"Hello, Switzerland!"

The excitement was palpable. We were about to see a whole new world famous for its legendary mountain ranges, floral covered hilltops, and shimmering lakesides. Starting our journey at the Philadelphia airport we made our way across the Atlantic. After minimal success falling asleep, we set down in Zurich and quickly found our way to the train station to make our way to our tour meeting point of Lucerne. We decided to arrive in Lucerne a day ahead of our scheduled tour start date to sneak in some extra sights and catch-up on some much-needed sleep.

If ever there was a time when our lives needed an epic soundtrack it would be the moment we emerged from the train station to the bright and sunny hustle and bustle of Lucerne’s old town. Before us was the beautiful Reuss river dotted with picturesque hotels, restaurants, churches, and houses along with the historic Chapel Bridge. All of the red rooftops and bell towers really brought it home - we were finally back in Europe! After a forced break from travel with pandemic related shutdowns, we were eager to explore and see the world again. Lucerne was a breathtaking re-introduction to travel. 

We dropped off our luggage at the hotel, and off we went! While managing to stay awake, we explored the streets and kept close to the water's edge since we just couldn’t take our eyes off of the pristine waves dancing back and forth. Much to our surprise, the weather was unexpectedly warm as the afternoon went on, so we spent most of our time outside, strolling along the walking path that coursed the lake's edge. We passed architectural marvels and small parks with the locals grouping together for an afternoon hangout in the shade. The grandeur of the Alps stood off in the distance. This was certainly not like any other city we had been to before. We came back to the hotel once our room was ready and made our way to a waterfront restaurant for dinner. What an introduction Lucerne had made. Hello, Europe. Hello, Switzerland!