Free Basel

I FLEW to Basel two days before the tournament began so as to have a free day to explore the city and get my bearings.

The venue, the Landgasthof Riehen, is some four miles out of town, so today I practised catching the number 6 tram, which stops right outside the hotel.

It was just as well I did in that I caught the right tram, in as much as it was a number 6, but it was coming from Riehen instead of going to it.

Never mind - hotel guests in Basel get free public transport, so it cost me nothing to get off after a few stops, cross the street and catch a number 6 heading in the right direction.

The venue, outside of which the number 6 stops

An intriguing-looking church opposite the Landgasthof Riehen - unfortunately it was locked

I had a late breakfast of an espresso and a slice of apple pie at a small cafe in Riehen, which cost me 9.80 Swiss francs (before a tip) - that is about £8.

I walked back into town, which is easy to do as you can follow the tram tracks until you find an interesting point to turn off.

The route is very flat and mostly urban, but there were some sights worth recording.