Switzerland: And What You’ve Wondered About Us

We have never been to Switzerland for one main reason: Money.  Since we generally travel for work, Switzerland usually comes off the table because it: 1) Is too expensive for music tours or academic conferences; 2) It is a neutral country so there are no military bases that need us to come do teacher-training or music festivals.  However, I have always wanted to visit, and since our “Vermont Neighbors” have family here and they are often visiting, it made sense we should check out why they like it so much.  They recommended we go to Basel, and since it has great train access, world-class museums, and sits on the beautiful Rhine River, we decided we’d go!

It took us very little time to realize that the people who help us book choir tours and academic conferences were right to say Switzerland is expensive.  It is Super Expensive.  And as we were paying high-end NYC prices for everyday food, our thoughts turned to our budget for this trip, and the questions we know many people who know about our adventure are thinking.  And probably more than passing thoughts given that government spending, waste, and university policies are in the American news every day.

Our Personal Finances: What Some of You Want to Know

So, we thought we’d put it all out there, and unlike the famous Anonymous Swiss Bank Accounts, we will share how this trip is occurring.  The fact is that as state university professors we are Massachusetts government employees, and we are on a one-semester sabbatical.  This means we are getting our base pay and don’t have to teach classes, but we do have to be involved in university work (I have spent a lot of time on trains trying to do Zoom meetings and sending documents back and forth).  In exchange for not teaching, we are required to engage in pre-authorized research, artistic activities, or other forms of work that benefit the university and the greater good. The opportunity to do this is competitive and requires a lot of paperwork and several layers of approval.  And once it is over you must present your research and justify that you accomplished what you said you would.

In our case we identified the need for teacher training at U.S. Bases overseas, and the need for students to have the same musical experiences their peers back in the U.S. have.  Believe it or not, there is not the same sort of budget for preK-12 military schools as there are other military activities. So, the main reason we are here is to help students and teachers, and to build relations with the local communities where America has military bases.  The military is NOT paying for any of this, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is not paying for anything except our minimum allowed pay (which in my case is considerably less than my “regular” pay as chair of Music and Theater Arts).  We do not have a travel allowances, we do not have housing provided, we do not even have a budget for getting to our jobs on the bases.

So how are we traveling the world?  Well, we identified this need and spent the last three years working additional jobs (church music, guest lecturing at other schools, overtime courses, paid music festivals etc.) and saving every extra penny we could find.  As a result, we created a solid account that would allow us to volunteer for the military and not have to live in hostels and eat ramen!  Because we saved for years, we can essentially eat our cake and have it to.  We can come help kids and build relations, do research for our classes, and travel overseas like tourists during our times off.

Simply put, the Commonwealth is only paying the minimum needed for us to serve the military and do research in our subject area.  We are paying to live and travel to all the places where we that help is needed.  And on our time off to travel!

Back to Our Visit to Basel, Switzerland

So, what about our time in Basel?  Well Mr. and Mrs. Shaw (the Vermont Neighbors) did a wonderful thing by suggesting Basel.  We absolutely LOVE it here and have joked that we are only leaving because we can’t afford to stay (actually, we are due back on base in Stuttgart).  The city is a perfect European City, beautiful squares, historic buildings, and given its location, a very international feel with multiple languages and food cultures represented.  This meant we could have Swiss Fondue, German Schnitzel, and French Pastries all in the same downtown square!  And yes, we did eat them all.

Basel is also the cultural center of Switzerland with nearly endless museums, sculpture parks, concert venues, and outdoor concerts.  We made the most of our time in town by hitting lots of museums, doing an historical walking tour, trying lots of foods, and just enjoying the vibe of the city center.

As you can imagine, we have visited a lot of churches, cathedrals, mosques, and city government buildings. And this was no different! We went to both the town hall (which was a religious building pre-Reformation) and the Basel Cathedral. And for those of you who like Christian theology or history, this is where Erasmus is buried!

In the Kunstmuseum, Basel we saw one of Sarah’s favorite van Gogh paintings, several of my favorites by a number of artists, and even some cat paintings that caught Tommy’s eye!

Oh and did I mention the city is home to one of the largest Picasso collections in the world? And (insert gasp) they update their art collection with tax money that the city specifically votes to approve.

But where did we have the most just plain fun? The Toy Museum. We spent a lot of time there looking at the scenes created with bears and toys, as well as super intricate doll houses and miniatures. I really want to make miniatures when I get home. Or maybe after I retire…

When we were preparing for our trip to Switzerland, we read about one food that is a must in Basel: Basel Lackerli.  I am not a big sweets eater, but this was so good because it is dessert-like but not overly sweet.  It is a sort of biscuit/wafer made with honey, ground hazelnuts and almonds, candied orange and lemon peels, and kirsch (distilled cherry liquor).  Sarah loved it so much she bought three bags so we can have it as her “birthday cake” …and bring some home if we don’t eat it all first.

Well, that is our time in Basel.  Next post will be about our time back in Stuttgart which after nearly four months feels like our “home base.”