November 7, 2018 Lucerne and Pilatus

We woke up to sunshine this morning.  We enjoyed the  view of Lake Lucerne from the breakfast room.  There was a slight fog over the lake but it was quickly lifting.  We met our tour guide Hollee.  Hollee is from Florida originally but has made Switzerland her home.  Today Hollee was taking us on a boat across the lake.  We were treated to scenic views of the villages around the far end of the Lake to the village of Alphnach.  This is where we would board a cograil train to take us to the summit of Mt Pilatus at 7,000 feet up into the Alps.  As we traveled up in the cograil,  the views of the Lake and surrounding mountains were stunning.  The leaves are in the process of changing.  As we went further up,  the leaves were changing color.  Going up, we passed farmers huts and barns where they milk their cows in the summer.  They lead the cows up a path in the spring where they feed in the Alpine meadows.   The cows are milked twice a day and the farmers make the famous mountain cheese.  Once at the top, the skies were clear which allowed for awesome views.  We hiked one of several paths that took us up to one of the peaks.  From there we could see several of the other Alp mountains in the distance.  The ones at higher elevation were already snow covered.  There is a hotel at the top where you can get a room and, if the weather is clear, you can watch the sunrise in the Alps.  We enjoyed a lunch of Alphenmachen and Apple strudel with vanilla sauce.  We are really enjoying the Swiss cuisine.  We returned down on the cograil.  The gondolas are not operating as they are taken out of service for maintenance at this time of the year.  Reaching the base, we then boarded a train back to Lucerne at the Bahnhof.B  Then we got on a bus to take us to the Gutsch bahnhof.  We boarded a  vertical tram car to take us up to the Gutsch Chateau that overlooks Lucerne.  It was built in the shape of a castle and today is a famous hotel.  We sat on the veranda enjoying a glass of Lucerne Riesling and enjoying the views.  We hiked a short path around the top before returning down and back into Lucerne.  We have a restaurant we plan to have dinner at tonight.  Last night, we enjoyed an outdoor meal next to the Lake at Rathause breweries.  Bratwurst and kraut. Beer and cheese stuffed pretzel.  YUM!  Final packing tonight as we leave early for Zurich tomorrow and the flight home.  This has been an adventure that we won't forget.  We were able to sample the experience of Europe with the help of Viking and our amazing guides.  We are already envisioning a return to experience more of Europe.   As our Cruise Director, Renee always says "CAIO FOR NOW!"

Our Lucerne guide, Eva

Our Pilatus guide, Hollee

Pilatus

Pilatus from the Lake

Cograil station

Cograil train

Cograil train

Going up at an angle of 48 degrees

Flugglehorn at the top

Climbing to this peak

Looking down at the Hotel and station

View of the Alps

Barb in the Alps

Alpine grazing meadow on the way down

View of Lucerne from Chateau Gutsch

Lake Lucerne from above

Barb at Chateau Gutsch

November 6, 2018 Basel to Lucerne, Switzerland

As promised, Viking Herja docked this morning at 6:00 a.m.   At 8:30, we departed the Herja and the Rhein river for a 90 minute coach ride to Lucerne.  We rode through the city of Basel which strides both sides of the Rhein.  We were able to see some of the old section as well as the new section of the city.  Once outside Basel into the country, we passed industrial areas and then a lot of farmland.  There was a dense fog over the whole valley but at one point, we could see the Alps in the distance as they climb over 6,000 feet.  We arrived in Lucerne and stopped at the Lion in the Rock statue.  This is a sculpture carved into the side of the mountain commemorating the Swiss Guards who lost their lives defending Lucerne.  After a short ride, we arrived at the Hotel Schweizerhof that sits on Lake Lucerne.  We started on a tour with our Swiss guide, Eva walking throughout the town across the famous wooden covered bridges.  Fortunately , the dense fog lifted and we enjoyed sunshine as we continued our walk around the city.  At Eva's recommendation, we enjoyed lunch at the Wirtshause Taube restaurant.  Delicious Swiss lunch and Lucerne white whine.  Wonderbar!!!  Since Switzerland is not part of the EU, the currency is the Swiss Franc instead of the Euro.  They do take credit cards and I was able to exchange US dollars for Francs.  The language is primarily German but everyone speaks fluent English.  Lucerne is also getting decorated for Christmas and we hope to see some good lighting before we leave.  We have a full day of touring tomorrow and then we travel to Zurich for our flight home on Thursday.

