Luzern

We debated a couple of options of where to spend our last day in Switzerland.  We considered Sion, Luzern, and Zurich.  Due to the lengthy train ride we ruled out Zurich.  Ultimately Luzern won out because of recommendations from friends who had been and raved about the famous Lion monument.  We arrived and were delighted that the sun was peeking out of the clouds.  We began our walk along Lake Luzern.  We admired the covered chapel bridge and the water tower which were both destroyed in a major fire but were quickly and masterfully rebuilt.  The city had a very charming old town which was full of delightful surprises like murals on the sides of building and intricate fountains.

 

After strolling through the old town we stopped for a quick lunch and then made our way to the Lion monument.  It did not disappoint.  A friend had said they were moved to tears when they first aw the statue.  I can completely understand why now.  The combination of the magnitude of the size of the carving and the mournfulness on the face of the lion is very moving.   The monument commemorates a group of soldiers who were ordered to protect the king in a hopeless battle and most of which lost their lives.  The statue is meant to pay tribute to the loyalty and commitment of those soldiers but also to the sadness of the loss of their lives in such a hopeless effort.  We spent a while just sitting on a bench admiring it and reflecting on how it made us feel. 

We finished out our visit to Luzern but walking to the top of the city and weaving our way back down on the city wall which surrounds half of the city.  The views were spectacular.  You can see several mountains and the picturesque town by the lake.  Also to my delight as we walked down we passed a small pasture with several wooly cows.  This excited me more than I should probably admit.  I think these cows are such cool animals; they look like a mix between a traditional cow and a yak.  I had been telling Kyle about them during our trip and I don’t think he really believed they existed until he saw them for himself.  After a small wooly cow photo shoot we made our way back to the train station so we could spend our last night with Anthony and Kim.  Luzern had a little bit of all of our favorite parts of the other cities we had visited.  There was water, mountains, history, charming cobblestone streets, and Swiss wildlife (swans, chicken ducks, and wooly cows)! 

That night we went to a lovely Italian pizzeria and gorged ourselves on salad, pizza, and gelato.  It was a perfect end to the trip.  It also confirmed our sentiment that we really want to try and go back to explore more of the country!