DAY 7
Friday 27th June 2008 5.50am Engelberg
Engelberg is simply beautiful. It is a ski resort village high up in the mountains and nestled in a little valley amongst higher mountains. From where I am sitting on our third floor balcony of the Europe Hotel I can see the green grassy snow-bare ski slopes and lift equipment. There is snow on the higher peaks. The birds are singing sweetly – now Aussie birds squawking here – and I can hear the rush of water as the fast brook flows through the town. Clouds hide then reveal the higher peaks in a slow moving show. The steeple bell of the monastery is about to chime for six o’clock. It is cool in the morning air but I only have on a singlet and bedtime shorts. It will be a nice summer day I think. There is no wind and the red and white Swiss flags hang limp on the buildings nearby. The church bell is chiming now but it has gone way past six chimes and is continually sounding. Perhaps it is signalling for prayers. They have split us into two hotels that are beside each other. Ours is an old art deco style of building.
27/6/08 6.50am Engelberg
Last night we had dinner with Steve and Denise from Brisbane. They were nice company and love the outdoor life like we do. Steve is retired and helps his son in a fresh fish shop. They had new grand children and are happy about that. Dinner was a little weird. We had a complimentary drink which was nice. (I can hear cow bells!!) For entree we had a plate of cold mixed salad vegetables: grated carrot, cucumber slices, tomato, lettuce, and beetroot, all very inexpertly presented. The main course was chicken with fennel, potato and cheese frittata and beans and that was tasty. Dessert was pieces of canned pineapple topped with whipped cream (apparently from a can) and a glace cherry on top.
It is difficult to know which language to use when addressing the locals and hotel staff because they use French, German and Italian here. So we lapse into English and although they speak good English I think they’d prefer not to use it.
There is a strong smell of cow manure and mud here, and later we learn that they recycle the cow manure into the earth. Today we will spend the day in Lucerne.
27/6/08 6.30pm Engelberg
What a day! How to write it all down? How do I start?
After breakfast in the hotel we were driven to a cable train station near Lucerne at the bottom of Pilatus Kuln. These cute little red cable trams were then pulled up the steep and typically Swiss mountainside, past cows with bells and pine forests, through tunnels and past farm chalets. At the top was a hotel, souvenir shop, cafe, kiosk, walking tracks and an underground defence outpost. We picked a trail up the rocks to a point where the hidden army base is fenced off. We then descended steep stairs cut into tunnels that took us through the rocks to the other side. It was quite cold and low cloud drifted across our view. A small white church clung precariously to a ridge looking quite forlorn and alone far from any township.
We then boarded a red cable car, squashed in like sardines and we quickly descended down the other side of the mountain. Halfway down, we changed to a smaller four person pod also red coloured. The little things would be perfect for the chair life at Arthurs Seat. It was very peaceful quietly gliding down just above the pine tree tops. We shared our pod with Trevor and Jacqui from Seabrook near Altona in Melbourne. Back on the bus we were driven to Lucerne centre where we followed Deborah to a local Swiss restaurant for lunch and entertainment. Typical Swiss tunes with yodelling, flag throwing, bell and horn playing, and more accompanied our lunch. We began with cheese fondue and beer, then had sausage with fried grated potato, followed by strawberry ice cream for dessert.
Michael and I escaped before the end of the show as we had the afternoon free to shop and wander around Lucerne. The place was busy because of the Yodelling Festival that was in full swing. People were dressed in traditional costumes and playing instruments, singing and dancing. Lucerne is so beautiful it’s hard to describe. The Reuss River is wide and has an extremely swift current. The water is so clear is looks pure and crystal blue. White swans and small brown ducks paddle energetically up the river looking for scraps from the many cafes and restaurants that line the banks. The beautiful Jesuit church in rococo style sits beside the river. Imagine the beautiful old white church with twin spires beside the crystal blue waters of the river where white swans and brown ducks gather, the old wooden foot bridges with roofs cross the river and are adorned with purple, yellow and pink flowers, and nearby the vast stretch of the Vierwalstattersee (Lake Lucerne) (Lake of the four forest cantons) buzzing with summertime water craft, and all this framed by majestic blue mountain peaks and green pine forests on the nearby hillsides. And because it is a special weekend coloured flags fly, gaily dressed people crowd around and the warm summer sun lights the place with yellow. Too much beauty!
We bought a Swiss watch for Danielle and a Swiss Army Knife for Ryan in an expensive department store. We climbed the steep narrow streets and walked along the old stone towered wall. We went inside the Jesuit church and walked across the wooden foot bridges where paintings depicting the plague decorate the ceiling panels under the roof.
We cruised on the lake on a lovely boat and drank beer. We sat quietly listening to the guide tell us about the lake. A statue of Jesus with arms outstretched stopped us and we sat in silence for a few minutes in private contemplation.
Eduardo met us with the bus amidst the throng of yodel-loving people wearing their happy rags. The drive back to Engelberg looked different in the clearer atmosphere revealing more scenery than on the previous day. A rare spare hour before dinner allowed us to shower and change before meeting up with our fellow travellers for dinner. We ate Minestrone Soup, veal in gravy with mashed potatoes and broccoli, then hot chocolate sundae for dessert. One glass of white wine completed the meal. We sat with Trevor and Jacquie again.
After dinner Michael and I walked around the town. Now at 8.50pm it is still daylight as I sit here on this exquisite balcony writing. I can hear the cow bells in the distance and the constant rush of the stream. The occasional car or motor bike hums by on the street below and people talk as they stroll about enjoying the balmy summer evening. Tomorrow we leave for Innsbruck in Austria.
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