Life in the not-so-big city

I went downtown both yesterday and today, and it reminded me why I like living here. Basel may not be New York or London or Paris (heck, it's not even Freiburg or Colmar), but it does have its own energy. Today is one of those days where its 75 degrees, clear blue sky, light breeze, no humidity (kind of like California, only German-speaking), so I went walking around downtown and it seemed like everyone was out walking around, shopping, eating at outdoor cafes, etc. Saturdays tend to be that way even when the weather is lousy because the city shuts down on Sunday, but on a warm day like today it seems like more people than usual are out and about.



The thing is, I've fallen into a bad habit since Gretchen has been home: I've become a typically lazy American who relies way too much on my car. When we first moved here I rarely drove--only when we went to dinner at the Sports Club or if we went out of town. With Gretchen being gone, I drive to and from work so I can get home to walk Grady, and it's made me lazy. I rarely go downtown anymore because--heaven forbid--I might have to wait 10 whole minutes for the tram, and who has time for that? I live in a city with an excellent transportation system, yet I find myself going places where I can drive instead (if you ever saw the underappreciated movie L.A. Story, there's a scene where Steve Martin's character gets in his car to drive to the house next door--I'm not quite that bad, but close). So with the weather getting nicer, I'm bound and determined to break that habit...