Feb 3, From Berlin to Dresden, then to Switzerland, flight (Easyjet) 21.25, stayed with Jonas in Basel, from couch-surfing, he was a fantastic host. We went lamp shopping one day at antique shops as he was looking for a new lamp for his flat. His flat was beautiful and you could see his eye for design. Jonas is a young architect. He also took me on a boat ride out one day, and walking around the town. The snow provided a wondrous backdrop to wander around a bit.

The reason I had booked inexpensive flights to Basel is that I had researched that there might be the possibility of prolonging my visa to stay in Germany by crossing over the border. But turns out this wasn’t true, and turns out I got a visa extension to stay anyway. It wasn’t really necessary to go, but as flights were booked and trip arranged, I found myself in Switzerland!

Basel is known for Art Basel, an international art fair staged annually in Basel, Switzerland; also now in Florida; and Hong Kong. Swizerland is very prosperous, buying a cuppa out is not recommended!

Feb 6, I went to museum on last day – Vitra Design Museum, at Weil am Rhein in Germany. I got a design and architecture tour and hit and also a really interesting Rudolf Steiner exhibition. Bussed there and back. It looked amazing in the snow. Later that day I flew from Switzerland back to Germany, so crossed into Germany a few times that day!

Feb 6, Flew out at 19.30pm that night, (Easyjet) 20.55pm arrived in Dresden, Germany again, and stayed with friends. The next day an arranged a lift back to Hoefgen, carpooling with a woman called Rosemarie, leaving at 3.30pm from Dresden Central Station, all the way to my front door of the residency flat, as she was a local.