May 2020 a Monthly Guide to Living in Basel
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HIKING • PRODUCE PICKING • COVID-19 SPECIAL • BASILISKS • FERRIES • BARBECUE Volume 8 Issue 7 CHF 6 6 A Monthly Guide to Living in Basel May 2020 11 min. from Basel SBB Saturdays & Evenings Prevention Dental Hygiene Dentures & Implants Dental Restorations Smile Makeovers Urgent Appointments +49 7623 469 240 Hebelstraße 19a, 79618 Rheinfelden, Germany cliniusdentalcare.com 2 Basel Life Magazine / www.basellife.com LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, We would first and foremost like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have taken the time to write to us with their encouraging and motivating messages of support. Most of you have been understanding enough to forgo the cost of the lost April issue, in the hopes May 2020 Volume 8 Issue 7 that this show of solidarity will allow us to survive this crisis so that we can continue to bring TABLE OF CONTENTS you Basel Life Magazine in the future, when life eventually returns to normal. In the mean- time, we will continue to keep you updated with daily posts on our Facebook page (www. facebook.com/basellifemagazine) about cantonal and federal decisions, alternative offers for acquiring necessary goods, information on how Basel businesses and organizations are Special Feature: Online Offers in the Age of Coronavirus 4–6 coping with this crisis, and ideas on what to do with your family during these strange times. As outlined in the federal government's press release on April 16, the general publics’ ded- Fun Outings: Beyond Basel 8–11 icated efforts to comply with the governmental requests to stay home as much as possible, avoid gatherings of more than five people, keep a 2-meter distance from others, and of course apply heightened hygiene practices like frequent hand disinfecting have successfully led to a light at the end of this dark tunnel. April 27 will mark the first step in lifting some of Get Going!: Excercising Outdoors 12–13 the restrictions, starting with the opening of certain stores and small practices, such as medical practices, dentists, and physiotherapists; garden centers and do-it-yourself stores; but also hair salons, cosmetic studios, and massage practices. The second phase will start Calendar: May 2020—Basel in Coronavirus Mode 14–15 on May 11, with the return to compulsory school for the younger students (kindergarten to grade 9), a return to normal of the local public transport system, and the re-opening of shops, provided that they can remain compliant with the social distancing and heightened Inside Basel: Basel's Basilisks 16–17 hygiene measures. The third stage of the easing of the restrictions is scheduled for June 8. At this time, secondary schools should re-open, as well as other venues like libraries, mu- seums, and zoos. However, progress from one phase to the next will only occur as planned if we manage to avoid a significant resurgence in the number of coronavirus infections. The Did You Know…? 18–21 re-opening of restaurants, cafés, bars, cinemas, concert venues, casinos, fitness centers, swimming pools, etc., is still being discussed and will depend on the evolution of the crisis and the ability to implement suitable safety measures. Therefore, the next few weeks will be Information Desk: BBQ Season is Here 22–23 critical!!! So don’t give up our enormous sacrifices just yet—continue to stay at home when- ever possible, respect social distances, and remember to carefully and frequently disinfect hands, like the ever-present “Seifen Boss” (soap boss) flags and billboards are prompting us Ticket Office: Get Your Tickets Now! back page to do. It is only with a continued commitment to these efforts that we will more quickly be released from the restrictive circumstances that we now find ourselves in. The cancellation of all cultural and other events, as well as the prolonged uncertainty in the restrictions has made it very difficult for us to bring you Basel Life Magazine as you know it. The new information released on April 16 has forced us once again to cut much of the con- tent that had already been assembled for the May issue. Rather than forgo another issue of Basel Life Magazine entirely, we have prepared an exclusively online version of the May issue with a particular focus on what is still possible with the current limitations in place. Despite the request to stay home as much as possible, the officials are recommending that people stay fit and encourage fresh-air walks for those not in high-risk groups. Therefore, in addi- tion to a special section on how Basel is coping with the Covid-19 pandemic, we have written about activities to do outdoors that still allow us to respect social distancing, like gardening; barbecuing; places to go to self-pick your own berries, flowers, fruit and vegetables; hiking opportunities in the region, including