Internet connectivity, at last! Sitting in Lucerne (Luzern), at Hotel Cascada... typing these lines out late at night.
The word-pad notes written at the end of each day have finally found a place in blogspot.
From Paris, we travelled south east to reach Interlaken which is the southern most point in Switzerland as far as our trip is concerned. From Interlaken, we move in the North Eastern direction towards Zurich.
Lucerne is kind of mid-way between Interlaken and Zurich.
It took us a 2 hour train journey to reach Lucerne from Interlaken this morning. Started at 11:00 am and at 1:00 pm, we were in Lucerne. It's becoming increasingly repetitive to describe nature's bounty in the Swiss Alps. This journey was no exception. The day was perfect: bright sunshine all around so that the sweaters and jackets could be kept away. The train curled its way around Lake Brienz. The lake is huge with a distinctive bluish-green tinge. The mountains alongside the lake are snow clad and covered with pines. Just the kind of scene that you would draw on paper and label "scenery". Your first drawing lesson.
The train was almost empty. At times, we felt as if it was running just for us until some fellow Indians from a different compartment ran down the aisle with heavy feet in search of the pantry car. A host of quaint stations with multi-syllabic names passed by. Soon we were at Lucerne. Just when we thought that every place in Swiss is going to be another idyllic, sleepy town, we were in for a surprise. Lucerne is a fairly big city. In look and feel, the limited parts that we explored had a Paris like appearance. Traditional buildings and modern life side to side.
The hotel is very close to the railway station. So too are some of the tourist spots in Lucerne.
Of interest are the water tower and bridge, the Hof Church and the Lion monument. The Lucerne Lake of course cannot be missed.
It could all be covered in a single evening walk. The water tower/wooden bridge is one of the most photographed spots in Switzerland. The bridge has 400 year old paintings overhead and depict scenes of war and Lucerne's appearance in those days.
Hof Church was ordinary in appearance though it also has a 400 year old history. However, we are spoilt due to comparisons with the Notre Dame.
The Lion monument features an old, dying lion sculpted brilliantly. It is in memory of the 700 Swiss soldiers who lost their lives trying to protect Louis VI during the French revolution. I'm told Mark Twain remarked: I've never seen a sadder lion. We didn't stretch ourselves out today. The fear is that we may lose steam with more than a week still to go. Hence, we want to take it easy because Italy might be hectic again.
We're in search of a laundromat to get the clothes washed. That's top priority. Buying clothes seems a cheaper option than washing! Seriously! So steep are the prices here.
The word-pad notes written at the end of each day have finally found a place in blogspot.
From Paris, we travelled south east to reach Interlaken which is the southern most point in Switzerland as far as our trip is concerned. From Interlaken, we move in the North Eastern direction towards Zurich.
Lucerne is kind of mid-way between Interlaken and Zurich.
It took us a 2 hour train journey to reach Lucerne from Interlaken this morning. Started at 11:00 am and at 1:00 pm, we were in Lucerne. It's becoming increasingly repetitive to describe nature's bounty in the Swiss Alps. This journey was no exception. The day was perfect: bright sunshine all around so that the sweaters and jackets could be kept away. The train curled its way around Lake Brienz. The lake is huge with a distinctive bluish-green tinge. The mountains alongside the lake are snow clad and covered with pines. Just the kind of scene that you would draw on paper and label "scenery". Your first drawing lesson.
The train was almost empty. At times, we felt as if it was running just for us until some fellow Indians from a different compartment ran down the aisle with heavy feet in search of the pantry car. A host of quaint stations with multi-syllabic names passed by. Soon we were at Lucerne. Just when we thought that every place in Swiss is going to be another idyllic, sleepy town, we were in for a surprise. Lucerne is a fairly big city. In look and feel, the limited parts that we explored had a Paris like appearance. Traditional buildings and modern life side to side.
The hotel is very close to the railway station. So too are some of the tourist spots in Lucerne.
Of interest are the water tower and bridge, the Hof Church and the Lion monument. The Lucerne Lake of course cannot be missed.
It could all be covered in a single evening walk. The water tower/wooden bridge is one of the most photographed spots in Switzerland. The bridge has 400 year old paintings overhead and depict scenes of war and Lucerne's appearance in those days.
Hof Church was ordinary in appearance though it also has a 400 year old history. However, we are spoilt due to comparisons with the Notre Dame.
The Lion monument features an old, dying lion sculpted brilliantly. It is in memory of the 700 Swiss soldiers who lost their lives trying to protect Louis VI during the French revolution. I'm told Mark Twain remarked: I've never seen a sadder lion. We didn't stretch ourselves out today. The fear is that we may lose steam with more than a week still to go. Hence, we want to take it easy because Italy might be hectic again.
We're in search of a laundromat to get the clothes washed. That's top priority. Buying clothes seems a cheaper option than washing! Seriously! So steep are the prices here.
Why laundromat, visit my sis in Zurich. She has a washing machine. That way you don't have to buy a new wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteYes Suja. We do plan to visit your sis at Zurich (with a loadful of clothes :() But my concerns are more immediate. My last pair of fresh socks was snatched by Usha forcibly this morning. It's like being marooned in an island with no food. We can't predict human behavior in these extreme situations. Hence, I need a laundromat and need it now! It's surprising that these places which are so tourist friendly otherwise, should miss out on a basic requirement :(
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