Superb, Spectacular, Sensational - Switzerland

23.6.09 - Lake Lugano, Switzerland (Tuesday)

Now that we have done Venice, so to speak, it is time to plan our trip homeward. We have two weeks left to travel back to Calais - and the two places we would really like to see are Lucerne in Switzerland and Brugge in Belgium.

So on our way to Lucerne, we decide to go to the Lake region at the top of Italy/bottom of Switzerland - and we land at a lake called Lake Lugano in Merlano which is just inside Switzerland. The drive to Melano is beautiful - the scenery is spectacular. As we drive through luscious green mountains we come across another lake called Lake Como with the town of Como sitting nicely around the lake - it is so pictureseque, just beautiful. We travel another 20 or 30 kms up the road to Merlano (in Switzerland) and there is our campsite right on Lake Lugano which is at the bottom of several mountains - just like Como. Bob says "it looks like you have picked a winner this time, darl!" (by the way, I am the officer in charge of campsites). Our campsite is a lovely little campsite, very neat and tidy (as you would expect of the Swiss) and right on a pristine lake. The lake is surrounded by huge, huge alpine mountains which have little towns dotted around the bottom. It is a breathtakingly beautiful sight - and so peaceful.

That night we have a drink at the lakeside and then decide to have dinner in the cafe at the campsite. The cafe happens to be run by a French man who knows little if any English and the menu is in German! So given our newly acquired ability to interpret just about any language presented to us, we successfully order what we think we are ordering. The lovely Fench owner/chef gave us a description in French which was very nice of him but of absolutely no use. Bob had the bratwurst sausage (ie lots of "w's" and a "z" or two plus "brat" in the menu description) and I had crumbed veal with cheese (ie the menu description for mine was "cordon bleu weiner schnitzel"). Success all round!

24.6.09 - Mount Generoso, Melano (Wednesday)

Today we decide to have a rest in the morning and take in the beautiful scenery around the lake. In the afternoon we will take the cog railway train to the top of a nearby mountain, Mount Generoso. It is a beautiful day and we think it would be nice to have a late lunch on top of the mountain - there is a nice restaurant at the top. The campsite lady tells us the cog rail train goes every hour and it will take about 10 minutes or so to walk to the station. OK, we decide we will catch the 2.15pm train and be up the mountain by 3pm for lunch. We head off to the train station and walk and walk and walk. After about ½ an hour and no train station in sight and the deadline of 2.15pm fastly approaching, I race into a service station and ask a fellow traveller if he knows where the train station is - "ya, ya" he says "10 minutes up the road". I look at him in horror because I know we wont make it for the 2.15pm train. He notices my distress and quickly recalculates his estimate to "7 minutes - only 7!" By this stage it is 2.15pm and Bob and I decide there is no way we will make it - although hot and annoyed, we soldier on and decide to catch the later 3.15pm train. We are both starving by this stage so at the train station, we find a lovely bench and eat the bircher muesli and slice of pizza that we buy from the local convenience store - oh well, so much for the nice lunch at the top of the mountain. I say to Bob, "you take me to the nicest places for lunch!"

We finally catch the 3.15pm train and arrive at the top by 4pm. The scenery on the way up is spectacular - but the scenery from the top is just sensational! At the top we choose the "easy" walking path to the lookout. The "easy" walk is a 20 minute "climb" along a very steep rocky path with prancing goats and sheep along the way. I feel very proud of myself that I have just about overcome my fear of heights, but almost at the top I start to feel a little nervous - the last 20 metres or so to the top is along a very narrow, rocky path on the outer section of the mountain - no guide rails!. I decide not to risk a topple off the mountain and say to Bob he must go on without me - the view from where I am is pretty damn good anyway. Bob might have a fear of one or two things, but heights is not one of them. Off he goes to the very top where he says the view is brilliant - although just as good as where I am.

The cog railway train (with woman train driver!) ride to the top of the mountain is a wonderful experience!

25.6.09 Lucerne, Switzerland (Thursday)

We are enjoying the scenery and peacefulness of this campsite so much that we cant decide whether to stay or go. Our original plan was to go but it is sooooo nice. But in the end we decide to move on and head off to Lucerne.

