Lucerne, Switzerland - The City of Light

While it was hot and tiring, I am so glad I went on that long train journey yesterday. If I had not, I would not have seen some of the beautiful bluish mountains bordering Germany and Austria, or the majestic mountains that greeted us when we finally arrived in Switzerland. I would have missed seeing the little streams and wide lakes, the large fields of crops at various stages in the cycle of growing and harvesting, and the hay that has been grown along narrow strips of land between villages and the train tracks, and was being baled ready for the harsh winters they have here. I would not have seen the steep roofs and the cosy-looking cottages dotted everywhere, or the community gardens being grown right next to the train tracks, with the owners' dear little sheds beside the garden paths. I would not have wondered why I saw so few cattle out eating the abundant green grass, and how these villagers cope in the long winters amongst the dark tall trees and thick snow, with so little sun.  

Then at almost 7 pm, the train arrived in Lucerne, and soon I saw its magnificent lake. This reminded me so much of Lake Como, so picturesque it is like heaven. 

But today, I must confess I was not as brave as I should be. My travel agent booked me on a tour on which I was to sail across the lake, then go up the steepest cog rail in the world more than 2000 metres up the face of a mountain, looking at the birds nesting in the cliffs, then get out of that and make my own way down and back to my hotel. (Trains and buses run part of the way at least.) This was an individual trek, not a group tour. Folks, I love photography but I am only an amateur photographer after all (never had any lessons), and while the views would no doubt have been truly magnificent, if I could have dared to look down, I simply could not bring myself to do it. As you will have read in my posts about Santorini and Rudesheim, I am terrified of heights. In any case, goodness knows what that fairly rapid ascent would have done to my one functioning ear. So I simply did not use my ticket - and instead went on a lovely cruise around much of the lake, which was accompanied by beautiful classical music and an interesting commentary. It was idyllic. 

It is hard to describe the colour of the lake - such a beautiful blue, but then it changed from place to place.  It was amazing to see how crystal clear it was. No-one ever puts anything into the lake, so the water is pure enough to drink! And the bluish tinge of the tall mountains surrounding it and the grass and trees on the slopes near its shores make a perfect scene. With sunlight shimmering on the small ripples, little wonder that painters like Turner loved to paint here, and musicians such as Wagner enjoyed composing here. Wagner composed his Siegfried Idyll for his Ring Cycle here, initially as a birthday gift to his mistress who had given him his long hoped-for son, whom he called Siegfried. Wagner arranged it so that when she awoke on her birthday, a group of musicians hiding in the house played that for her. What a wonderful gift! 

Tomorrow I have another long train journey ahead, as I travel to Lyon in France. Maybe there I will be able to catch up on some past blogs.  

A view in one direction from my hotel window last night.

And in another direction.

There were so many ducks and other water birds on the lake.

A view from the shore of the lake from near my hotel. 

The building next to my hotel - the Lucerne Casino.

Another view from the shore.

There were countless swans here. Look how clear the water is! 

Looking toward the town as I walked to the pier to catch the boat. 

A view from the boat. 

There were many lovely cottages and little castles dotting the shore. 

The water took on many colours as we sailed close to the shore. 

Imagine living here! 

Walking back to the hotel - many of the piers were decorated with flowers.

There were lots of outdoor cafes along the shore, outside the hotels. This is outside my hotel.