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Lucerne, Switzerland
June 2019
Switzerland was the second country on our 2019 European Vacay. The city of Lucerne is in my TOP 3 places to visit! From the pastries, to the scenery, to the people...it is right up there AT THE TOP OF MY LIST !!! We traveled from Paris to Lucerne by train...actually we had to switch trains along the way. It was so enjoyable!!!
MOUNT PILATUS
I have to say that this place offered me my ALL TIME #1 ADVENTURE that I will NEVER FORGET...MT. PILATUS! Now, I must admit that I came to "adventure" a little late in the game....like in my 50+ years of life. Before that time, I chose the safe....the cautious...the....well, drab...the lackluster...kind of rides/adventures in my life. I was NEVER the daredevil...the thrill seeker, if you will....BUT.NOT.ANYMORE. I have raised my kids (who by the way, are those daredevil thrill seekers...from birth) and I'm ready to enjoy the crazy (well some of the crazy) and adventures that life has to offer me. And, I think I FOUND MYSELF on that Mountain in June of 2019!
So to travel up and down Mt. Pilatus....first you have to take a bus to the first stop, where you will get off a bus and hike quite a ways up to the actual ticket office. We had already gotten our tickets, so it was just a matter of showing them at the counter. After that, we took a cable car up so far, and then transferred to a gondola...now this is not to be confused with the type of gondola in the waters of Venice (which I hope to do someday).
After that, we were able to walk around to see the mountains and scenery above. To say it was spectacular is a gross understatement. After we enjoyed all of the view and shopped a little, we boarded the cogwheel that took us down the mountain. OMG....let me just say that in some areas, I was expecting Julie Andrews to appear singing "The Hills Are Alive With Music"!!! It was so surreal!!!
Ok, so here are my pics from Mt. Pilatus.
After that, you will see more of the spectacular Lucerne!!!
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The Lion of Lucerne
The Lion of Lucerne is "just" a statue carved into stone, but it is so much more...and to me, it is a MUST SEE! The Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland, visited annually by about 1.4 million tourists! Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world...and I would have to agree!
We loved our beautiful hotel in Lucerne! Once again, there wasn't AC but the shower was MUCH better than the one in Paris! Everyone was so kind and helpful...and we LOVED the pastries here more than the ones in Paris.
Waldstaetterhof Hotel
My bestie and I both agree that our favorite meal of the whole trip was in Lucerne at Stern Luzern!
I still dream of that Chicken Cordon Bleu! They had the best frites and the appetizers were ahhhhmazing! I came to realize that raclette cheese is divine! Our waiter was so helpful and patient, and made the best suggestions on food and wine. This is a MUST EAT when you are in Lucerne!
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Shopping in Lucerne was FUN!
Need I say more? LOL
