Luzern - where I hang out with swans

It was a cold and dreary day today. It wasn't supposed to be. It was actually supposed to be sunny and cooler not grey and yucky. I woke up early to catch a train to Luzern. I've seen so much of Interlaken and the neighboring towns, mtns and lakes that I figured it was time for a little excursion to a more urban location. Luzern is only about 2 hours away by train. Closer by car! I figured why the heck not?

I got there before noon. It was unexpectedly cold. I left my warm coat back at the hotel because I didn't expect it to be that chilly. So that was downside number one. I did a little research on things I wanted to see the night before. There was this really touristy restaurant that has local folk afternoons and nights. They do it up w/ a swiss floorshow. Ridiculous, but something I wanted to see. I found it right away, but they now only have evening shows. Beh!



So I headed to see the Lion Monument - "The Dying Lion of Luzern" which was dedicated to fallen Swiss soldiers. It is supposed to be something really touching to see. Mark Twain said it is "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in this world". I didn't get to see it. I got lost. I never get lost. It was so strange. So I just doubled back and went to where I started. I already walked so far and did not want to attempt it again. Onto the next thing! I wanted to check out the Musegg Wall which is a wall with several towers that runs the length of part of Luzern up high on the hill. It is supposed to be an amazing view. I trekked up there. It was closed. *pout* You can see where this is going. I didn't exactly have the best day. It was just a bummer. I mean yes, it is beautiful. It is Switzerland. Its Europe! But it was just one of those days where things just weren't right. I didn't appreciate it as much as I wanted to. Maybe when I go back and look at pictures, I will think of it more fondly.

It wasn't all bad though! I mean, I was cold and tired. But there were some sweet moments. For example: the swans. They are everywhere. I mean everywhere. To me, swans are some of the most beautiful creatures in existence. The are the epitome of grace. And they can be mean little bastards! These were sweet though. They were very friendly. I think they're just used to all of the people around. There were 2 that were walking around amongst the tourists, looking for handouts. One saw me eating a sandwich and came over and stared me down until I gave it some of my bread. Then I couldn't resist and it kept demanding more. All of a sudden most of my sandwich is gone. Ha!
It also clung onto my thumb when it snatched the last piece of bread out of my hand. But I didn't mind. It was amazing, really. They are quite large. This one in particular came up to my elbow w/ out stretching its head up completely. A lot of people were kind of afraid of them. I've seen them attack, so I don't blame them. But these were pretty docile. And quite amusing. I sat and watched them for a while and giggled profusely. I know, I'm a dork.

Let's see, what did I see? The first thing I saw was the bridge in the pic above. The Chapel Bridge and the Water Tower. It was built in the 1st half of the 14th century. And it is all wood. There are beautiful paintings painted on each section of the bridge. They are each different and tell stories of local saints, local history and legends. They are very intricate. Across from the bridge is the Jesuit church. It was built in the 1600s. It is stunning inside. They have a large organ which was actually being played when I went inside. It added to the ambiance and gave me a sense of peace. My mother started chemotherapy today and I went to pray for her. The organ was comforting in so many ways. Music has a way of doing that. Its one of the reasons why I became a singer, actually. Ok, going off on tangents again! I guess there are popular organ concerts at the church a few times a month. I wish I could have been there for one of them. I stayed in the vicinity of the bridges. That is where there is the most to see. The Spreuer Bridge which is also wooden and built in the 1400s. The Hof Church which was built during the Renaissance Period. The Franciscan Monastery had this beautiful fountain that had a Franciscan monk holding a cross at the top. It was SO quiet there. It was almost otherworldly.

The cold was starting to get to me. Luckily there is a train back to Interlaken every hour. So I hopped on the train back. There was a beautiful village called Giswil on the way. It is the quintessential Swiss village. I loved it. I got snap happy with the camera on the way back as I didn't get a chance to get a pic on the way to Luzern. Its gorgeous. I was so bummed that it was so overcast. It must be amazing with the sun shining down.

That's about it for my day. Not very eventful. I'm getting a little weary of all of the travel. Not the trip itself. I'm just tired. I need a vaycay from my vaycay! LOL! Tomorrow I go back to Frankfurt and then onto my next destination! Whee!