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 Zurich, Switzerland From Basel we  bused into Zurich to the Sheraton Zurich at a very convenient location for transportation.  The train/tram station near the hotel was full of bikes parked around the area.  It is impressive that only 50% of the people own a car in Zurich.  The preferred method is bicycles and public transportation.  Amazing that they can locate their own bike in this bicycle parking lot!!!  In the morning we woke to heavy fog.  Kind of a bummer as we had an excursion on Lake Zurich.   Apparently the highlight of the short round trip was Tina Turner and Carl Jung's houses which were hidden behind some trees anyway.  Much was obscured by the thick layer of fog. We then took a walking tour the Zurich lake cruise into old town.  Just a large, busy, bustling city at first. Again, the popular farmers market in a town square City Gate Rooftop Gardens Fun photo of a woman sitting in her small town square with her com...
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 Basel, Switzerland  Basel is a city on the Rhine River in northwest Switzerland, close to the country’s borders with France and Germany. Its medieval old town centers around Marktplatz, dominated by the 16th-century, red-sandstone Town Hall and its 12th-century Gothic cathedral. Basel is commonly considered to be the cultural capital of Switzerland and the city is famous for its many museums. Forty museums are spread throughout the city-canton, making Basel one of the largest cultural centres in relation to its size and population in Europe. It has emerged as a centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the 20th century in Switzerland, hosting both Novartis and Roche. All theses chemical and pharmaceutical companies help finance the many Basel museums. Interestingly, the silk ribbon industry in Basel, Switzerland was a major part of the region's economy for centuries, but declined rapidly in the 20th century. The commercial side of Basel became clearly...
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 Strassburg, France  So, today, as one side of the Rhine is Germany and the other France, we visited Strasburg which is in France.  Strasburg has been bounced between German and French rule for many years.  Our guide said that her great grandmother changed nationality 4 times during her lifetime.  It has been french continuously since 1918. Strasbourg is one of the de facto four main capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels, Luxembourg and Frankfurt), as it is the seat of several European institutions, such as the European Parliament, the Eurocorps and the European Ombudsman of the European Union. The old customs house (1358).  It was bombed during WWII.  It was rebuilt according to the medieval plans.  It is currently a restaurant. The best part of Strassburg was the 16th century old town built around a moat system.  The original moat was in a star pattern.   T his shape represents a defensive perimeter, so that all field...
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