More Swiss stuff

Lucerne was my favourite part of our trip to Switzerland. Don't get me wrong, I loved the mountain scenery, but staying in a touristy place like Interlaken was not really my cup of tea. Lucerne is a medieval city, bi-sected by the River Reuss. There are two wooden bridges that cross the river; our hotel was near the second bridge which is called the Spreuerbrucke, or Dance of Death bridge. The interior features paintings of Death joining various scenes. Delightfully macabre.

The other bridge is Kapellbrucke which features the Wasserturm (water tower). It is the most famous of Lucerne's landmarks and is crowded all times of day. The river area is lovely, edged by restaurants and populated by large groups of swans. You can walk right down to the water's edge by way of staircases along the walkways. The buildings often come right to the river's edge, which reminded me of Venice. I learned later that many of the streets in Lucerne's old quarter were originally canals, and that Lucerne was often referred to as the "Venice of the North".

The old quarter is a nice mix of old buildings and interesting shops. The two main churches,the Hofkirche and the Baroque Jesuit Church are quite spectacular, which you would expect from the Catholic part of Switzerland. The most impressive, and emotionally affecting, sight was the Dying Lion of Lucerne. This memorial, for the Swiss mercenary soldiers who died defending Louis XVI, is carved directly into the rock wall. The pictures can't begin to convey the emotional power of this art; its sad beauty can move you to tears. Mark Twain called it "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

We also ate very well in Lucerne. I temporarily abandoned the chocolate shops for the cheese shops. It was a good trade. I bought some Gruyerere and some goat cheese to bring home. I should have bought more.

We stayed in an inexpensive hotel, Tourist Hotel(it's the green building), right along the river. The back of our room faced onto a walkway along the old fortification for the city. The rooms were clean, but the hotel had very poor soundproofing, and the younger tourists tended to keep us awake with noise late in the evening. Other than that, I recommend it highly.

We were sorry to leave Lucerne after only two nights. I hope I can return.