Lucerne... Was a while ago
Trip Start
Aug 11, 2007
1
9
51
Trip End
Dec 22, 2007
Lucerne,
Switzerland
Saturday, August 18, 2007
We took a tour here which led us up to the alps. It began as all great voyages do, just as columbus and Magalene set out for new lands we walked down to the dock, in a parade of people, women clutching their children to them and looking in awe... at the 4 american tourists :) We got a on find sailing ships amongst the other travelers bound for a new land and struck out under the blazing sun... remembering the sunscreen for the pastey ones. After a trying, but gorgeous boat ride we reached the base of our mountain Pilatus.
It was more beautiful than trying :) We stopped at a number of small, quaint towns to take on other joyous passengers and leave a few off at other mountains and the Swiss transportation museum
Switzerland
. The sun was hot, the company was good, the WC (Toilet) was free. Combine that with the nice view from the lake to the shore and good times were had by all (Except for the smoker next to mee who was bothered by bees because he kept eating fruit but I liked the bees that chased him away)Upon our arrival at Pilatus the real journey began... Amid the pushing an shoving tourists we raced to catch the steepest Cogwheel train known to woman (or man). This thing took us for 45minutes up the side of the Alp Pilatus at approximately a 45 degree angle. The gears ground, people prayed, the sites were awesome and then we hit.... clouds.
Thus we could not see the 73 alps and were stuck with only clouds and looking at the ground under our feet. So we ate our picnic in the clouds and sat making the most of our limited view.
Then we took the commuter gonola which held around 30 people but would have been comfy with 10 the tired weary and weak were crammed together for a 5minute nauseating descent through the clouds to... LAND! It was beneath us and I have never been more glad to see it.
At this point we took a gondola break and after waiting in line for 1.75 hrs we raised a mile down the hill on Luiges. Basically it was a huge slide. The wind in my hair, 6 foot 4 travel buddy at my back and nothing but the end of the track to stand in my way! It was GREAT! and worth the wait in my opinion.
Next we hiked for around 45 minutes down a easy trail..
Cogswheel Train
. Or so the swiss thought. I can now say I hiked through the alps! Or more appropriately that I tried to keep from sliding on my rear down the alps but lets not get technical.Our adventure neared its end with a private gondola ride down the remainder of the mountain. We did it! We reached the other side, through sunshine, clouds and the great unknown. All that remainded was an uneventful bus ride back to Lucerne and the ever troublesome scavenging for cheap yet satisfying grub.
That was lucerne... with some color :)
