Wednesday Afternoon  -  Jubiläums Fasnacht 1999

We started off at the Aeschenplatz - it snowed.  We crossed the bridge to Kleinbasel -  it rained.  The crowds were quite unruly and uncooperative,  the vortrab had to push,  pull,  block and even threaten with toilet bowl brushes to clear the way.  The road was knee-hi with brown, sodden confetti, splattered oranges, trampled paper wrappings and chock-full of big plastic bags, which kept the vortrab busy kicking them off.   We seemed to be constantly following some waggis wagon or another which, in additon to blocking our vision, made the crowd in front of us wild and very noisy.  Martin Grob undoubtedly thought better of it - he decided to leave us in mid-afternoon for better climes in Florida.  

The fickle weather was enough to encourage a certain noble, statuesque Swiss lady to contemplate jumping into the Rhein - she was perched on the corner of the balustrade at the edge of the Mittleri Bridge with her shoes off already, leaving behind her suitcase, cape and shield. Just as we neared the Mittleri Bridge, we were ambushed by Swiss TV.  They wanted to know how we were enjoying it!!  The rest, as they say, is history.! Fortunately, we were sheltered and pampered by certain kind and generous hosts, Cecile and Willi, who have a flat at the edge of the Rhein on Greifengasse, opposite the Café Spitz.  They and our friends from the Baseldytsche Biihni welcomed us warmly and plied us with wine and delicious tidbits, including 100 fricadellas which vanished in five seconds (mainly into little Alex - who was very brave and trudged along all day without a squawk!).  Don Alfredo dedicated this delightful thank-you speech to our hosts: 

                Sharon  

By the way, the leader of the TV team, Päuli Burkhalter, got such a kick out of our motley group that he decided right there on the spot to become a Nej Yorgg Bebbi member.  Needless to say, when we saw his fabulous reportage and our rather prominent part in it, we got a great kick out of it, too.  Welcome Päuli - and very well done!  It was one of the most enjoyable Fasnacht coverages in a long time:  great camera work, great editing and great narration - it caught the spirit of the Fasnacht to the dot! stuffed

Mittwuch zoobe

Nach em Nachtässe - wo dasmool bedytend besser gsi isch, als am Mäntig zoobe -  sin mir wider ygstande. Innenabe sin mer ebbe glych fiecht gsi wie s Wätter dusse, so dass mir's nimme tragisch gfunde hän. S'isch halb zähni gsi, wo mir loosmarschiert sin. Zerscht Richtig Stadt-Zentrum, denn nach ere scharfe Linggs-Kurve d'Freie durab bis vor 's Restaurant Börse. S Lili het rasch ebbis by de Drey Waggis miesse deponiere und mir hän unterdesse e glaini Verschnuufpause kenne yleege. 

Nachdäm ys unser "Ladärne-Pfärd" Martin laider im Lauf vom Noomydag vorzytig het miesse verloo, hän sich d'Liviana und dr Christoph ins Zyg glegt, sodass mer d'Latärne au no dr ganz Oobe hän kenne mitfiehre. In corpore sin mer durch's "Bermuda-Dreyegg" gloffe, wider durch d'Innerstadt und schliesslig vor dr "Schlüssel".

Dert het sich denn langsam bemerkbar gmacht, dass mer scho drey Daag uff de Bai sin. S ainde oder andere het dr Wunsch gschpyrt, wider emol die horizontaly Laag z'teschte und s'Ohr uff e Kissy z'drugge. Drum het sich unsere Bestand reduziert. Dr Räschte het sich in d'Fiidle pfäzt, tief Luft ghoolt und d'Bärg-Etappe in Aagriff gnoh. Ooben am Spaale-Buggel isch es denn nur no e paar Meter gsi, bis zum Spaale-Schuelhuus, wo mer d'Latärne mit schwere Härze elai glo hän. 

Bym Abmarsch hän si denn ebbis gruefe vo "Harmonie". Ich ha verstande "mer laufe jetzt wyter, voll Harmonie..." und ha drum die ganzy Gruppe schnuerstraggs wider dr "Buggel" durab gfiehrt. Y ha denn speeter scho z'verstoh griegt, dass sy ebbis anders gmeint hän. Sorry - im ene gwisse Alter isch es mit em Gheer halt son e Sach. S kunnt sicher nimme vor; y gang dä Summer e paar Mol gon e Wurschtsalat ässe, damit y an dr näggschte Fasnacht sicher waiss, wo die Beiz isch..... 

Nach e paar wytere Kurve sin mer denn schlussändligg wider emol uff em Andrese-Platz glandet, wo mer bis ebben am viertel-vor-viery verschnuuft hän. Mit letschter Kraft - aber imer no pfyffend - isch denn e Räschtbestand vo zäh Masgge gege die viery zum Zmorgenässe in Leuezorn uffe pilgeret. Dert isch e rächte Aadrang gsi, aber dangg dr guete Organisation vo de Wirtslyt sin mer schnäll zum ene feine Zmorge koo. Wär's nit erläbt het, het ebbis verpasst. Mit de miede Bai under em Tisch hän mer's denn gmietlig kenne uussplämberle loo. 

Fir mi isch es e scheeni Fasnacht gsi und y dangg allne, wo derzue bytrait hän.

Christine