Ever since I married a Swiss and moved to Switzerland, I have been receiving a steady stream of "tour groups" made up of friends and relatives visiting from Taiwan, which gives me an excellent excuse to take holidays at all times of the year. The little town where I live has barely more than a thousand inhabitants, and everybody knows everybody else. Whenever some oriental faces appear here, everyone says, "Those must be more guests of Angela's."

Before my visitors arrive, they always ask me where I live. To create a bit of suspense, I tell them I live on the outskirts of Switzerland's second largest city. So far, none of these visiting friends and relatives has been able to say straightaway which city that is. And once I reveal the answer, the most typical response is: "Basel? Never heard of it!"

Basel is located in northwestern Switzerland, at the point where the three countries of Switzerland, Germany and France meet. The beautiful River Rhine flows through it, dividing the city center in two. Although Basel is Switzerland's second largest city, it is far less well known than the largest, Zurich, the capital Bern, or other cities such as Geneva or Lausanne. Also, because hardly any package-tour groups from Taiwan come here, even those friends and relatives who have visited Switzerland before have never heard of this city. In fact, Basel is a charming place, as those who have visited it with me will surely affirm. One of the most unique things about the city is its geographical location. Take a tram east, west or north from the city center, and you can be at the national frontier in under 20 minutes. You can stride boldly up to the border, and put your front foot into Germany or France while keeping your back foot in Switzerland, to discover what it feels like to stand in two countries at once. Basel also has city buses that go right into Germany or France. Of course, you could choose instead to take a leisurely boat trip along the canal into France or the Rhine into Germany, and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the banks. For friends from Taiwan, this place, where it's so easy to blunder inadvertently into another country, is a very special place to be.

Basel's city center is compact, with many impressive buildings within easy reach of each other, and the main shopping streets are pedestrianized. Thus the best way to tour downtown Basel is on foot. The city is also a good place to buy souvenirs of Switzerland, because prices here are lower than in other Swiss cities (especially the tourist spots), yet all sorts of souvenirs are available.

Basel lies close to the Jura mountains. These green, rugged little mountains are not as majestic as the Alps, but they are criss-crossed by a dense network of hiking trails, and in spring the blossoming cherry trees make a gorgeous show, so that wherever you walk you feel full of joy. Even when the cherries are not in bloom, the lush green slopes and the little wild flowers blooming everywhere reveal a more delicate beauty.

As the summer holidays approach, I am once again getting ready to happily greet the groups of friends and relatives who come to visit! Thanks to these visitors, the people of our little town have come into contact with many friendly, lively and cheerful people from Taiwan. Gradually, some of the locals have begun asking me to recommend scenic spots in Taiwan too, and to ask me all kinds of details about visiting Taiwan as a tourist. I am pleased to say that those of them who have visited Taiwan have all come back with good impressions, and some are even planning a second trip!

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(top) The hillside behind my home is a riot of wild flowers.

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(bottom) On weekend afternoons, our family of three enjoy the sunshine on our balcony.