From Lucerne to Wallensee then abrupt change of plan, to Churwalden.

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Moving on to another lake, Wallensee. Or we had intended to anyway.

Not a long drive just following Lake Lucerne along the first part of the Northern bank and then heading back up towards Zug then to the bottom of Lake Zurich. From there we used the motorway and it was quite busy, especially being a Sunday, but a pleasant drive. Some of the scenery is spectacular driving along a lake or valley with mountains rising sheer on either side.

In Switzerland we have a motorway sticker in the windscreen. Pretty expensive and we had to buy two, one for the motorhome and one for Smart Car but it means there are no toll booths. At least I don’t need to risk doing myself a nasty hanging out of the motorhome window trying to keep reaching the toll machine as I do in France. The motorhome passenger window only opens for half of it and the window blind sticks up a little at the bottom so sometimes I really do risk life and limb hanging out of it.

We were heading for Lake Wallensee and a campsite at Wessen at the top of the lake. Were not happy about going there as the reviews were generally not good and we far preferred the Campsite at Murg, half way down which we had been lead to believe was full but we were doubting that. I tried to phone there but no answer to several attempts but decided to try there first anyway. That was the plan but plans are sometimes changed.
Murg is a little village between the lake and the main road. It also has a railway line running through it, also between the lake and the road.

We went down into the village and carefully checked our height was fine for the 3.5m bridge which was labelled as such. We are 2.9m so no problem. The problem was that we couldn’t find the campsite though our map showed where it was as to get there we seemed to need to go through a very narrow railway bridge. We went to the end of the village and turned round to try again. I think at this point we missed the road to the campsite but if we did it was because it was not signposted in any way and looked to be too small a road for campsite access.

So back along and Bob decided to go through the bridge tunnel as it was wide enough. Wide maybe but height was a different matter. Motorhomes have things on top, solar panels, roof lights and TV aerial. Half way through the bridge there was a truly shocking sound from the roof at the back. Surely our roof had just been totally crushed.

Didn’t know whether to cry or scream especially when it was obvious the motorhome having gone halfway in had no intention of reversing back out again. Stuck ! We let the back tyres down (while I considered how we would be getting home with motorhome minus roof and the abrupt end to our lovely holiday). By this point we had also unhitched the car and I stuck that in the car park behind us.
Tyres deflated the motorhome was 2 inches lower and agreed to leave the bridge. My crossed fingers may well have helped there.

So what about the motorhome crushed roof ! Nothing to see. No damage. Incredibly. Maybe lost the point of the TV aerial which is the highest point but we have removed the TV so don’t need the aerial and goodness knows how it could possibly have made such a dreadful crunching noise.

Motorhome also reversed into the carpark and Bob reinflated the tyres, then rehitched the car and left Murg For Ever. We will not be back however pretty that lake. How they could have a bridge so low without a single warning on either the approach or the bridge itself and no notice of the height limit on the way to a campsite is beyond me.

We stopped for lunch once out of the village and decided to move on to our next campsite at Churwalden. Not due there for another 3 days so phoned ahead and yes they had space. Down to Chur an easy run and then up to Churwalden which according to our digital route map looked to be down the valley. No. Up a windy steep typically Swiss road with lots of hairpin bends added for interest. Especially interesting as the road was quite busy and there were two lots of road works along the way. Poor motorhome and Smart Car were feeling quite stressed by the time we found our campsite.

Campsite Pradafenz is superb. I found a pitch and we booked in once reception opened at 4.30. We are going to stay for the three extra days as well as the 3 already planned as we have booked a train ride to St Moritz on Friday and tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable and we want to do the ride and the tickets are, like everything else in Switzerland, expensive.

The campsite is an all year site so fully equipped for snow and cold. This means that the sanitaires are fantastic. The showers are better than those we have at home. And as for the view. Blooming gorgeous. Up well above 1000 metres with mountains on all sides, a cornflower blue sky and rather astonishingly a cable car which passes over head every few minutes throughout the day. It does stop at night but the noise is no louder than that of the lovely tinkling cowbells which I can hear even as I sit in the motorhome at 10pm typing this.

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