Lucerne

This trip is also available as a narrated video on youtube.

We're staying in the Ameron Hotel Floral which is an ideal location near the train station. We've already been to the station twice for takeout food.

Today we did a walking tour of the old city of Lucerne. Our first stop was a block away, the Chapel Bridge which has crossed the Reuss river since 1360. It has numerous painted panels sponsored by city patrons. Unfortunately many were destroyed in a 1993 fire. The town has been an important trading town because of its location at the base of Lake Lucerne and as a source for mercenary soldiers to other countries. Nearby is the Jesuit church, built in only 11years, beginning in 1666, it was host to the first university in Lucerne. We wandered through the old town area seeing many buildings with frescoes. At the end of our tour, Manuela, our program director, had some local sweets for us. 

Chapel Bridge

Our local guide spent more time on her life history than city history. Some of that helped us understand what typical family life is here. Minimum wage is $4300. Average wage is $6500 including 3 weeks of vacation. Taxes, Social Security, and required pension savings deduct about 34% from your wages. Most people (over 70%) rent their apartment. Rent, heat and utilities are about $2300 for a 3 bedroom apartment. A low end medical plan is $300/person a month. It would cost $550/mo for a high end medical plan which includes semiprivate hospital rooms. 

View from the City Wall

In the afternoon, I went up to the medieval towers and wall with a great view over the city. One of the towers has a clock from the 1500's which requires daily winding. On the way back I visited the mill bridge with its many pictures of skeleton creatures and humans. This is where the town's mills used to be, but today, the dam provides hydroelectric power.

Boating Lake Lucerne

Later, we boated across Lake Lucerne with the sun shining on the snow covered peaks to the town of Weggis. We took a cable car up 4000 feet to the town of Rigi. Here we had a traditional Swiss dinner including cheese fondue. During dinner we were entertained with an accordion and various other instruments. Mary got to achieve one her dreams: playing an alpine horn. Her daughters would have been proud. We descended the mountain by cog railway, our musicians continuing their playing down the steep mountainside, the other tourists in our car were surprised. Finally we experienced sunset on our bus trip back to Lucerne.

Mary blowing the alpine horn