This Swiss cow greets us upon arrival

Lion in the Rock sculpture

Lucerne clock tower

Lucerne view

Lucerne view

Castle over Lucerne

Covered bridge over Lake Lucerne

Lucerne Bahnhof (trainstation)

Touring boats on Lake Lucerne

Lucerne view

The Swiss Alps from Lucerne

Hotel Schweizerhof on Lake Lucerne . Home for the night.

Barb enjoying the luxury hotel

November 5, 2018 Breisach, Germany and Colmar, France

We departed Kehl, Germany last night about 9 p.m..   Just a short distance down the Rhein, the ship entered a river lock.  This was going to raise the ship to a new level 40 feet higher.  It was impressive being on the upper deck watching the process.  We have been through a few previous locks but it has always been at night when we were asleep.  There were many passengers up on deck and we all cheered when the final lock gate openned and the ship proceded.  It was like the new years eve ball dropping at time square.   So, this morning we woke up docked at Breisach, Germany.  Out on the river there were many swans as this area has the largest population in Europe.  We jumped on the bus again for a 30 minute ride into France to the village of Colmar.  Like many towns in this region, it changed hands from France to Germany many times over the centuries.  A person living in a city like Colmar could live in the same house and change nationalities several times.  That certainly happened during the two World Wars.  Our guide, Joylon is British but he has lived in Germany for several years and he was giving a tour in France.  It was a very enjoyable walking tour through the different sections of the city.  This is a city famous for two artists.  The painter, Hansi and the sculpter, Barholdi.  On arrival into Colmar, the statue of liberty sculpted by Bertholdi stands in the roundabout  This was the prototype for the larger version in New York harbor, a gift from France to America on the 100th year after the revolution.  There is another in Paris.  We had some free time after the tour so we walked through the little  Venice section.  I stopped into a store and using remnants of my high school French, I was able to ask for  some batteries for my camera and use a self service register to check out.  We returned to the ship for lunch.  In the afternoon, Barb and I strolled through Breisach and did our own walking tour of the castle part of the city.  There were some very steep narrow roads and alley ways were people still live and preserve the old houses.  The exteriors are preserved and the interiors have been modernized.  We returned to the ship to pack our things.  The ship departs for Basel, Switzerland this evening.  Tomorrow morning we will end our Rhein cruise on the Herja and travel by coach to Lucerne to continue the adventure.

Statue of Liberty in Colmar, Fr

Colmar planter

Colmar planter

Joylon, our British, German, French guide

View of Colmar

View of Colmar

Decorating the city for the Christmas season 

Barb in La Petit Venis (little Venice)

Breisach monastery

Josephine!  Is that you?

Looking out from the castle/monastery to the old fort

Breisach Tower

Sitting on a window sill

November 4, 2018 Strasbourg, France

We relocated to Kehl, Germany this morning from the Ill river.  It took about an hour to move the ship.  We are in a much nicer location and the WIFI seems to be working better.  We can see the city of Strasbourg across the Rhein.  We were back on the bus for  ride across the Rhein into France.  We had a 50 minute bus tour around the city where our guide pointed out the influence from both Germans and the French.  Over the centuries, Strasbourg was owned by both the Germans and the French after various conflicts.  It was initially settled by the Romans.  The European Union is headquartered in Strasbourg which consists of 28 countries.  Soon to be 27 with the UK dropping out next year.  Our French guide, Marine took us on an enjoyable walking tour across the covered bridge into La Petit France through the small cobble streets with shops of cheese, bakeries, and chocolatiers.  At one shop, a man came out to offer us a sample of fresh baked orange macaroons. We saw many different building architectures.

View of Strasbourg 

Marco Polo Ate Here

Our french guide, Marine

The uncovered covered bridge

View of Strasbourg 

The Tanner section

Place Guttenberg

Lunch was at the red restaurant

The American Embassy in Strasbourg 

Lunch

Lively entertainment

Barb and peonies

A big barrel 

Straddling France and Germany over the Rhein

Lovers put their locks on the bridges

We continued on to the Cathedral de Notre Dame.  Supposedly the highest in Europe.  After the tour, we wandered about before getting lunch in a restaurant at Place de Guttenberg.  After lunch, we continued to wander around the city.  There were lots of people in the city as well as lots of Police and barracades.  The President of France was visiting this afternoon.  With the crowds growing, we decided to return to the ship in the early afternoon.  It was a great day with very comfortable weather partly sunny reaching into the 50s.