On the go

Boa in Basel

There is a boa in Basel. It's located near the Wettsteinbrücke and it's part of what I call Heimat. I can't tell how often we passed this sculpture on our way to town. It really was part of the whole "family goes to Basel" procedure:

• Find a parking lot at the St.-Alban-Graben next to the Rhine. Somehow we always found one.
• Go up the stairs, pass the boa, touch it, proceed either to the Kunstmuseum or go down the Freie Strasse in order to have a Vermicelles or a Chäschüechli at the Gfeller.
• Go shopping either to Globus or somewhere up Freie Strasse.
• Go up the hill to do some more (window) shopping.
• Have some maroni. Strange enough Basel to me is mostly a winter city in my memories.
• Go back to the car.
• Go to Migros in Hochbergerstrasse (a really small one) and get coffee, Fondue cheese, chocolate and yoghurt. Rice (Arborio, but that came later).

Today, since it was a normal business day I calculated chances were OK to get a parking lot at this spot. I was right and yet I had completely forgotten the boa until I saw it again. Still it was as if it had been yesterday since I've been there the last time.

Nevertheless this is why there are some places on my mental map that really define Heimat. It's really tiny places. Heimat is defined by mere square metres.

Posted by tilman.haerdle at February 9, 2009 4:58 PM