Oh, the Switzerland landscape and scenery is just superb - the most spectacular scenery in Europe in my opinion. Almost the entire way we drive through mountain ranges and see huge mountains full of lush pine forests with snow capped mountain peaks beyond. We drive through quite a number of tunnels (best way to get through the mountains, I suppose!) - the longest one is 17kms. It is quite surreal and and little disconcerting driving through the tunnels but they are very well maintained and regulated (ie the number and frequency of trucks to vehicles and the distance of travel between each vehicle etc) so they are really quite safe.

As we drive through the mountains into Lucerne, we see it is on another gorgeous lake and Lucerne is a fairytale village built half way around the lake's perimeter - it is picture perfect, just beautiful (you can tell I am running out of superlatives to describe things!). I pick another winner with the campsite in that it is right on the lake, the opposite side to the town but within walking distance to town. That afternoon/evening Bob and I go down to the lake and sit in the park overlooking the water - "ahh, you cant get much better than this, darl!"

26.6.09 - Lucerne - Friday

Today is my sister, Robyn's 50th birthday - so first off I ring her to wish her a happy birthday. I am sorry I am not able to help her celebrate - as she did for mine. But her and her girlfriends (including my Mum and one of Mum's mates) are off to a theatre restaurant of some sort so I am sure they will all have a good time.

The weather starts to close in on us and the rain starts - but we think even though it is raining we will brave it and go into town. So we don our rain jackets and head off - but we only get to the gate of the campsite and say this is mad - lets go back. On the way back we stop at the campsite cafe and enjoy a speciality of the house - home made rissole with herb and butter sauce accompanied by pasta and broccili - very good!

By the time we finish our meal, the weather starts to clear so we head off to town again. We catch the local bus - they run every 10 minutes into town and are very precise and very efficient. The electronic timetable at each bus stop tells you exactly when - right down to the minute - the next 4 buses are going to arrive and where they are headed - the buses must have a GPS system fixed to them - fantastic.

Lucerne is a beautiful little village - a population of only about 60,000 and it really is like a fairytale village - with turretted buildings, ornate cornices, lovely parks and flower beds. The old town centre is car free so it is a nice walk in and around the town.

27.6.09 Lucerne - Saturday

The weather has really closed in on us today and the weather forecast for the next few days is terrible. Again, we cant decide whether to stay or go but in the end we decide to stay and we stick around the campsite for the morning. I go down to the campsite internet room to do some blogging and leave Bob to read and rest for a while. After an hour or so I go back to the van and ask Bob how he is going. He said he has been flat out - between listening to the music and looking out the window watching the rain etc, he hasnt had a chance to do anything else! Gee he has a good life!!

By the afternoon, the weather starts to clear (Weather Bureau must have got it wrong, again!) so we decide to head into Lucerne. It is a lovely walk into town, along the lake, through well manicured parks and lawns - so picturesque. When we arrive in the town centre, we find there is a festival on - a celebration of Lucerne. Wow, everyone is in town and there are stalls and bands and people everywhere. People are eating, drinking and dancing - it is a fantastic atmosphere! We participate in some local fare - bratwurst or knatwurst or one of those "wursts" with sour dough bread and mustard - yummy!

We walk around the old town centre again, popping in and out of shops and enjoying the convivial atmosphere. We pop into a cuckoo clock shop and one of the young assistants latches onto us and wants to explain to us everything about the workings of cuckoo clocks. He is very lovely and sweet with a bit of a lisp (if you know what I mean). He is concentrating on Bob and explained to Bob that all of the clocks along this particular side had "baaddreees". Bob said he didnt think they all had "birdies" because some had other creatures. The lovely assistant was insistent that they all had "baaddreees". I watched this conversation with amusement for a little while - and then said to Bob, he is saying "batteries", dear Bobby!

That night we heard there would be a fireworks display on the lake - but not until 10.30pm! I say to Bob that I dont think I can make it to 10.30pm - I am so tired and justify my petulance with "who in their right mind would put fireworks on at such a late hour - it is too late for the little kiddies". Bob reminds me that it doesnt get dark until 10pm and they cant have a fireworks dislay in the daylight! Anyway, Bob insists that I stay up and we wander down to the lake with our camping chairs at about 10pm and get a good spot - by 10.30pm the perimeter of the lake is chocker block full of people. Well, the fireworks display is well worth staying up for - just amazing and such a beautiful setting on the lake with the village as a backdrop. We saw a few fireworks that we had not seen before - in particular, ones that hung in the air for quite some time, like they were on parachutes and another lot that appeared to have static lights with other lights swirling around them - very impressive.