Visit to Basel, Switzerland: 28-30 September

In late September I made a short visit to Switzerland. I went to the historic city of Basel. I had not been to Basel before, though I have long been intrigued by this city located on the Swiss/German/French frontiers. Whilst in Switzerland I made a trip to Grenchen to collect a Swiss Army Bike and bring it back to Paris...

Basel station

Trams are the main mode of transport and give the city an old-world feel.

Basel tram

The trip to Grenchen was interesting - the countryside is very beautiful: hills, valleys and old wooden houses.

Going to Grenchen

On Saturday there was a market in the main square selling all kinds of natural products such as Swiss cheese. The red-brick building in the background is the city hall.

Market place, Basel

On Saturday afternoon I decided to visit the Fondation Beyeler. This is a private art collection open to the public. There are some great pictures, including some by my favourite impressionist artists.

Fondation Beyeler

Monet waterlillies, Fondation Beyeler

After visiting the gallery I made a short visit to Germany. I stopped in the first town, Lörrach, where there happened to be a small festival. There were stands with traditional food and people giving demonstrations of metal working. I ate a piece of bread covered with lard! Not the most tasty snack, but it gave me enough energy to cycle back to Basel...
I stayed with Tobias, who I contacted through Hospitality Club. He had a great apartment close to the centre of town, just near to the Mittlere Brücke:

Mittlere Brücke, Basel

The Rhine makes Basel a very picturesque city. There are several nice cafes along the river and it is a nice place just to stroll on a Sunday morning...

The Rhine, Basel

Just opposite the Cathedral there is a ferry service. The ferry is small and has no motor or oars. It is moved by the current of the river along a suspended wire - very clever!

Rhine ferry

Crossing the Rhine

Just up some steps from the ferry is the cathedral.

Basel Cathedral

This is a typical scene from the centre of Basel - little buildings and a tram...

Basel

In the centre of Basel are some sculptures by the Basel artist, Jean Tinguely. He also made the water sculptures near to the Pompidou centre in Paris.

Jean Tinguely sculptures

Here are some more views of the town hall that I took while walking around town on Sunday afternoon.

Town hall, Basel

Town hall, Basel

I left Basel on my bicycle, following the Rhine river. After three hours I arrived at the French town of Mulhouse from where I caught the train back to Paris.

September in Paris

Here's a picture from the Marais - a very old and historic area of Paris. There are many such buildings dating back to the medieval period in the area.

The Marais, Paris

This is a picture from a hidden gem in Paris! This is Chez Georges - a bar with a 'cave' located near to Boulevard St. Germain. The atmosphere and the music is great - I don't think much changed here since the classic days of St. Germain in the 1950's. There aren't many places around where you can dance on the tables!

Chez Georges, Paris

Cote d'Azur: 21-23 September

I made a weekend trip to St. Tropez to enjoy the last of the sunny weather... I left Paris on a night TGV at 1am on Saturday morning, arriving on the Mediterranean coast at 6am.

Going to St. Tropez

September seems like the ideal time of year to go. The crowds of summer are gone and the sea is still warm. This is a view from the house where I stayed looking towards the sea.

View of the sea

The sunsets on the Cote d'Azur are very nice...

Sunset on Gigaro beach

Out and about in Paris

Here are some nice pictures that I took in September while out and about in Paris. The sky was blue and there was a nice light for taking pictures.

Here is a picture of the Eiffel Tower taken from Trocadero. During the Rugby World Cup, which was hosted by France, a giant rugby ball was suspended between the first and second levels of the tower...

Paris during the Rugby World Cup

Here are two photos from the 5th arrondissement, near to the Latin Quarter and the Sorbonne. In St. Genevieve church you can see the remains of St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. The church is located in a pleasant area with some nice restaurants and cafes located nearby. Just opposite the church is the only authentic English pub in Paris, the Bombardier.

St. Geneviève church, Paris

The Pantheon is a memorial church where some of France's greatest personalities such as philosophers and scientists are buried. recently it was reported that the Untergunther urban exploration movement had secretly repaired a hidden clock in the dome of the Pantheon. The work was carried out over two years and never discovered by the authorities.

The Pantheon, Paris

Ghana: 18 August - 1 September

In the second half of my summer holidays I went to Ghana. I think I would get bored if I just spent all my summer holidays sitting on a beach, so two weeks in Ghana working on a development project seemed like a good way to spend my holidays constructively! The project was organised between the British Government and NADMO, the National Disaster Management Orgnaisation, a Ghanaian government agency. The work involved field research and drafting a report on the day's findings for inclusion in a final report. I spent the entire two weeks in or near the capital city, Accra.
This nice hotel was near to where I stayed:

Labardi Beach Hotel

This is where I actually stayed! The rooms were basic, but at least there was running water - not like in the Congo (see 2004 archive)...

Otu Barracks, Accra, Ghana

Accra is a city of contrasts - like many big cities. It is possible to spend your time in 'could-be-anywhere-in-the-world' places or to go out and explore. Here are some typical street scenes from a poor district of the city:

A street in Accra

Accra

Ghanaians seemed to be quite patriotic people - here is a view from a taxi (note flag). Maybe it was because it was the 50th year since Ghana achieved independence from Great Britain. My first impressions were that Ghana is a safe country by any standards. The people are friendly and like to talk - "How are you?" seems to be the most common phrase.

Accra taxi

The national museum is worth a visit. The local tribal masks and sculptures are interesting. The museum had an interesting section on the slave trade, for which Ghana was an important centre.

National Museum of Ghana

National Museum of Ghana

There is plenty of night life in Accra. Many live bands play in the bars and hotels. The music is full of life and fun to dance to.

Band at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra

Most people in Accra get around town by 'Tro-Tro' - a kind of public minibus which can be flagged down in the street. The fares are cheap - 50 pesewas (half a Cedi - the local currency), around 25 UK pence. Many Tro-Tro's have a slogan on the back - usually with a biblical reference or relating to the driver.

Tro-Tro

At the tro-tro station

Tro-tro journey

Where I stayed was close to the beach, so I made several visits - though not for swimming. The currents are strong and the beach was not so clean. Though it was still a good place to enjoy the sun and relax.

Labardi Beach

On the beach, Accra

Labardi Beach, Accra

Beach cafe, Accra

This is the main monument to independence in Accra, located in the centre of the city:

Independence monument, Accra

There are not too many supermarkets in Accra. Mist shops are general stores selling all kinds of items and look something like this:

Shop, Accra

I spent some enjoyable hours at the Grasscutter Club, the club of the British High Commission in Accra. There was a good swimming pool and snacks and drinks were served at the pool-side.

British High Commission club, Accra

This is a view of the road from the centre of Accra to Teshie, where I was staying. On the road there are all kinds of street-hawkers selling all kinds of items. I bought some Ghanaian chocolate from one.

The road to Teshie

After two weeks in the sun, it was time to return to London. I think I spent most of the journey sleeping. On my return to the UK I was stopped by customs for bringing a tax-free camera into the country... though luckily my French diplomatic card got me through the problem!

The plane home

Paris, 17 August

I spent one day just passing through Paris on my way from Romania to London and then to Ghana. Paris in mid-summer was relitively empty... most Parisians take the whole of August off work. I'm also not used to being out in Paris in the middle of the day in the middle of the week - usually I'm at work. I decided t ojoin the tourists and walk by the Seine stopping by the Louvre.

The Louvre, Paris