Basel Herbstmesse

This guy looks really excited about Herbstmesse! He's celebrating because it is Basel's annual two week long fall festival. There are food, rides, and games in about eight different squares around town and another street full of Christmas market style huts selling crafts. I really wanted a lambskin and an advent calendar, but I refrained.

My computer keeps trying to erase that guy. Maybe because it knows I have overruled the rest of the family by including him in the blog. But he is a perfect example of the theme of this post - the difference between American and Swiss festivals. He is painted on the side of one of the ride trailers, which means that occasionally he can be seen rolling down the highway, looking like he is riding that eagle at full speed. I don't think he'd go over so well in parts of the U.S. Things like this always make me think of the comissioned artist and how they felt about the gig.

Some foods are the same, like hotdogs, kettle corn, and cotton candy. But they are subtley different. The hot dog is just one of many sausage choices and is in a hard roll surrounding it like a tunnel. The kettle corn is in a little bag, none of the nearly trash bag sized ones we see in the U.S. And the cotton candy has a nicer texture for some reason. Other foods are just different: a crepe stand, raclette (melted cheese served with potatoes, onions, and pickles for dipping), decorated gingerbread hearts, and - most different - a stand serving tiny quiches and tarts. Notice in the picture the chef's hat on the vendor and down on the side a bowl with iced wine.

The rides were also the same and different. The kiddie rides were pretty much the same. However, the payment system was different and more expensive. Instead of buying a bunch of tickets, you buy chips at each ride. So a ride might cost $2 or 3 for $5, but then you are taking three turns at just that ride. The big rides were very different. They had some enormous rides which you would never see in the U.S. outside of a permanent amusement park. One, which R wanted to ride but was too young, was a fifty three meter long arm which swung in a circle. At the end was a cage holding passengers which spun around, too. Below is a picture of one of the medium sized rides. You can see how the kids are being whipped around.

Of course, there were carny games. T tried his luck at fishing for ducks and won the prize he had his eye on - the inflatable blue spiderman bat- which he used to bludgeon everyone.

There was also a fortune telling machine - in the form of the mouth of truth!

Finally, there were a few creepy clowns, but in the U.S. the clowns are usually just part of some poorly painted ride or game. They are not ticket takers! Keep in mind there is no Halloween here. And the theme of this ride was a mixture of the Hulk and Marilyn Monroe. This guy seems to have just decided on his own to dress like a nightmarish clown in order to interact with the kids.