Jan 2, 2013 - Lucerne

Snow fell overnight and was falling on our rail trip to Lucerne. This is a spectacular rail trip, climbing high to snow covered villages, to snow covered trees and impressive blue lakes and background mountains. Our memories of Lucerne were of the bridge and scouring every watch shop for a watch for Lyn. Today we found two wooden bridges, most impressive, and did not contemplate looking at watches, even though Lyn no longer has a watch. The most famous bridge, built in 1333, was partly destroyed by fire in 1993, but has now been restored to...

Oct 22, 2012 - Lucerne. Switzerland

This morning we leave Stresa and spend our the last of our time in Italy as we cross the boarder to Switzerland in a tunnel under the mountains. Today is a 3 train day spending about a hour on each, second train stops in Bern and change trains with time for a quick lunch stop back on another train to our next stop in Lucerne. Get checked into our hotel then off for a walk about the city a very nice afternoon with lots of sun, nice and warm. We check out the lion of Lucerne a sad monument craved in the stone wall dedicated to the 700 Swiss...

Sep 19, 2012 - Europe Day 3 & 4: Germany to Lucerne, Switzerland

Link to photos (London to Lucerne), copy and paste: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/media/set/?set=a.10152104219500707.901093.746395706&type=3 Tuesday 18th September Day 3 Rhineland (Germany) – Heidelberg – Lucerne (Switzerland). 530km An early start, wake up call is at 5.30am, we pack, have breakfast and are on the bus by 7am. Breakfast was a choice of muesli and cereals, breads, meat and cheeses, and we get some rolls and cheese for lunch too. It was not quite light when we left. We leave the hotel thinking we have seen very...

Aug 9, 2012 - Luzerne 1/2 - Fam Jam

And so ends the 'backpacking' of my trip and begins the 'vacation'. I need a rest. I trained through Strasbourg, Basel and to Luzerne..my last trains. As I got to the station I was mega surprised to find mom and dad waiting for me on the platform not at the hotel. In typical mom fashion she was clicking pictures and embarrassing me in the most loving way; it was great. We spent the night catching up and had a phenomenal dinner in a square where we got a Swiss musical performance with the stereotype long horns. The next day we casually...

May 10, 2012 - From Lucerne into Italy

May 10 – Into Italy Lots of toll booths on the Italian autobahn (speed limits generally range from 90-130 km, or 56 – 82 mph). We averaged about 62 mph most of the time and it was fine with the rest of the traffic. The autobahn is very much like U.S. Interstates or thruways. Today we drove through 68 tunnels! They don't drive over the mountains, they drive through them. One tunnel was 10 miles long. No more Swiss chalet architecture; now more straight stucco walls with orange tile roofs. Very busy traffic around Milan. Noticing lots of...

May 9, 2012 - Lucerne, Switzerland

May 9 - Lucerne, Switzerland We had a tour of this charming city with local guide, Jeanette. Lovely architecture and a magnificent huge church were the main attractions. After the tour Ivan and I ate lunch at the attractive bakery/tea room Jeanette had pointed out. We shared a slice of Quiche Lorraine and a slice of pizza with 2 side salads and a bottle of water – tasty and all for just 32 Swiss Franks! (Food is not cheap in Europe and especially not in Switzerland.) We then found the street and steep steps leading up to the short section...

Mar 16, 2012 - Luzern

After hiking and sliding my way across the mountains of Central Switzerland I headed to Lucerne for a three-day visit with my good friends Daniel (Dani) and Madeleine who I had the pleasure of meeting on my overlanding trip in Africa. Lucerne is a beautiful city of about 76,000 people located alongside a lake at the foot of the mountains. Dani and Madeleine showed me the town--we took a walking tour of the city, a boat tour of the lake and we visited an interesting museum on the history of the glaciers that once covered the area and carved...

Dec 20, 2011 - Lucerne

DIT SNEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUU. Pragtig. Als is wit. En die vlokkies kom af. Ons mussies en baadjies is spierwit as ons iewers loop. Dit is regtig pragtig. Bietjie warmer as wat dit in Duitsland was...as jy dit warm kan noem. Probeer om by Mount Pilatus op te gaan vanoggend, maar wind bo was te erg. (Deja Vu: het tafel berg dit nie ook met ons gedoen?). So uur rondgehang en weer probeer, maar geen luck. Toe terug hotel toe om bietjie te ontdooi....toe vir Swiss fondue lunch gegaan. Baie baie lekker. Nou het ons vry middag en aand in die...

Dec 19, 2011 - Rhine Valley to Lucerne

Up early again for a nutritious meal of German bread. WE ARE GOING TO SWITZERLAND. Not too far to go. Stopped in Lucern at around 3pm. First stop was Harrys famous knives and watches. Tasted some chocolate too. Then to our hotel. The hotel use to be a jail. And it is still themed. The doors on the rooms work with a code and still has the bars in front of the window. Tiny. Also a small bathroom partition. Really qute. Got spaghetti for dinner. Not very swiss. Pieter went pub crawling with the group...Nadia claimed tiredness. Prices here...

Sep 3, 2011 - Lucerne, Switzerland

September 3: Arrived Lucerne and staying just outside the city in a place called Merlischachen. Our hotel is the world famous Schloss Hotel - Swiss Chalet. We spent the day touring the beautiful city of Lucerne with Ralph and Brigitte. While in Lucerne, I purchased a genuine Swiss Army knife, one I have always wanted. The small knife that I usually carry had to be thrown in the trash at the Calgary airport on a recent trip to the USA because I had inadvertently put in my pocket out of habit and went to the airport. Realizing that I had the...

Jul 27, 2011 - lucerne, switzerland

Hello friends, family, and students from lucerne, switzerland! The drive from paris to lucerne was long, but beautiful. Yesterday was a full day in switzerland. We got to go up mount rigi and see a great view of the swiss alps! Then we went down the mountain on a cable car. Next we went to see a traditional folk show and had lunch. Because the swiss are famous for the swiss cheese, we started the lunch with cheese fondue, and had veal and potatoes. I volunteered to try and blow the huge horns they used to communicate with. Then we saw the...

Jul 7, 2011 - Luzern (Lucerne)

July 7, 2011 I was awakened at 2:46 a.m. with a call on my Cell phone from our granddaughter, Lily. It seems their speed dial has an entry for “Dad’s Cell” which is my number and one for son, “Kris’s Cell” and guess which one she selected. By the time I figured it out, she had called twice more. When I followed up with Kris, they had it figured out as well…always nice to have contact from family! The weather was supposed to be unstable for our day trip to Luzern (Lucerne) but it was sunny as we struck out on our route via the Emmental...