A Country Walk in Basel

Another day Bill took us for a walk to show us what he had found on a wander alone. We found the other side of a large field, part of which was allotment gardens. 




It looked to be surrounded in part by large grand houses, but one was almost entirely windows, which worried me about their loss of privacy. 





Still, they did have a great view if they didn't mind a few of the hoi polloi traipsing through here and there. The path across the field was a popular jogging track. 




We could see across to the business district of the city, with the odd triangular Roche building sticking up by itself. It reminded me of the Devon Tower in Oklahoma City with its head up in the clouds, keen to be the tallest. "Male ego" those buildings scream to me. 

An interesting graphic in the field informed us how much various crops rely on bees for production. We really do need to be taking better care of bees if we don't want to go hungry. Then again, I suppose it would be one way to shrink the human population. Horrible thought, but in some ways just rewards. Of course the people who decide to de-regulate the use of pesticides aren't likely the ones who would go hungry so it wouldn't do the planet much good after all.




At some point we seemed to pass behind a large building that might have been a seminary, it looked somehow both ecclesiastical and residential (or maybe there was a sign, I don't recall). Then there were different areas of agricultural endeavor. 




We came upon a field of sheep, enclosed by a solar powered electric fence, a simple idea that charmed Bill. Also some rabbits huddled under a tree for shade and cows (with cow bells) doing the same. Early into this trip when Chris first encountered cows he told us a joke:





Q: Why do cows need bells?

A: Because their horns don't work.

This meant that somehow cow bells were mentioned by either him or Bill -- or both -- at every single opportunity; two 70-ish year old boys.



The allotment gardens were impressive and of course complete with the requisite ramshackle huts. 




Once beyond this area there was a very high wall with solid gates. We had seen somem people gathering at what appeared to be an entrance hall and Bill interpreted some of the signs (he did a semester of adult education German a while back, clever guy). 

It seemed that we were walking past a sunbathing facility for the use of nudists. (Sorry, I took no photos - the walls and gates were quite unremarkable). There were separate facilities for men and for women and you had to be either older, ie retirement age, or younger, ie primary school. Which explained why it looked like a gathering of grandparents and grandchildren. It struck us as a very singular idea.

But then why travel at all if not to encounter different ideas?

And then we turned a corner and suddenly we were back in suburbia.