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I’m going to Rome tomorrow for Christmas break. Why Rome? Winter is underway and it’s pretty cold here now, averaging in the low 30s most days. Europe has fairly cold winters and traveling can be less than pleasant so heading south is the best option. From what I ready, my best choices were either Spain or Italy so I opted for Italy. As much as I’d like to put what’s left of my Spanish to a test, it’ll have to wait for another day. ...

On Tuesday I went to see the Thermals and the Lords of Altamont in Zurich. Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and cultural capital – and nothing screams culture like Iron Maiden and the Thermals playing shows on the same night! Luckily for me (and a whole lot of Maiden fans) it’s just an hour away by train. I actually saw them about a month ago at Fontana’s for the Brooklyn Vegan CMJ show but they only played a half-hour set and the place was so packed I could barely get in the room. They kicked ass, though, so there was no way I could pass up a chance to see em again.

Standing on the platform at the Peter Merian stop near our (temporary) offices. Our building is the last building you just barely see on the left in the first picture.

This weekend was the Basler Stadtlauf, a yearly race for all ages. Children run 1K (a whole 5 minutes!!) and everyone else runs a little more than 5K. The amazing thing was the sheer number of people who turned out and the mayhem it caused! Given Basel’s small size, the short distance of the race, and the fact that the course looped around only a few blocks, a lot of people were jammed into a very small space. Unfortunately, the thing is held at night, which makes for great atmosphere with the Christmas decorations and all, but also lousy picture taking. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to take pictures in low light situations and fast moving objects at night is just that much harder. ...

You’d never guess it, but Basel (and possibly all of Switzerland or German speaking Switzerland) is big on Döner kebabs, also known in various parts as shawarma or gyros. Below are pics of Sofra and their Döner offering. Sofra isn’t the best in town but it’s one of the most convenient for me, located in the Barfüsserplatz. The chicken isn’t as juicy or tender as it is just a few blocks away but the overall offering is still satisfying. ...

The light coming from the doorway on the right side is the entrance to my building. In case you’re ever in the neighborhood and feel like stopping by, I’m at Hebelstrasse 90, apt #2.2.