assorted

Not as warm as it used to be, here in Basel.  When it's cloudy and chilly, I have to admit feeling like it's summer (corrupted by the Bay), but when the sun is out, and it's still chilly, I know fall is on its way.  While I was gone, all the plants I'd been growing died (alas), but the one volunteer - hardy little bugger - managed to hold on, and now one of its tomatoes are turning red.  Amazing! 

I'm pretty confident it's going to be inedible; I think that particular tomato has been on the plant for a long time.  Still feels like an accomplishment.  Not my accomplishment, obviously, but one nonetheless.

This little bee seems to have died peacefully on the rug on our balcony.  I'm sure it lived a good life.  Probably even helped with my tomato plant.  Thanks bee.

Inside, meanwhile, we have some double-bass. 
Perhaps it is becoming clear to you how little I'm doing these days.  Recovering from my summer, maybe.  I practice around an hour a day (total... I'm working my arms and fingers back into shape); make food (today I made soup, yum yum), stare at the walls, eat, read, etc.  I did go have dinner the other night with Maria and Sam, Maria made stuffed bell peppers the traditional Translyvanian way, which involves boiling them for 40 minutes in this flour-water-milk-oil-fresh tomato juice mixture in a pot on the stove.  Delicious.  We also watched a lot of folk music from her country on youtube.  Do check out these videos:
Here's a band called Muzsikás performing with the famous Transylvanian singer Marta Sebestyén.  I can't really get enough of this one.  So good.
These people are apparently the most "authentic" musicians still around, seen here, playing a party.  It's this old couple, she's playing a "gardon" (which looks like a rustic cello) by hitting it with the bow, and using snap pizzicato on the strings at the same time.  Wild.