Blogs from Lucerne, North-West, Switzerland, Europe - page 23

We eventually got to Engelberg at 8pm and had a late dinner and post dinner drinks. The hotel room was massive and will no doubt be the the best hotel we stay in. Bit of a sleep in before deciding it was far too perfect a day to pass up the opportunity to ski the swiss alps. The sun was shining, so I hit the slopes with nothing but jeans, t-shirt and a snow jacket. After a prolonged start, the first run was at 11:30am, it was well worth the wait. Having not skiied for over a year, it was tough going at the start but by 2ish I was full of confidence and loving it. It was a Tuesday and toward the end of the ski season so there was no queing for lifts and ... read more

Woke up around 6:50, got ready, and headed for the subway. Took the subway to the train station and, after a few connections and about seven hours, I was in Lucerne (Luzern). Lucerne looks very Swiss. I really like the architecture. It has a river running through it with very clear water and big swans that swim towards people in hope of getting some food. The hostel was big, and the staff was very nice. About six people stayed in the room I was in. There was one overweight, older guy that breathed heavily and snored loudly... sleeping in the bunk below me, no less. His snoring woke me up a few time through the night. http://www.hihostels.com/performOpenHostel.do?shop=55004 I went downtown and walke around, crossed the river, and ate a McDonald's (which was the most chic McDonald's ... read more

just wanted to thank you for all your birthday wishes!!! im having a very relaxing day...unfortunately there are no pubs here but i went to a german pub the other day and the beer there comes out in 1 litre glasses!!!! have to go but thanks for the messages xoxox... read more

Usually for me, Christmas is a long, warm day at the start of summer, with family around, lots of time spent at the beach and enjoying the beginning of the festive summer holiday season. This year îs a little different... In Switzerland, the days are short; it's dark by 5pm, there is snow on the ground and a bite in the air. Armed with my new selection of Moroccan winter clothes and stepping of an Easyjet flight from the warmths of southern Spain into a dull grey, cold and foggy Basel day, I found myself immediately questioning my sanity or lack there-of... But, it was not long before I found myself in the warm clutches of some of my great friends here and I suddenly remembered all the reasons I had come back for Christmas. With ... read more

Rather than returning to Zurich from Interlaken via Bern, we went via Lucerne and spent a very enjoyable afternoon there. We started out from the train station and walked across the famous "Chapel Bridge" - a covered footbridge originally built in the 14th century as part of the city's fortifications. We headed to the Lowendenkmal next, a huge sandstone carving of a lion created in tribute to Swiss guards who died in Paris during the French Revolution. From there we wandered through the old town area and did a little shopping. We had a delightful lunch along the lakefront where we were able to watch the swans. There are swans living in basically all the Swiss lake cities we've visited, but Lucerne had the most. We counted a group of over 60 swans! We wish we'd ... read more