April 11

Day 8:  Disembark:  Basel to Lucerne

Welcome To Lake Lucerne

After bidding our friends and the amazing staff on the Viking Idi a fond (and sad) farewell we were on the Viking bus before 8:30 am for our nearly two hour trip to Lucerne.  We arrived about 9:45 and went to the Lion Monument which is carved into a stone hillside in honor of the Swiss Guard which fought to the death defending the Louis the XVI's palace.

Farewell Viking Idi - We'll be back on another Viking ship soon!

First glimpse of the Swiss Alps from the bus

At the Lion Monmument

Back on the bus for the short trip to our hotel where our bags and backpacks were stored for us and we immediately joined our Viking tour guide for a nearly two hour walking tour of Lucerne.  We explored the immediate area around the hotel briefly and then spent the vast majority of the time in "Old Lucerne" especially along the waterfront and the iconic Chapel Bridge.  A fun fact I did NOT know despite my research......as you look off the Chapel Bridge towards the mountains and past the tower the water on that side is Lake Lucerne, while the water under the bridge and beyond the other way is a river.  Apparently, or so we were told, the Swiss are VERY picky about if you ask for a location on the waterfront that you specify the "riverfront" or the "lakefront."  

First close-up view of the snow-capped mountains

The Chapel Bridge over the river

View from inside the covered bridge

Paintings in the bridge rafters, some originals!

MANY of the homes have frescoes like this painted on them

The bridge, the tower, the water, the river

When Berta ended the tour we were back on the riverfront and she gave us some suggestions for lunch.  As it was around 1 pm and our rooms were not promised until 3 pm, with a possibility of 2 pm we had a lunch along the water.  Here's the view over our shoulders.  Have to admit several times I caught myself thinking, this looks just like the photos of Lake Lucerne, oh wait, we ARE IN Lake Lucerne!

Tomorrow is our final day of touring as we have an all-day (13 hours) adventure that includes a boat ride on the lake; a cog train up the mountain; lunch with a panoramic view from the top of the Swiss Alps; a gondolla down the mountain; and a tour of a cheese farm before finishing the day with a cheese fondu dinner!  Then it will be up early on Friday for the long journey home.  We've enjoyed every day and every adventure, but we both have to admit that it's been an action-packed adventure and we are wearing down....too much fun!  :)  Hard to explain until you are on a Viking River Cruise - you are pampered and your every wish is their command, but you have to set your alarm to get breakfast before the first tour takes off; most days you have about an hour to grab lunch and right back at it.  Usually less than an hour before it's time for "happy hour" which includes the information meeting about the next day; and then dinner - which NEVER ends before 9 pm.  Right back at it the next day!  It's a rough life, but someone has to do it....no, no.....we've got this one for the team!