For
the third year in succession today we attended the firey Chienbäsen
festivities in the Swiss city
of Liestal - close to
Basel
. 19:15 sharp and the cortege commenced
through the the gate entrance to the Old Town / Altstadt. Illuminated
lanterns, Waggis and their drummers process through the town
to the applause of the crowd.
As in previous years, we perched ourselves on the bridge at Rathausstrasse. Shortly after the cortege had passed, the walls of the buildings reflected the bonfires onto the crowds who cheered raucously.
As the bonfires and burning torches were carried through the
main street, the sweat and strain on the mens face was apparent.
The heat from the fires is phenonemal and a welcome relief
from the otherwise fresh evening air. The
heat is all the more noticeable when the fires past and the
cold sets in once more. Until the next one comes along.
The Chienbäse parade is a proper family affair and, judging from the boy standing next to me, the kids love the music and look forward to the fires. Even if the fires turn out to be too hot - even from the safe distance of daddys shoulders.
Frankly, anywhere else a festival like this would have been banned on health and safety. The Swiss, being a generally sensible bunch, simply brought out the fire brigade and allowed a fine tradition to continue. I'm glad health and safety haven't got their teeth into this fine family event.
Of course, at the end of the cortege the fire brigade is on hand is a pound-type area to ensure that the various bonfires and torches are correctly extinguished.
Europe - Travel information from around Europe
Travel pictures - Pictures from my travels in Switzerland, Italy and New Zealand
Eclipse chasing - Essential total eclipse trip planning information from 2010 to 2019
New Zealand - A personal guide to things to do, see, eat and drink in New Zealand
Berne - Information on and about Berne
Australia and New Zealand - Travel stuff from around Australia and New Zealand
Taranaki pictures - A gallery of pictures from my travels in Taranaki
Switzerland pictures - Pictures from my travels in and around Switzerland
Total Eclipse Experience - Travelogues from a trip to Libya to see the Total Solar Eclipse in 2006
Auckland - Travel information on about Auckland
Mark Sukhija is a travel and wine blogger, photographer, tourism researcher, hat-touting, white-shirt-wearing, New Zealand fantatic and eclipse chaser. Aside from at least annual visits to New Zealand, Mark has seen eclipses in South Australia (2002), Libya (2006), China (2009) and Queensland (2012). After twelve years in Switzerland, Mark moved back to London in 2012. You can follow Mark on Twitter or Facebook