Lucerne, Switzerland

---

We got a good night sleep last night (except for the alarm clock that went off at 4:50 AM that was set on the IPAD lol). We grabbed a croissant at the COOP (small market and much cheaper than bakeries) and headed to the train station. The train ride from Interlaken to Lucerne is suppose to be one of the prettiest train rides in Europe - it did not disappoint. We sat in the “Golden Pass Panoramic Car” - a must if you do this train ride! We both thought this was probably one of the most beautiful areas we have ever been to. The greens are amazing with the blue/green water. Random cows (with their bells on ) and sheep roaming about and huge waterfalls in the distance. Absolutely stunning!! There is no way the pictures I took could do it justice. If you ever get the chance to come to this region, this train ride is a must. We arrived in Lucerne around noon and headed to our hotel. We are staying at the Hotel Del Alps which is right on the water and is right in front of the most photographed water tower in all of Switzerland. When we arrived we were told that the room we paid for would be $70 more because we have two people, not one, even though we booked a double (max of 2). So we decided Chris would sleep in front of the hotel room door to save the $70 . We tried complaining, but no luck. We booked through Orbitz, so hopefully they will refund some $ if we call when we get back. Our room wasn’t ready so we checked our bags in and headed out to look around the city. It seems to be a little cheaper here than Interlaken, but still pricey. Not sure how people can afford to live here. The exchange rate is about the same for us here. We headed towards the Musegg Wall (built in 1386 and is almost entirely intact) and the three towers: Schirmer, Zyt and Mannli. We then headed over to the Lion Monument - “The dying Lion of Lucerne”, which, according to the guide, is one of the world’s most famous monuments. It was made out of natural rock in the memory of the “heroic death of the Swiss mercenaries at the Tuileries in 1792”. Mark Twain described the Lion of Lucerne as “the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world”. It was in a small park and was very cool to see. The monument is huge and the detail is amazing. We walked around that area for a little bit, headed back down towards the water for a stroll and are now back in our room relaxing. We have awesome waterviews from our room. I did forget to mention that our hotel last night (in Interlaken) had probably one the best views we’ve ever had in a hotel room. Incredible views of the mountains covered in snow and of the town (I will post soon!). We are going to head down to the pub downstairs for dinner (the nachos and fish and chips were so good!) to watch football - Chris was so excited he could watch the first game of the season here!! Lol.
xoxo,
Kelly and Chris

---