Any train ride starts with a trek to the train station from our apartment (envision two sisters, three boys, a stroller, a kid-carrier backpack, and an overstuffed gear backpack). By the time we arrived at train station #1 of the day, the boys had already spilled a water bottle in the bottom of the stroller, ate some of our snack reserves, and we had a baby in need of his morning nap. Welcome to traveling Europe with kids!
Our day ended up being fantastic! We started by checking out two cathedrals. At the second Cathedral, we walked up a very old, very small, very steep wooden staircase to see the first level of the bell tower. The passageway was so small and steep that we couldn't continue to the top because we couldn't carry the kids through the space safely. Regardless, we still got some great views of the city and an appreciation for the inside of the tower. I kept imagining a little boy or a priest from the 1300s walking barefoot up those stairs to ring the bells. We then walked through most of Basel's very impressive old town, which was packed with people on a busy Saturday. The people watching was entertaining and the tiny cobble-stone lined streets, Swiss buildings, and architectural detail of every window, door, shutter, and rooftop was captivating. Finally, we walked to see the city gates that are still standing from the 1300's. Along our tour through old town, Luke and Isaac got some balloon-swords that were made by a street artist. Seeing them joust with their balloons under a 700-year old structure was quite the juxtaposition! I again found myself reflecting on how many people had passed through those gates over the past seven centuries, under such dramatically challenging circumstances during so many different time periods in history. What a humbling place to stand. By the time we walked back through town to the train station, we realized that we had carried and pushed Isaac and Levi for over 7 hours of walking, and Luke trekked it all with a great attitude. Arriving home 11 hours after setting off, I could see that Lia was jet-lagging but still smiling. If I was indeed testing her limits, she passed with flying colors!
the funniest part of the day, was after we weaseled our way up to the tricky, steep, narrow, tiny medieval steps (while you carried Levi, and I carried Isaac) all the way up to the first level of in order to soak up the amazing view, then isaac says, "i have to go potty!!!!" so we snapped all those photos in about 42 seconds, and then booked it down again. hahaha... luckily, we all made it down in time, phew!
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