflate it first by blowing air into the balloon and then use the fire jets to fill it with hot air so it will rise.  

Max, who’d been in a balloon before, led the way and climbed in smoothly, using the ladder steps cut into the basket.  Let’s just say my entry was significantly less dignified, but with determination and a push from Linda, I climbed up and dumped myself onto the floor of the basket.  Not pretty, but now it was up to the balloon folks to get me out (the guide later told us that sometimes they have to deflate the ballon enough to tip the basket on its side so the folks inside can crawl out).  Linda”s height allowed her to slide in gracefully once she was up on the rim. And we were off!

I expected to be buffeted around a bit, but it was much smoother than a plane take-off.  The balloon just rises straight up and then the currents take you wherever.  The pilot explained that he was using the jets to raise and lower us to catch different air currents.  

Some shots as the sun was rising

Our guide, Bibi and pilot Ulysses (seriously) were ready to answer any questions and made us feel secure during the flight.  

Since you’re at the mercy of the air currents, there’s no way to know in advance where the balloon will land (in fact one part of the waiver you sign says you acknowledge that you might be arrested for tresspassing!). The van has to follow from the ground, taking cues from the pilot’s walkie-talkie. 

Landing was complicated - first we had to meet up with the van and the fellows who would pull us down, next the pilot has to maneuver over scrub (but not into trees) to land in a field.  We brushed across some bushes and landed in a burr-filled field, but it was over all a success (the less said about my mode of exit, the better).  We took a couple of celebratory pics, and watched them deflate the balloon and were on our way.  A major bucket-list item completed.  

To finish off the morning, we were taken back to the (super luxe) hotel for breakfast

Then back to our hotel for a nap before our next adventure