Monday from Venice to Lucerne

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Monday, Sept. 1, 2008 - from Venice to Lucerne

Another early day up - well, they're all early days up - going to need a vacation to recover from this trip/tour! This is mostly a travel day, first break at an Autogrill, about a half hour, and it was over two hours into the drive. Heading back into the Alps, past Lake Como near/at Italy/Switzerland border. Lunch stop at Lugano. Most of us opted for the easy Burger King - only Mayo-like dressing on the burgers and fish sandwiches; fries same as home, plenty of ice in the soft drink (about 11.80 CHF - Swiss Francs - with fries (meal).

Very pretty lake setting with a really nice park near bus stop. Lots of flowers, some sculpture - a statue labeled “Socrate Morente” -- he looked asleep; I'm assuming it was Socrates in death - not very cheerful for such a pretty setting. Very old, elaborate weather station. And a very interesting bathroom - modern, efficient, unisex. Lots of swans also.

The shops were closed from 12:30 to 2:00, so no temptation to shop. Weather a little overcast. We drove up over St. Gotthard Pass, not through the tunnel - gorgeous mountains, green, waterfalls, cows, houses on the sides of hills, etc.

Had a rest stop at top and could hear the belled cows and look down on the windy road we came up. Thistle, fireweed, and alpine plants. Not much snow, a few pockets here and there. In clouds part of the way, but actually a lower elevation than Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park trailridge road (if guide gave us the correct info).

We got to Lucerne in time for a quick walk “city tour” to see a church (very pretty, mass was going, tho), the chapel bridge, and the famous sad, dying lion monument (which is bigger than it looks in pictures). It was raining hard for a time, so we stayed in the church for a while, waiting for it to pass. I felt pretty good most of the day, until about a half hour into the walk (guess my aspirin and liniment had worn off by then).

The tour had an optional dinner with folk music, alphorns, etc. which I skipped. Walked along the Lake, very pretty, another nice park with flowers and statues, then went back to hotel for dinner; just in shirt sleeves, rain had quit. Had a lovely, quiet, very good dinner and a couple from Calif. joined me, so it was very pleasant. Spent about 55.00 CHF with tip on salmon, rice and vegs (all good), two beers, and mousse dessert - beautiful crystal chandelier in dining room. They weren't expecting many people for dinner, so they set tables as people wandered in. Big treat at this meal - they brought a carafe of ice water to the table, with the bread and butter (and also had bread plates for the first time).

This hotel looks very pretty from the front, old with balconies and a pretty garden. Room very modern, efficient, and very nice. No view for me, just over the roof. I have a split bathroom - toilet and tiny sink in one part, and bathtub with shower and larger sink in the other side, across the small entry hall. Flat screen TV, with clock; two chairs, joined twin beds between two small closets, with inset tables for phone by bed. Very different.

We are having many discussions about bathrooms and the incredible number of different ways to design toilet facilities (top of the mountain ones were pretty interesting - the toilets flushed with a foot pedal, and that's how the sink water turned on, also with a foot pedal). The boys had a floor urinal.
No one has yet dared to ask to use the one on the bus and there have been a couple of times when it was getting uncomfortable. We do stop almost every two hours (sometimes a bit over).

This room, and the one in Venice, required putting the key card into a slot by the door to turn on the lights and air conditioner. In Venice they stayed on as long as I was in the room, but here, the ones in the bathrooms go on and off as I walk around (like “is she coming in here, or is she not, or . . . .) -- it's kind of spooky. There doesn't seem to be a separate light switch for them, so not sure how that will work when i get up in the middle of the night - I'll be blinded with them going on, I suspect.

Well, it's about 11 p.m. so I'd better crash; we do get to sleep in til 7:00 a.m. tomorrow!

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