The dusky smell of roasting chestnuts. The muffled rowdiness of pop music. The haunting cries of "Are you ready to go faster?" on the loudspeaker. These are all elements that added to the atmosphere of Basel's Autumn Fair yesterday. Spread across several squares in the city on the bend of the Rhine, some of its most terrifying rides - think swings 50 feet above the ground - offer the most expansive views of the medieval rooftops and hazy hills of the Black Forest in the distance. For me though, rather than enjoying the view, these rides would have meant squeezing my eyes shut and thinking nice thoughts while waiting for the ride to end.
So we started with the Crazy Mouse - from the ground it looked like a gentle, children's rollercoaster (or for adults with a faint heart). In reality, it was awful! I have never felt so sick, so dizzy or so battered and bruised in my life. As the carriage whipped around corners, my arm banged against the metal safety bar to my right. As it spun like a storm in a tea cup, I felt my head was about to be ripped from my neck. In hindsight, I should have tried the huge pendulum ride that Tim dared to attempt - 'rhythmic and could send a baby to sleep' was his thought on this ride that made my stomach churn just watching it swing menacingly back and forth, propelling its passengers towards the ground and then sweeping it back up. Subsequently - and once our stomachs had settled - we enjoyed crepes with Nutella and watched the light ride over the river. That was enough exhilarating action for November's afternoon ...
