Day 2
An early morning tour, followed by Swiss history and a dinner along the river.
"No building was exactly alike"
We had time for that incredible impression to sink in as we were bussed over to the nearby village of Altdorf to take in the larger than life accomplishments of William Tell, the famed hero of the people and considered the father of the Swiss Confederacy due to his famous (or infamous) rebellious acts against the tyranny of the neighboring Austrian gentry. We couldn’t forget in what reverence he was held since at the center of town was an enormous statue of the fellow. We had lunch there and we each ate a delicious meal of gnocchi with ham bits covered in a heavy white cream. We had found our people. This is what food was meant to be.
The rest of the evening was ours to do as we pleased, so we naturally ventured off to find the best chocolate Lucerne had to offer. We trekked uphill to the walled part of town to climb the Musegg towers and walk the battlements. There were wonderful views from the Musegg ramparts of all of Lucerne making the many stairs we had to climb worth it. Our spirits were flying high, and the unassuming Swiss culture was all around us. This being our last night in Lucerne, we searched for a riverfront restaurant and tried cheese fondue for the first time. It did not disappoint by any means. We took one last pleasant walk through the main thoroughfare as casual dining went on into the evening hours for the locals.
TRAVEL TIP:
Dawn came a little too quickly, and our second day of the tour was on its way! Ready to go explore the origins of this once-humble fishing village turned national icon of must-see repute. What rich personality this place had - Jesuit churches & schools, painted bridges (thanks to local patronage), the famous tower which now housed a little spirits shop, churches abundant, remnants of the old Medieval hamlet it once was contrasted by a small hydroelectric dam that provided power for some of the city, and a bustling market along the riverside. No building was exactly alike - some with murals on the walls, some without, all an artistic expression in and of themselves.
As if being in the presence of legendary origins wasn’t enough, we then boated across the lake to Switzerland’s secret origins of legend at the Rütli Meadow. This simple mountain meadow was the supposed ground for the Rütlischwur, the oath that began the pact that would later become the Swiss confederation and consequently our modern day Switzerland. To add to the drama of it all it began to rain as a misty haze came across the lake. But only for a short enough time to get us all wet during our hike, then it was back to warm sunshine.
Dressing in layers is a great way to fit the weather patterns in any given day.
