Let us come back to the lantern exhibition 2018 on the Cathedral Square with some cheerful topics: Eating insects, Figugegl and hol’s dr Geier.

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Eating insects

Eating insects – this is a new gourmet trend that can be well expressed in the masks and fancy costumes matching the lanterns.

Look at this enticing menu made from insects. “Dä Börger isch feiner mit e paar Säggsbeiner” – “this (ham)-burger is more delicious with a few (animals with) six legs”.

Enjoy the barbecue at the edge of the plate: “Made, Würmer muesch uffspiesse, erscht denn kasch s’Ässe richtig gniesse” – “grubs, worms – this is what you have to skewer, only then you can enjoy your meal.”

This lantern plays with the words: “Dr Wurm isch dinne” – “the worm is inside”. Yes, the worm is inside the meal, but in German this means at the same time: “This is, where the rub or the problem is”.

At the cortège, the Pfluderi were disguised as grasshoppers assembling around this huge grasshopper. The verse says: “In dr Gourmetbaiz froogt e Maa, könnt ich d’Made saignant ha” – “in the restaurant a guest asks, whether he could have the grub rare”.

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Figugegl

Many, many years ago, Figugegl was the publicity for Fondue, one of the Swiss national meals (melted cheese). Figugegl was an acronym: „Fondue isch guet und git e gueti Luune“ or “Fondue is good and gives good humour”. The Gassegotter replaced “Fondue” with “Fitness” which leads to “Fitness isch gsund und git e gueti Luune” or “Fitness is good and gives good humour”.

The Gassegotter comment the trend for extreme slimness by recommending that „äs birebitzli rund isch gsund“ or “a little bit “round” is healthy”.

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Hol’s dr Geier – Basel first

Trump says „USA first“. On this lantern I found „Basel zerscht“ or “Basel first” , along with – „hol’s dr geier“ or “the vulture may grab it”.

Well, the vulture might be a sign for bankruptcy, but… “D’Roche Schuublaade sin no lang nyt lär, das fräit e jede-n-Aggtionär“ or “the drawers of Roche will not be empty for many years, this makes every shareholder happy”.

In addition I find here a tought about the lantern exhibition at the Münsterplatz or Cathedral Square: „Dä Münschterplatzz (isch) schön, Ladärne dört obe schtön“ – “That Cathedral Square is beautiful – lanterns are standing up there.”

Yes I agree, the Cathedral Square is beautiful, in particular, when the lanterns are “up there”. And I agree: Basel first! – I look forward to next year’s lantern exhibition on Tuesday, March 12th 2019.

Let us come back to the lantern exhibition 2018 at the Cathedral Square. This time I will talk about the gloomy topic that largely dominated this year’s carnival: The world at risk.

This is, how the Giftschnaigge illustrate the subject “Risiko – risk” on their lantern: “D’Wält stoot uff em Spiil” – “The world is at stake”. The metapher for “at stake” in German is “auf dem Spiel” which relates to the politicians gambling. The punch with gambling only works in German.

Three politicians are on the lantern below, Kim Jong Un loving the United States (hm), Putin sitting on an innocent unicorn and Trump uttering something not very nice.

The Alte Stainlemer painted more abstract faces for Kim and Trump at PjöngJangeles alluding to the Olympic Games in South Korea and simultaneously to the competition about “Ballistic Games” between the two.

The other side of their lantern shows Kim and Trump competing to score. In the cortège or parade “incarnations” of the two competitors even perfomed their score mastering. In another “incarnation”, Trump and Kim played with a globe and from time to time placed it on a nuclear power plant tower.

The Schnurebegge say on their lantern: “Es dien die beide wirre Irre zünftig mit de Sääbel klirre” – “the two confused fools are jangling heavily with their swords”.

The group CCB (Central Club Basel) invented the new name “Corean Club Basel”. Kim presents a very explosive menu, it is “a bombe surprise”.