nature hikes, themed hikes for the whole family, and even hiking with strollers; outdoor exercise options; as well as a host of other interesting information. As things may still change following the publication of this issue, please be sure to check the provided websites before heading out to avoid any unforeseen closures. We hope you enjoy this special edition of Basel Life Magazine and thank you once again for your incredible show of solidarity over the past few weeks. With adherence and patience, we will get through this together! Your Basel Life Core Team, Christine Pesold and Susanne Hiller Basel Life Magazine Staff: Editor-in-Chief: Christine Pesold Advertising & Subscription Manager / Editor: Susanne Hiller Design: PRINTHOUSE by jobfactory, Basel For more information about subscribing or advertising – please contact us: [email protected] www.facebook.com/basellifemagazine www.basellife.com BASEL LIFE MAGAZINE / BASEL FAMILY GmbH © Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. It is our goal to provide valuable, timely information to our readers. The opinions expressed in the articles in this magazine are those of the contributing authors and do not reflect those of other members of the editorial staff and of any organizations or agencies distributing this magazine. Though we make every attempt to provide accurate information, we cannot be held respon- sible if any event is cancelled, postponed, or modified. We encourage readers to contact the event organizers or their websites to obtain the most current event information. Please note: No part of this periodical may be duplicated in any fashion, or redistributed in any written language, without permission from the executive staff at Basel Family GmbH. If you have any questions, contact Basel Family GmbH staff at: [email protected]. photo credit: © dietrich varaklis (cover); © canton basel-stadt (page 3) May 2020 3 SpecialEvents Featurein Basel: February 2015 (continued) Online Offers in the Age of Coronavirus Just a few short months ago, none of us could have imagined the situation coped with the crisis. Many of Basel’s organizations and businesses have we currently find ourselves in. It almost feels like a bad Hollywood movie or also used various modes of modern connectivity to bring goods and ser- a dream that we will soon wake up from and swear never to eat so much vices to Baslers, from delivering food to the “at-risk” group, getting farm- raw garlic again before bed! But this is not a movie nor a garlic-induced ers’ products to your door, and bringing you books from your library, to of- nightmare, but a new reality that has been forced upon us all, with little or fering online fitness classes, concerts, creative artistic projects, and so no warning, and with varying outcomes. much more. The following are just a few examples of these wonderful of- fers that we encourage you to make use of! Covid-19 has directly and indirectly changed the lives of everyone, and for some quite dramatically—our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones to this virus and to those who have themselves suffered from the ill- Home Delivery From Shops and Services ness. Many have also suffered indirectly from the effects of the Covid-19 While stores selling essen- crisis, from workers and business owners who require an audience, buyer, tials like food, medication, or client for their services in the fields of entertainment, transportation, and wine (!) have been open and tourism to all those who work in restaurants, bars, hotels, cafés, and during the crisis, most other other parts of the hospitality industry. People who own small businesses stores have not. Small shops for non-essential items, as well as those who provide special services or and service providers have products, such as farmers, hairdressers, cosmeticians, fitness instructors, therefore been turning to or therapists, have also suffered tremendous losses. remote (online or by tele- phone) shopping and home Some of us have been much more fortunate and have been able to adapt delivery services to supply quite well to life in quarantine. Although not without its challenges, mod- their customers during the crisis. The local newspaper, Basler Zeitung, ern technology has made it possible for many to work from home, for our has been compiling a list and map of stores offering home delivery services kids to attend on-line school, and for family and friends to remain in con- under the motto “Basel liefert” (Basel delivers). They are divided into a stant contact. We may even have benefitted from the additional time to be range of color-coded categories (German only), with products and services with our immediate family and/or to tackle some of those home projects ranging from food and drink, books, flowers and gardening to creativity or that have been on hold for more years than we care to admit—like cleaning music.