Category Archives: Photos

More Fasnacht

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Fasnacht is over for this year – but oh, was it fun! I got sick after Monday, but still managed to have a little walk around after work on Wednesday with my brother. Took some pics, but most of them didn’t turn out so great. These are my favorites (click for full-size image):
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The first pic is of a ‘Schyssdräggzygli’, a band of people just walking through the streets playing their pipes and drums. The second one just struck me as funny – a clique (band) took off their headmasks and went for a beer. And the last one shows two Waggis, which are probably the most typical costume, making fun of our Alsace neighbours. They can be quite scary, because they sometimes grab you and proceed to stuff you with confetti or hit you with their paddles – but those were friendly. 🙂

If you still haven’t got enough – Shelly, an American friend of mine who lives in Basel now, posted about her first visit to Fasnacht and took some really cool pictures: one, two, three.

Basel Fasnacht

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Die drey scheenschte Dääg (‘the three most beautiful days’), that’s what carnival is called in Basel. It’s a really big thing, with tenthousands of people participating and hundredthousands of people attending. Normally I go to the Morgestraich, the official beginning at 4am on Monday morning, and a couple more time times to see the brassbands and take in the atmosphere – but this year I showed Adrian around, so I’ve done a bit more… And it’s not over yet – tonight is the big brassband concert, which I never miss, and the exhibition of the big lanterns, which are always worth a closer look.

He took pictures at the Chienbäse in close-by Liestal on Sunday night, where people carry burning brooms and huge burning wagons through the town streets, as well as during Morgestraich, and has posted some of them on his site. Here are some of my favorites from Chienbäse:
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New hair

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Eventually I will upload the snow pics, I promise – but first: my new hair cut! (Click for bigger pics – I wish I had that Magick thingie installed that creates thumbs automatically…)

I haven’t had a fringe since I was nine or so… But it’s kind of cool, isn’t it? 🙂

Between the years

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Have enjoyed Christmas thoroughly, despite having to work both on the 25th and 26th. It was a really lovely family holiday, and the days since have been spent spending time with friends.
I just love having the energy again to go out and do stuff, without feeling under pressure or overwhelmed. I truly appreciate that again.

Have to work the next four days — today, too, until after 9pm. But I’ll go out to meet some friends afterwards anyway, just for a drink or two and to watch the fireworks over the Rhine. Everyone and their dog will be there.

Unrelated to the season — I took this picture on Saturday while sitting in one of my favorite cafĂ©s. Beautiful, isn’t it?

I also took some pics on Christmas Eve, trying to capture the things that make it special to me. Don’t know that I succeeded, but that can’t be helped.
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Becoming a hobbit

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So this Wednesday was the theatrical release of the third and last part of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, ‘The Return of the King’. And this year, I dressed up — as a hobbit lass, complete with Ears and a scarf knitted after the one worn by Pippin in the movies. Yes, I am obsessed — why are you asking? *g*

But first: it’s almost Christmas, and although people here don’t tend to get too crazy with the decorations, I stumbled across this little gem of a garden — an impressive collection of ‘garden dwarves’ side by side with a little Christmas village.

Made me grin.

Today my dad, my brother and I will go and buy our Christmas tree — it’s tradition to wait so long, and we won’t even decorate it until the morning of the 24th. Can’t wait! 🙂

Back to the topic — me as a hobbit. My favorite picture:

Cute, huh? 🙂

I hope I’ll have opportunity to dress up in the future — I just enjoy it!
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Two photos from Basel

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So I did manage to at least upload the two pics I took around here. This is Basel during a much too warm winter.

One is from last week, when they carted wagonloads of snow to the cathedral square (right in front of the Anthropological seminary) and built a little ramp for children to ski on. Too cute for words — they even had a little ski lift and real instructors!

The other one is not so much funny and more serious. Because after all, today is World Aids Day, and it should never be forgotten what a threat that disease still is. I even remembered to wear my red ribbon to uni — and the whole weekend our trams and buses looked like this:

Fall fair in Basel

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For the last two weeks there have been rides and food and craft stalls all over the city. It’s an annual happening, the biggest fair in the region, and everyone goes, even if it’s just to the Petersplatz (the oldest market, right in front of the university) to buy some of the yummy specialties.

When I was younger, we always went on rides, spending a lot of money that way — but these days it’s more about walking around taking everything in. And food, of course. *g*

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Halloween

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It’s not a big holiday here in Switzerland – but it’s an opportunity for me and some of my friends to dress up and go out… So last night found us at the ZicZac in Allschwil, which was decorated (specially the waiters *g*) and later got terribly crowded (and smoky – my eyes really watered). But it was fun – we danced (which feels weird in a long dress) and talked and ate. Not so much drinking, though, because that’s really expensive and I had taken painkillers before.

At one point there’ll be pictures from that party on partysearch.ch, including several with us, because Beat, a friend of ours, was their photographer. Until then – here are some of the pics that I took:


Sibylle made her dress herself – isn’t it gorgeous? I also really enjoyed wearing my dress – it just feels so luxurious!
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Fall where I live

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Surprisingly enough fall seems to have made a reapperance, so when I found I had my camera in my bag this morning on my way to the doctor’s (for a flu shot) I snapped a pic… It’s the Dorenbach creek at the bottom of the hill, which constitutes the border between Basel and the suburb where I live, and which I cross whenever I have to catch a tram.

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My mom loves to take photos there, she’s got them in every season. I just love how close to nature we live while still being close to the city — one end of the path leads straight to the forest, the other end to a square with grocery stores, post office, pharmacy, banks and whatever you need for daily life.