“Wenn die acht so wytermache, wird die Wält usenander krache” –  In case these eight guys will continue in this way, the world is going to break apart”. Do you recognize the eight faces that the Dupf Club assembeld in this balloon?

Some lanterns show visions of where we may end up, in case the politicians will continue in this way.

All very frightening, but this is what the Basel Carnival is about – discussing both cheerful AND gloomy topics. The Carnival acts as a catalyzer for good and bad feelings. In my next, third blog about the exhibition of lanterns, I will take up some more cheerful topics.

Short overview of the Basler Fasnacht or Basel Carnival

This year the Basel Carnival took place from 19th to 21st of February 2018, for the first time as a Unesco World Heritage.

As always, it started with the Morgestraich – a word that cannot be translated. Look at this link from the Luzernerzeitung, to see how, on Monday at precisely 4 o’clock a.m., the lights go out, the drums and pipes start playing and the lanterns start to “walk” through the dark night. This is the magic moment that kicks off our “three extraordinary days”.The 2018 motto is: “D’Boscht goot ab” which means “we are kicking it off right”, but which in addition alludes to the post offices (Boscht) that are changing dramatically right now.

Many of the topics taken up at the 2018 Carnival were political. I will present some of the political and some of the more cheerful topics by strolling through the lantern exhibition at the Münsterplatz (Cathedral Square) which takes place all Tuesday and on Wednesday morning. During this time the Cliquen or carnival groups do not need their lanterns. They pick them up again later on Wednesday for the second parade or cortège. In the cortèges of Monday and Wednesday, the lanterns match the masks and the disguise to illustrate the topics selected by the groups.

Also the Schnitzelbanggsänger (some sort of minstrels) comment the events of the year. Here are two verses about fake news and about #metoo (both sung by Stächpalme which in biology is a holly. However, literally translated it is a “biting palm tree” alluding to the biting comments the Stächpalme makes).

Fake news:

Dr Trump het gnueg vom wysse Huus und wird neu Chef vo Twitter
Dr Pabscht hürootet d’Lindysey Vonn und landet hinter Gitter
D‘Merkel schtolkt dr Macron z’Nacht im Dussel – s’isch e Gruus,
D’Queen kifft mit em Butler – ich verfolg der Fake Niuus Bluus.

Trump is sick of the White House and now became head of Twitter,
the Pope marries Lindsey Vonn and ends up behind bars.
Merkel stalks Macron at night when drunk – it is just gloomy.
The Queen smokes weed with her Butler – I am following the Fake News Blues.

#metoo :

Jetzt goot’s em Santiglaus an Kraage.
die alt Frau Niggli isch am Klaage,
Er hege’re vor 80 Joor – sy heig das lang verdrängt -,
won‘r sy in Sagg geschteggt heg, ans lingge Schynbai aneglänggt.

Now Santa Clause has a problem.
Old Mrs Wicky is complaining,
it was 80 years ago – she has suppressed that for a long time -,
that, when pushing her in his sack, he touched her left shinbone.

During Carnival the weather was mostly clouded, sometimes sunny. It never rained. Temperatures were chilly, as the frozen Tingueley fountain shows.

Even the ducks avoided the water – simply too cold.

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The exhibition of lanterns on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning

Our Cathedral from the 11th and 14th century is a great background for the lanterns exhibited at the Münsterplatz or Cathedral Square.

Let me start with the lanterns about fake news, the digital world and the sharing economy. Important details on the lanterns are the small verses – I will try to translate some of them.

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Fake News

The Barbara Clique takes up the topic “Fake News” and transcribing it to our local dialect “alles glooge, feyk niuus” – “all lies – fake news”.

Their lantern is a big Pinocchio on one side.

Pinocchio’s long nose alludes to the fact that he often lies – and this is what fake news are about – lies.

The other side of the lantern shows all the well known politicians looking down into hell where Pinocchio is emerging.

