Breakfast again delivered to our door, we walk to Geneve SBB railway on a staggeringly warm late Autumn morning. Today's forecast for Basel, today's destination, is 17 degrees. Our winter coats are generating saunas that will hopefully cause us to shed our baguette, cheese and salami-laden midriffs. We were intending to catch the 10.14 train to Basel, but a 9.14 fast train is just about to depart, so we jump on in the nick of time with Loretta having to force the door open to not be left behind in Geneve. Yes, I jumped on first and I wasn't aware that the door was closing behind me. ...Whoops......minus 5 brownie points.

Anyway, we slip into a 1st class private cabin, the conductor checks our ticket and wishes us Bon voyage. Positive feelings about Eurail Pass return as I animate the 'up yours' gesture in the direction of the French border.

After a picturesque train ride, passing sumptuous mountains and streams, we arrive at the city of Basel. The accommodation, directly across from the railway, is definitely high quality boutique- this was a late booking that I purchased at 50% off. We get the 'works', including a pass that allows us free travel on their tram and bus.

We feel that Basel, despite also being a city, has the soul that was missing in Geneve. It is gorgeous, a bit like a larger scale Heidelberg, the Rhine dissecting the heart of the city and gorgeous buildings again Germanic in design. Bizarrely, Germany and France border this city, so within a few kilometres, you can experience all three countries. After walking extensively, exploring the old town, buzzing with Saturday evening activities, fairs, shopping and the Swiss equivalent of the Italian 'passeggiata' we opt to walk back to our accommodation rather than catch the tram in order to get the 'street sense' that you cannot derive using public transport.

The following day we decide to catch the suburban rail to Rustica Augusta, an archaeological park around 13 minutes from Basel. (We again highlight contrasts with he Australia's rail system. In Switzerland, trains are flawless, not a mark anywhere on the train, windows crystal clear and run on time to the exact minute). The park is quite good, the Roman Amphitheatre there, whilst impressive, is a slight letdown because it was supposed to have been quote: "'remarkably well-preserved". Materials used in the terracing suggests that it is remarkably well preserved for a structure perhaps re-built in the 1970s. Regardless, it is worth the trip and the surrounding villages and countryside is beautiful.

We return to Basel and catch the train to the Kunstmuseum of fine arts, spending several hours viewing works by artists known and unknown to us, the former including Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir and Picasso. We are actually amazed by how many paintings are held by these artists at this museum. Standouts for us are works by Jean-Baptistery Camille Carot and Albert Anker. The gallery is a good choice because the weather has again turned sour, raining quite steadily and we again thank our blessings for having explored the city reasonably extensively on our first day, when the weather was glorious. This has been the case with our last 4 destinations, all short term visits, great weather on day one and then the rain appears.

Basel- really glad we decided to come here, though a few more days would have provided us with a better overview.