The Hospitable Swiss

Rail journey from Italy to Switzerland

Quaint villages en route to Lucerne

 I like the Swiss hospitality industry. The people that I have come across were professional, bilingual and rightly motivated. Felt like a million bucks although we travel budget.

We travelled overnight by rail from Milan to Lucerne, a 200km+ journey. Upon arriving at the train station of Lucerne, Switzerland's prettiest city, we chanced upon a tourist information booth. Although there was a queue, the counter staff served each tourist patiently and warmly. We did not feel it in Milan.

Upon our turn, we asked our usual FAQ on places on interest and accommodation. The tourist staff took account of our budget, interests and mobility before making a recommendation. He duly made a call, reserved our room, whipped out a tourist map and drew the direction to our hotel.

The Touristenhotel Luzern

Front view of our hotel by the Reuss River

We ended up at the Touristenhotel Luzen, a hotel in the heart of town and within walking distance to most place of interest. Price was SWF$70.00 including American breakfast.The hotel's exterior was plain but clean and clinical inside. The furnishing was practical and met our usual expectation - a place to wash up and secure place to sleep.

Two things stood out during our stay here, the view and the need to be alert whilst travelling. 

1) Our room was on the upper floor overlooking the Reuss River. The night view was great with mesmerizing flowing waters lit by moonlight and crisp spring air. Looking out to the right, the illuminated Castle Gutsch stood out majestically. 

Gutsch Castle on the hill

2) There was drama during breakfast. The cafeteria was busy with hotel guests. Halfway though our meal, a Japanese tourist realized that her bag was missing from her dining chair. Moments earlier, a well dressed gentleman in business suit with trench coat, umbrella and leather bag was spotted walking around. He was not part of the dining crowd and already disappeared when the alarm was raised

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Plain but captivating architecture

Swiss countryside home

Houses we saw were quaint and beautiful. Nothing too loud in design and even the older buildings look great. Perhaps spring was in the air for me. Some have decorated planter boxes on window ledges and balconies. The red flowers stood out.

The wooden Chapel Bridge Kapellbrucke

Spreuerbrucke Bridge

Crossed two famous wooden bridges, the zig-zagged Kapellbrucke with its water tower and the linear Spreuerbrucke with its small red chapel in the middle. On its wooden beams were paintings of life during an era gone by. Full bloomed flowers on planter boxes lined the side of the bridge added charm to the place.

Dying Lion Monumnt

Cathedral St Leodegar

Went passed the Cathedral St Leodegar with its distinct pair of steeple and a clock in between. It was located on higher ground and  linked by a flight of stairs from the main road. Proceeded to the Dying Lion Monument, a tribute to Swiss army officers and men who died guarding King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. My European history improved during this trip.

Dinning on chicken spaghetti

Sausage and potato pancake

Dinner was at a tiny Swiss Inn. We had roast chicken with spaghetti topped with a generous portion of carrots and green peas. The other order was chicken bratwurst sausage with potato pancake served in brown sauce.

Browsing morning flea market

Fresh farm produce

Itinerary for the morning was the flea market, hiking up the Musegg Wall overlooking the town. This wall located atop of the nearby hill was Lucerne's 14th century fortification against invaders. Climbing its tower, we were treated to a panoramic view of the city. Mt Pilatus and the Rigi Range was in the distance, Lake Lucerne, Reuss river, old town, castle and all. Awesome. 

View from atop Musegg Wall

Lucerne's Mt Pilatus backdrop

Lucerne panorama

Mt Pilatus background

3 in 1 of town, lake and mountain

Ferry lake cruise

Newer bridges across Reuss

While waiting for the train, we walked around Lake Lucerne watching paddle steamers loaded with tourists. There were white swans and pairs of mandarin ducks feeding by the lake. The male mandarin ducks were not as colourful as those in wild life magazines but at least we know its the real McCoy.

Solitary white swan

Pair of mandarin ducks

Visit Lucerne, it's peaceful

There was an oxidized sculpture of 2 wrestling men in loincloth. Don't be intimidated, it is really quite peaceful in Lucerne. You won't be disappointed.

Note 1 : Make sure you have sufficient Swiss francs in hand. Money changers at the underground train station complex charged a service fee for this service. Have a budget in mind and travel within this amount. Don't incur extra charges in exchanging monies unnecessarily.

Note 2 : Bought a pair of His & Hers Tissot watch. Supposed to be the best offer in town with sapphire glass and the works. Good thing we found out in time that the Hers Tissot was not sapphire but hardened glass. Went back to the shop and asked for a discount. The shop obliged without a scene.

Savor Kindness Because ......

Jenny  Holzer's

" Savor Kindness Because Cruelty Is Always Possible Later "

This cryptic one-liner was inscribed on a marble chair in Venice. Those words left an impression and gnawed inside me for a while.  It was the words of  Jenny Holzer and were intended to bring to light a silent thought which was meant to remain hidden. Simple but profound.

Adriatico Hotel

Street view from our dining table

We arrived in Venice early morning after an overnight train ride from Vienna. What struck me was the vast expanse of sea we passed before reaching this historic city. We had no prior reservation and sought out the tourist office for recommendations. We checked into the Adriatico Hotel, a small family-run inn and had a late breakfast. The room was tiny but the street view was great for people watching. The aromatic Italian cappuccino pared very well with our simple continental toast.

Typical Venetian street

Facade without plaster looked great

Not wasting any time, we made our way to Piazza San Marco or St Mark's Square, Venice's main tourist draw. We took our time, enjoyed the architecture and soaked in the Venetian atmosphere. Large Palladian windows and symmetry made most of the buildings in  Venice looked stately. They donned earthy colours of brown, pink and deep yellow. Even neglected buildings without paint or plaster looked good. That was the pull of Venice.




At the main Piazza, tourists and pigeons abound. Warning, do not feed the birds. Remember 'The Birds' of Hitchcock fame? Unsuspecting tourists will be surprised by the feeding frenzy of the birds ... see below. The Piazza was a good place to people watch and drink coffee. Waiters here used their metal tray to reflect sunlight as a way to communicate orders of coffee. Goodbye handphones!

Before feeding, peace ...

Bird attack!

The cathedral had Moorish influences but what really captivate were the paintings on the wall. Impressions of Christ, angels and scenes of resurrection we masterfully drawn on it.  The architecture was equally amazing with large number of Roman columns or double decked atop each other. Winged lions, seated apostles and halo-ed angels adorned the roof and walls. However, the high water table around Venice has caused the floor of the cathedral to be sunken and uneven. Apparently, artesian wells that were dug for water consumption has caused Venice to sink.

Closer view of St Mark

Main entrance

Next on our list was the Rialto Bridge, one of four bridges that spanned the Grand Canal. The oldest in Venice, it has a beautiful central portico at its mid-span. On both sides were gondolas waiting to pick passengers for the famous gondola ride.

The Rialto Bridge

Ferry and gondolas on the left of  Rialto Bridge

Parked gondolas on right side.

Eco friendly transport

Narrow alleyways where one can get lost

Pastas here were a myriad of colours comprised short-type fusili and macaroni. Looked too good to be eaten. It was also a sweet heaven here, each nicely packed for easy take away. Of course, nopt to be forgotten were the pastries, most coated with sugar, caramalized nuts or chocolate. Yum.

Pasta store

Sweets galore

Italian pizzas

At the baker