These are some of the verses:  “Isch dr Trump am Twittere, isch die ganzi Wält am Zittere” – When Trump is twittering, the whole world is shivering”. And “Dr Trump froogt dr Erdogaan, lyydisch au an Greessewaan?” – Trump asks Erdogan, do you also suffer from delusions of grandeur?”

Walking around the lantern I find this verse: “S’git Lyt, die dien sich soo verbiege, dass sy nit mergge, dass sy liege” – some people are distorting their body so much that they do not notice that they are lying” (distorting alludes to lies).

And another small detail: “Do im Roothuus dien si liege, bis sich alli Bälgge biege” – “Here in (our) townhall they are lying that all beams are being distorted.” In our dialect (and also in German), “to lie, until the beams are being distorted” or “to lie, until you are distorted” means that you are REALLY lying.

The group Seibi Mysli (little mice from the Seibi or Barfüsser Square) transformed the alternative facts into our dialect: “Lätz geschwätzti Facts” or “Wrongly stated facts”. The verse says “do muesch dy frooge, verglemmi alles glooge” – you have to ask, what the deuce, all just lies” (“verglemmi” is a rather soft swearword in the Basel dialect, I am not sure, how to translate that into English).

And the washer women are complaining: “Mir Wöschfraue könne de News nümme draue” – We washer women can no longer trust the news”.

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A digital world

Digital was another topic coming up – everything goes digital, even the war. But there are also more cheerful sides about digital, which are google omnipresent for searching and the Emojis.

The most innovative (and I assume, the most expensive) lantern was the globe made by the “d’Revoluzzer”. It is not a painted lantern, but it consists out of 40 screens that are changing scenes. The globe weighs more than a ton and is pulled on a cart. By the way, when you pronounce “digital” in Basel, it comes out like “digidal”.

Digital may end up in a digital war, as this gloomy figure illustrates grabbing everything in its way.

The young department of the group (Clique) Rätz show a more cheerful aspect of digital. They ask “Dänggsch no oder guuglisch scho?” – “Do you still think our do you already google?” “Google” is transcribed to “guugle” and is often used as a verb in our local dialect (Du guuglisch=you google).

Without thinking first, the Jungi Rätz comment that we often google everything such as “WorumWärWasWämWoWieWenn” – WhyWhoWhatWhomWhereHowWhen”.

The very small guys of the Naarebaschi (very small guys are “Binggis” in Basel) illustrate the topic “Emoji instead of ABC”. Maybe the Binggis hope that they do no longer have to learn, how to write, but can use Emoji instead. At the cortège (parade) they all came disguised as Emojis – a great topic for small guys or Binngis.

The lantern of the Binggis gives an overview of Emojis. I particularly like the brownish emoji with the happy face.

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Sharing economy

The Wiehlmys or digging mice (I also found the “biological expression” “root vole”) propose to “rent a mouse” which in our dialect can be expressed as “Muuslehne”.

The verse on the cash says “Nyt me, was me nyt uuslehne kaa, fir Gäld kasch aifach alles ha” or “Nothing that you cannot rent, for money you can have everything.” Yes, I have heard that you can even rent sheep to cut your lawn…

 Let us put off some more lanterns of the Cathedral Square exihibition for some later blogs.

Fasnacht 2017 at Basel (carnival) was celebrated in March, from Monday 6th/4 a.m. to Thursday 9th/4 a.m. Let me recall impressions from the Ladärne-n-Usschtellig or exhibition of lanterns.

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The exhibition of lanterns (Ladärne-n-Usschtellig ) takes place on the Münsterplatz –  a great background

On carnival Tuesday, the lanterns (Ladärne) are presented on the Münsterplatz – the cathedral underlines the solemnity of the many pieces of art presented here. They are the centerpieces of the sujets (or themes) that the Cliquen (carnival groups) have selected for this year’s carnival. Here I am remembering some of the themes.

