Discovering the countryside

I joined a walking group on their Monday walk today, and it was a gorgeous day for it, mostly sunny and about 60-65 (15-19C) out. I want to learn how to find the way to the network of trails that everyone says is out there. Once you find them, there are lovely helpful signs pointing out the way, but finding the way to them seems somewhat tricky, at least to this newcomer.

View of Basel from the first stop, overlooking the Rhein.








There was quite a bit of uphill at first, but I plugged along and made it up the hills. As one person said, 'it is difficult to hike anywhere in Switzerland and not run into a hill along the way,' so I'd better get used to it! The views were very nice, but do not rival the Alps. We hiked from Friedhof am Hörnli to St. Crischona and back down around through some beautiful woods to Bettingen and then to the starting point. The beginning of the trail was hidden back along the wall to the right as you face Friedhof am Hörnli and along behind some apartment buildings. I hope I can find it again.

Church at St. Crischona.








Woods between St. Crischona and Bettingen.








View of Bettingen.








Restaurant Baslerhof in Bettingen.








House with strange packed-wood sculptures. They looked like they were formed into a ball then wrapped with netting of some sort.






Close-up of the wood-sculptures.
(I took this thinking of Dad and all those hours we spent gathering wood for heat during the winter.)






I think I have to pick up the map I saw at the local Post office for hiking in the area. There is a separate one for biking, and I may have to get that one as well if we get bikes this weekend. We are planning to go to the Mega Velomarkt that is being held on Friday and Saturday. We're hoping to find bikes that we like there that don't cost an arm and a leg. Some of the prices I've seen even for that are pretty eye popping. They have a website at www.velomaerkte.ch, but it is all in German.