On a trip with my Dad to retread the steps he made as a child in the scouts, we ended up in Basel and having some free time. Kind of. We had landed the night before, only seeing some of the city in the glow of street lamps and through the window of the bus travelling from the airport .
Our train the following day to Lucerne was at 11am, so we had a some time in the morning that we could use to see some of the city before moving on. As it happened, around the corner from where we were staying was the University of Basel and its botanical garden.
We followed the street from our hotel towards the garden and passed through a 15th century gatehouse (Spalentor). It is one of the three remaining gatehouses from the city’s medieval walls. A pretty impressive sight to wake up to. It felt under appreciated since there was a lack of other people to see it. But I had to remember, it was the early hours of the morning.
We enter into the garden and feel like we’re intruding into someone’s private allotment until seeing the greenhouses. The garden is small in footage compared to the likes of Kew, but then I always find the university gardens to be smaller yet more tenderly formed and cared for. It very much feels like a home for the plants, the space must work for the plant rather than the plant must work for the space.
As we meander in, we learn we must wait a little while before the greenhouses are open. So decide to follow the weaving paths on the outside parts of the garden. We start to see a few more people. One man sits alone on a bench reading a book. It is 7am on a Saturday. Idyllic.
Then when we reach the far edge of the garden, we can see an early morning market beginning in the square beyond the garden. Dad spots a red squirrel in the foreground, which occupies a few minutes of our time. It sits quietly, but unbothered by us amongst a bed of ivy. It seemed to be looking for something, probably rummaging for the supplies hidden there by itself at an earlier time.
It came to the time that the greenhouses were open and we headed in. My lens fogged up and it’s suddenly a different climate. I love that about a greenhouse. How it can create this completely alternative environment for the plants.
Coming so early, we were there while the misting was happening of the plants. This only felt refreshing for a fraction of a second, before leading to an increase in the humidity levels. This may distract you from the wonder of a greenhouse, but at the same time your senses are definitely heightened and you’re aware of the environment around you. You notice more.
It was nice to have my Dad there to expereince this space with me. I thought he might not have enjoyed it, especially with it being so early in the morning that our visit had to happen. But it was a satisfying place to visit, especially as I knew nothing about Basel before visiting, and left with a positive experience and the satisfaction high enough to recommend both the garden and the city to anyone.