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One theme: China – buying enterprises

China is buying enterprises, also in Switzerland. “Kyna duet do läädele” (China goes shopping here). Syngenta was on their buying list – may be La Roche (La Losch) is next and then also the “Fääle” (the Rhine ferry boat, it seems that the Chinese say “l” instead of “r”)…

… or they may intend to buy the Sutter Begg (a well-known bakery), the Basler Kantonalbank (bank of Basel), BVB (the public transportation of Basel) and more…

The Asian cat is greeting us.

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Another theme: Angscht – fear – adds a black mood to this year’s carnival

Many lanterns are dark. “Angscht” or “fear” is omnipresent.

The Lälli Clique presents Atlas trying to prevent the world from falling apart.

Idefix, the small dog of Obelix, swears “bim Teutates” and underlines his anger with his paw: D’Wält spinnt” (the world is crazy –  but I love Basel),…

… they are are all cheating (alles trixt)… VW, Fifa and Bangge (the banks)… and they are paying no taxes (verstüürnix)… and Service publix? – Well, I watch Nexflix”

“Extrem rächts” or extremely right-wing – is a tendency that worries some of the carnival groups. Ghosts from the past?

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Some more joyful themes: Heidi, holes in Switzerland, Pokemons and more

This patriotic Swiss scenery – an almost perfect world – is brightening up the mood: Heidi, Spyri’s novel about the girl from the mountains, has recently been filmed. Here she is acting in front of the camera with Gaissepeter (goatherd Peter).

The new Gotthard railway tunnel has been inaugurated shortening travel time between the Ticino and the rest of Switzerland. For the inauguration festîvities, our Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard wears a jacket with round holes – resembling our cheese from the Emmental. Her jacket is controversial – many like it and some do not. “GottArt” for the Gotthard is a punch and the marmots welcome the tunnel as well. I think, the jacket with holes is a great and courageous idea.

Pokemons are hidden all over Basel and around the cathedral. This hype became a wonderful topic full of fantasy, primarily for some “Jungi Garde” or kids in the carnival groups.

The City-Hupfer allows tourists to hop (hupfe) AROUND the Basel city center. AROUND the city center, because much of the center is car free: The tourists have to leave the bus and walk to reach the sights. The number plate is “BS or Basel 2017”.

The Swiss boxer Anton Gjergjaj is very successful. Here he is as batman with the black double eagle on his red coat. In the cortège (parade), the drummers and pipers were cobras.

This lantern is full of details commenting the world. I particulary like “the hundred days of Sankt Ischias” in the damp Verena canyon. The monk is suffering from sciatic pain (Ischias). “Das Kreuz als Kraftort” translates to “the cross as a place of power”. In German it is a punch, as “Kreuz” can be both the Christian “cross” and also the lower part of the back (where the sciatic pain hurts).

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Yet another theme: Food

The Binggis (young kids) ask where the milk comes from, and they ask it in German, French and Italian. Well, we buy our milk in shops, and it comes in cardboard boxes – like the shape of the lantern. Kids from towns may not know the real source – cows, as the white color and black spots suggest.

“Fleisch isch geschter – mir grille, grille” (Meat is yesterday, we are barbecuing, barbecuing). “Grille” is Swiss German for “to barbecue” and “grille” is also the insect “cricket” that we may eat in future (instead of meat). “Grille” is a punch that only works in Swiss German.

The Queerschleger look for healthy “super food” such as carots, mais, cucumbers or fennel. “Güürkli” or “gherkins” are another option. In all… juice and organic vegetables are good for our heart, and also “gsund fir d’Katz und dr Hund” (healthy for the cat and the dog).

On this same lantern, the crab shows the white flag… and it may be successful, if we restrict our diet to nothing but vegetables.

May this white flag brighten the often dark mood of this year’s carnival and give hope that Atlas will hold the world together such that next year’s carnival will present more bright topics.

