Day 3
ALL OUR JOURNEYINGS ARE EXHAUSTING AS THEY'RE JAMPACKED -
I was up early with my fellow adventuresses to get the train for our daytrip to Lucerne. The gateway to Switzerland is renowned for its Medieval architecture and is encircled by mountains once inhabited by dragons or so folklore would have us believe; it's also where Queen Victoria mourned her Prince Albert for 6 weeks. We were only acquainted for 6 hours or so, but we'll remember its tranquillity always.
It was a pity that it was grey and bleak as in the summer months Lucerne is especially pretty, but that couldn't stop this heartland city being so delightsome. We revelled in the fairy-tale-like land and ooohed and aahed at the sheer beauty. We had a minor view of Lake Lucerne, Switzerland's 4th largest lake which many remark resembles a fjord, but it was too smoggy to glimpse Mt Pilatus.
Chapel Bridge is an idyllic landmark spanning diagonally across the Reuss River. Not only is it the oldest, surviving wooden bridge in the world but it was built in 1333 to protect the city. Scarily, the water tower was once used as a torture chamber!! It's as though a fairy has safeguarded Lucerne with a magic wand, retaining its gloriousness.
A good chunk of our morning was spent sightseeing its pearl of an Old Town. We especially liked perusing the markets lining the river banks as they do every Tuesday, selling local produce. St Peter's church was being refurbished so we couldn't enter but we saw the Fountain of Fritschi which represents carnival and commemorates its revelry. It is topped with allegorical figures and supposedly Brother Fritzi's grave is underneath the fountain itself.
I'M A WOMAN; I ENJOY GATEAUX -
Bachmann House of Chocolate is one of Switzerland's most prestigious confectionists and also the largest chocolate shop in the country with the most enormous praline showcase. If every naughty treat were free, this store would be my idea of a chocolate heaven! Hot chocolate was embraced and slurped zealously! It was a darn good cuppa even if the foam ratio was a little out of balance, leaving it super chocolatey at the bottom of the glass.
I simply don't understand the fascination with apricot filling!! My schoggi kiss had yucky apricot jam in the centre. I only got it for its aesthetic Instagrammability, but this cake SHOULD BE SET ON FIRE!!!!!! However, Amy chose well with a mousse cake that was fluffy and silky in equal measure. An awesome feature in the shop is the wall of running, molten chocolate which was supremely enticing; I had to resist pulling a Vicar of Dibley whilst my heart went pitter patter!
Hofkirche St Leodegar is considered the most important Renaissance building in all of Switzerland. A monastery was once at this site dating from the mid 8th Century. The contrast in furnishings of the plain wooden pews and the overly ornamented furnishings signifies the former upper class/lower class divide. The organist played dramatic ghost train-ish music on its 4950 pipes but eerily the player was nowhere to be seen. Amy and Mum spent a pretty penny in the Old Swiss Shop for souvenirs whilst I obtained a customary, cuckoo clock magnet thingo.
The Lion Monument known as the dying lion of Lucerne depicts the valiant demise of Swiss soldiers when 600 were slaughtered in 1792 battling for the French King in the French Revolution of 1792. At which time militants charged the Tuileries Palace in Paris! Mark Twain, who I doubt was an easy man to impress, described it as the 'saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.' So says Mr Twain and so says I! Lucas Ahorn carved the mammal in 1820 directly into the rock wall of the bygone sandstone quarry. We picnicked there and realised that we'd been eating an abundance of paprika crisps as they're dead delicious!! A large tourist group clothed in rainbow neon jackets, stayed a mere matter of minutes for their selfie, not really stopping to appreciate and admire the workmanship.
Glacier Gardens has exhibits of glacial pothole remnants from the last Ice Age (some 20 million years ago) and fossils from plant life etc. from that era of time. The museum, housed in an old home, is informative with many an interactive visual or mountainous diorama. The geological site was particularly noisy during our visit with worksmen digging and drilling. Amy is a regular PRANK Sinatra; she scared Mum by yelling a random German word she'd just read from a placard and Mum near enough jumped out of her skin when she entered the room we'd been hiding in.
The Hall of Mirrors maze originated in 1896 in the likeness of the Alahambra with 90 mirrors which offer an illusionary semblance of the Moorish Palace and gardens. None of us were injured as we raced through the swanky, Aurelian labyrinth with 'appropriate' childlike excitement and glee. We also loved inserting our face into the kaleidoscope as it warps your facial features. Mum went as far as to do a Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody impression in a video clip that cannot be watched without chortling. Other visitors stepped back to let the Monty women have our time to 'shine' as we did the can can in a distorting fun house mirror.
Just taking in the sights from the observation tower deck in a town as quaint and charming as Lucerne ensures that everything and anything visible beneath is EXCELLENCE. After failing to find many of the 9 towers of the fortification, we came to the conclusion that we're not really tower people after all. Museggmauer was built around the Old Medieval Town in 1836 and remains almost fully intact. We tried as we might to access one - to no avail.
This romantic storybook, mountain canton has several elegant squares to sojourn. Kornmarkt the old corn market or grain exchange was held here until the 19th Century which also houses the Renaissance Old Town Hall building circa 1602. Hirschenplatz was one of our favourites with its decorative, beautiful landmark buildings and wrought iron signs. Stories were painted on the sides of the buildings to commemorate famous people, thank protector saints and to advertise. Weinmarkt wowed with its splendidly gaudy 16th century design frescoes on the façade of buildings in the heart of Medieval Lucerne. Passion plays were also performed there in the Middle Ages. Jesuitenkirche is one of the oldest and most striking buildings in Switzerland.
Following our train ride back to our base, we returned to the Casa for a rester and to watch the treasure of a show that is I'm a celeb. This series has been GOLD even minus Ant! We also played the card game Sussed that Amy bought me as a birthday pressie. You have to guess the preferences of your opponents from various outlandish, multiple choice scenarios. We were all surprised at how much and how little we know one another, when answering the questions.
We dined at Ambrosi Coffe Bar which is situated under the arches of the Im Viadukt alongside numerous other eclectic and urban shops and restaurants. The kitchen wasn't open right away, so we had to wait 30 minutes at a table before we were able to order food but that didn't matter as we were able to get a drink. Traditional lemonade in mason jars all round refreshed us. 4 slices of tomato, garlic and basil baguette was split between Amy and I but I found it wayyyyyyyy too crunchy for my teethypegs. I NEED MY MOLARS FOR DESSERT! To be truthful, the verd'ullah pasta dish I chose couldn't measure up to authentic Italian cuisine I'd sampled in the likes of Rome and Florence. The tomato cream sauce and veggies was alright but too expensive for what was plated up.
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