Yes, next year in 2018, Fasnacht will be on February 19th to 21st. As always it will start on Monday at 4 a.m. with the Morgestraich (“morning stroke”, see the video of radio Basilisk). It is celebrated with the Cortège (parade), Schnitzelbängg (carnival songs), Kinderfasnacht (children’s carnival), Guggekonzärt (“dissonant” brass music) and Schyssdräggzygli (small groups piping and drumming). It ends with the Endstreich (“final stroke”) on Thursday 4 a.m. The Fasnachtscomité explains it all and the internet is full of reviews and videos. I always enjoy the creative skill that the groups (called “Cliquen”) demonstrate year after year and look forward to 2018.

It is one of those winter days in January when I am happy to live in Basel, because the sun shines here, while the plateau of Switzerland including Zurich is covered with clouds. It is a sunny, but very, very cold day today. The fields on the Bruderholz are “dressed up” for winter.

I start my winter hike here.

The small nature reserve lakes are frozen and covered with snow that are decorated by animal tracks.

The bench looks inviting, but a little cold.

I approach Therwil and capture the view of the Blauen mountain range and the border with France in the haze (looking west).

I have crossed Therwil and look south across the vineyards of Therwil.

In Therwil, I am on the ground of the former Prince- Bishopric of Basel. Then I approach the border of protestant Biel-Benken that has belonged to the city of Basel. The border between Biel-Benken and Therwil/Oberwil has been carefully marked by boundary stones. This is the first boundary stone I come across – I call it  “corner stone”.

Next to the stone, this panel explains the history.

The border between Therwil/Oberwil and Biel-Benken was a major frontier in history. In the beginning of 16th century, Basel acquired areas from the impoverishing noblemen, one of these areas being Biel-Benken. Also at that time, Basel joined Switzerland and became protestant. The bishop of Basel had to leave “his town”; he moved to Pruntrut and continued to belong to Germany and the German emperor. The possessions of the bishop were called “the Prince-Bishopric of Basel”. The bishop owned Therwil and Oberwil that were located between Biel-Benken and Basel. Biel-Benken – belonging to Basel – was an exclave.  Around 1800 the Prince-Bishopric was dissolved and in 1815, the Congress of Vienna allocated Therwil and Oberwil to Basel (see also André Salvisberg u.a.: “Historischer Atlas der Region Basel”, Christoph Merian Verlag 2010). The once important border separating two countries (Germany and Switzerland) became a border separating just communities.

The (historical) border around Biel-Benken is adorned with boundary stones from the 17th and 18th century marking the frontier between Basel and the Prince-Bishopric of Basel. I look for the stones in the forest above Biel-Benken.

This stone from 1774 has been beautifully restored. It shows the coat of arms of the prince-bishop Simon Nikolaus de Monjoie pointing to the Prince-Bishopric side.

Towards Biel-Benken there is the coat of arms of Basel – as Biel-Benken belonged to Basel.

This boundary stone shows the bishop’s crook and a coq on the side pointing to the Prince-Bishopric. This must be the coat of arms of Christoph Blarer that the panel near the “corner stone” mentions.

I finish my walk at the Friedrich Oser monument above Biel-Benken with the hazy view of the Blauen. I think the citizens of Basel have done a good job acquiring Biel-Benken with the southwards facing slope that produces quite a good wine (I liked it).

The pond near the monument of Oser is covered with ice and the sun plays with the trees.

With many history lessons learned I return home to warm myself up – it WAS cold today, though the sun had made my heart jump.

I think I will return to Biel-Benken to search for more boundary stones, but perhaps I will wait for warmer weather…

Basilisks have been known since ancient times, in Egypt, Greece and Rome. Konrad Gessner from Zurich writes about them in the 16th century.  They are legendary animals – a mixture between a coq and a snake – and they take on various forms. Sometimes they have the second name “sibilus” = “hissing” or in German “zischen”). Basilisks hatch out of eggs that have been laid by a coq and bred by a snake (well, there are also variations to this). On the 4th of August 1474 a coq laid an egg in Basel and was then killed. So dangerous – imagine, a basilisk could have emerged out of this egg. In a beautiful small book, Thomas Hofmeier describes the various forms of basilisks, their history and their presence, in particular in Basel (“Basels Ungeheuer, eine kleine Basiliskenkunde“, Berlin and Basel 2016).

In the 15th century, Basel started to use the basilisk to hold their coat of arms, the “Baslerstab”, perhaps, because “Basel” sounds a bit like “Basilisk”. Basilisks do not only exist in Basel, but they are very important and omnipresent here. They sit on fountains (Augustinerbrunnen),…

… they guard bridges (Wettsteinbrücke, his brother watches over the entrance to Langen Erlen and he has two more brothers),…

… they hide in the cathedral (Münster, in front of the pulpit)…

… they appear in my mum’s woodcarvings,…

and then there is the small basilisk Baschi Zischer.

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Baschi Zischer? He is a small basilisk that gets lost and looks for his home, with the help of Mia (a wonderful children’s book)

Baschi Zischer is a small basilisk. He lives near the water somewhere in the city center and leaves home, because he hears a lot of “bumbum” and “weeeweeee” outside. It is the drums and pipes of the Basel carnival (Fasnacht). Baschi gets lost and Mia finds him in the front garden of her parents’ house near the river Rhine.  Anita Siegfried and Nicolas d’Aujourd’hui have written and illustrated the story about Mia that looks for Baschi’s home in the city center of Basel (“Baschi Zischer – ein Jahr quer durch Basel (a year in all corners of Basel)”, Basel 2007).

Always on search for fairy tales, I loved to read the story of Baschi and Mia. On a hot summer day, I looked for the places that they visited, when looking for Baschi’s home. Here are some samples.

The basilisk on the fountain near Mia’s home has no idea where Baschi lives.

The fountain monkey on the Andreas Platz just knows that in earlier times the basilisks lived in the cave behind the Gerberbrunnen (fountain of the tanners).

The historian of the museum of history does not know where Baschi’s home is. At Mia’s school Baschi plays the basketball right into the basket. Baschi slips into the river Rhine and has to be saved by the ferryman. At the old townwall (Letziturm) they meet a group of people disguised as knights that are happy to see a real basilisk. They make a selfie with him.

(When I was here, I did not meet knights, but a group of Chinese – old friends from school, and one of them was a professional photographer capturing the memories).

In front of the Münster (cathedral) there is Knight George who kills the dragon.

Baschi gets angry. What a nuisance, this dragon made out of stone is not dangerous at all.

While looking for Baschi’s home, Mia and her basilisk live through many more adventures in Basel. And as the next Fasnacht starts, yes – just right in time, Mia understands that Baschi lives, where the Birsig enters the Rhine. Baschi disappears in the tunnel and the next Fasnacht starts with drummers and pipers.

A wonderful children’s story, well told and well illustrated. I invite the two girls of friends of mine to follow the traces of Mia and her basilisk Baschi. It is the grils’ first guided tour through a town. The next day we visited the mini golf court in Grün 80 (a green park with play grounds and lakes), and the two girls shouted: “Look, another basilisk fountain!” Yes, right, I have never noticed that there is another one here. Later I notice a basilisk fountain near the central post office… there are many more such fountains in Basel. Let us have a closer look at them.

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The basilisk fountains in Basel – a clever design

There are about 25 basilisk fountains in Basel. One of them was on my way to primary school on the Bruderholz. Believe me, I saw that fountain every day, more than 50 years ago, for four years. I knew it was there, always, reliably. But I never looked at it in detail. Now, thanks to Baschi Zischer, I discovered the clever design of these fountains.

This is the basilisk fountain on the water front of the Rhine (Reverenzgässlein). The basilisk holds the “Baslerstab” (coat of arms) and presents “him”-self to the people that may take a photo of the old city line above the Rhine.

The basilisk fountain gives drinking water – to us people, …

and also to our best friends, the dogs.

At the end of the 19th century, Basel started to provide water directly into the houses. The huge fountains scattered over Basel were now in the way. Basel invited for a competition and selected the fountain of Wilhelm Bubeck (see Wikipedia). They installed about 50 of them. Today about 25 are left in Basel, one is in Zurich (perhaps as a sign of friendship, where sometimes “teasing” prevails) and one has even traveled to Moscow. Bubeck has done a great job, I believe, when designing the basilisk fountain for the thirst of people and their dogs.

Thank you, Baschi Zischer, you have opened my eyes. I may take more children of friends and of my family to discover my town Basel based on your adventures.

P.S. Also visitbasel.ch offers guided visits for kids following the traces of Baschi.

Would you join me for a photo hike on the Göscheneralp?

My friend Richard asks me: “Would you like to join me for a photo hike on the Göscheneralp?” Oh, yes, of course I would. I have been on the Göscheneralp some fifteen years ago, with Ernst. I would love to see it again and use my new Nikon camera, while benefiting from Richard’s experience. We buy train tickets to Göschenen, Richard reserves seats in the local bus to the Göscheneralp and one night in the Dammahütte (a Swiss Alpine Club mountain hut run by Lydia and Frank). And off we go, taking the early morning train at 6:04 AM in Basel arriving at the dam at 9:30 AM.

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What is the Göscheneralp? It is an artificial lake with a nature reserve, a loop path and welcoming mountain huts in front of the Dammastock

The Göscheneralp was covered by an artificial lake in 1960. Water energy from the mountains –  this is ecological on one hand, but on the other hand I have mixed feelings about the village Hinteralp that is now under the water – including the church.

May be I am not alone with my mixed feelings. The northern slopes above the artificial lake are now a nature reserve with moors and highmoors.

The loop path leads around the lake. The Swiss love to hike around the lake. Families with their kids (including their grandmothers and grandfathers) master the 3 hour walk on a narrow path going up and down and up and down.

The welcoming mountain huts cater for the hikers. The huts are called Bergseehütte, Chelenalphütte and Dammahütte. The Bergseehütte is managed by Toni Fullin. He is an institution. He is a mountain guide that documents the climbing routes and the traditional dishes that make use of what the mountains of Uri deliver. Such as soup made out of bread and cheese. The Dammahütte is where we have reserved to stay – it is about 650m above the lake level.

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The moors and highmoors

We start north of the lake to take pictures in the moors and highmoors. The ponds reflect the mountains…

… and the small chapel.

We also come across a frog,…

… enjoy the view of the Dammastock with its glacier,…

… and play with background and foreground.

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The Chelenen Reuss… flowing water… let us play with the shutter time

We leave the moors and highmoors and cross the Chelenen Reuss. Here we practice changing the shutter time – short…

… and longer.

I prefer it shorter.

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Up to the Dammahütte in the burning sun – a hearty welcome by Lydia and Frank

In the burning sun we walk up to the Dammahütte, about 2450m above sea level. Lydia and Frank with their daughter give us a hearty welcome. This is the evening view of the Göscheneralp Lake taken near the Dammahütte.

We have an excellent dinner with soup, salad, Spaghetti and pine apple dessert.

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Morning at six… the sky is clear

Early at six we look forward to a great and sunny day. This is the view of the morning sky

The sun is still low and gives light to the Dammahütte in front of the Dammastock.

After a tasty breakfast with Birchermüesli and rolled mountain cheese, we talk with the owners of the hut. As they expect more tourists today, the daughter prepares a Schlorzifladen. This is a cake common in Toggenburg near the lake of Constance (Bodensee).

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Panorama walk with goats and more water games

We take the Panorama walk down to the lake. Hello goats!

Yes, YOU MUST enjoy the view!

The Damma Reuss – again we change the shutter time from short…

… to longer.

And then I look back with the thistle in the foreground.

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Back along the lake catching the 13:30 bus

Now we head down to the lake, join the families on their round walk south of the lake…

and at the dam catch the 13:30 bus to Göschenen. Already around 5 PM we are back in Basel. It starts to rain and then it pours with rain. Lucky we have been having enjoyed two wonderful, sunny days.