Glacier Express and Lucerne

           

          

The Glacier Express is an express train connecting two of the major Swiss Alps ski resorts, Zermatt and St Moritz/Davos.  We took boarded for a morning's trip from Zermatt to Andermatt. Even with the light rain, it was a stunning outing. Along the way, headsets keep you apprised of interesting places and history. One of the most memorable was the folklore of the Devil's Bridge, the bottom line of which is that a goat  herder tricked the devil into accepting the soul of a goat, instead of a human soul. The devil gathered the largest rock he could find to destroy the bridge he had built, but a women making the sign of the cross so distracted him, that the boulder crashed to the ground, missing the bridge. In 1977, the 220 ton boulder was moved 127 meters at the cost of 330,000 Swiss franc to make room for the Gotthard Road Tunnel, so maybe the devil got the last laugh after all. 

Andermatt  is a stunning yet sleepy town, which was much ignored since the opening of the Gotthard Railway Tunnel in 1881. Other rail and car tunnels have kept it off many travelers lists, but it has also kept it remarkably well preserved.  It truly is worth a visit. Try the Baren Restaurant and Rooms.  

      

Then onto Lucern, where the Reuss River meets Lake Lucerne, which is 24 miles long, 700 feet at its deepest point and joins four cantons (states).  The flower bedecked 669 foot wooden Chapel Bridge, with its Wasserturm, or water tower,  has linked the two shores since the 15th century. Painted panels fitted into the many wooden eaves tell the story of that time. If you're in a hurry for the train, or not that interested in history,  you can take the contemporary Seebrucke overpass, used by city dwellers, bicyclist and commuters alike, which provides great views in both directions. 

                     

Many of the Alstad (Old City) buildings have painted facades that go back to the 14th century and days of the guilds, where images on the outside reflected the business being conducted inside. You certainly won't want to miss the market along the river, where young and old come for everything from Sonnenblumen (sunflowers) to berries (the way you remember they used to taste), breads, cheeses, pastas and meats. But don't miss the art museums, of which there are several to choose from. A personal favorite was the classic modernist Museum Samlung Rosengart, an extensive private collection of Paul Klee, as well as Picasso, with whom both Angela and her father, Siegfried, had a long lasting relationship. Among the many unique pieces are the original metal plates with prints Picasso did of Angela and rare photos of his studio and wedding day pictures with Jacqueline, taken by Picasso's American friend David Duncan Douglas. 

The city seems always in the midst of conducting  an art, music or theatre festival. The Blue Balls (we're not sure exactly what got lost in the translation) music festival had multiple venues with a wide variety of contemporary music happening all over town while we were there.  Book a room at the majestic lakeside Scweizerhof Hotel, where Mark Twain stayed, and treat yourself to dinner at an amazing hilltop lake view from The Montana - which refers to mountains, not the US West.  

      

While in the area, take the 150 year old cogwheel train, the world's steepest, traveling at grades as steep as 48-degrees and 2 sets of cable cars to the top of Mount Pilatus. You'll pass grazing cows with mammoth bells and beautiful scenery as you make your way up to the iconic Hotel Pilatus, which opened its doors in 1890. Theodore Roosevelt and Queen Victoria were among its early guests. 

The naming of this mountain derives from several lores. One is that Pontius  Pilate's remains are here, after being moved from various international locations. (His legacy made him not particularly popular and it is supposed that up in these mountains his remains could do no harm.) A medieval legend refers to dragons with healing powers and enormous golden wings living in the mountains. The name may also have simply been derived from "pilateus " which means "cloud topped". 

       

On a clear day, the view to Lucerne is said to be spectacular. You can climb from the Pilatus Hotel to Orenhaupt (6913 feet) or Esel (6953 feet) and, on the day we were there, climb above the clouds. The descent is steep, but the experience worth it! 

Overall, Lucerne is a breathtaking city with incredible surroundings of natural beauty which inspired Wagner's Ring Cycle. Hills with beautiful old castle-like buildings tumble down to the lake as far as the eye can see. Walt Disney came here every few years for inspiration and the iconic White Castle of Sleeping Beauty and international Disney Park fame is styled after  Lucerne's Gutsch Castle. 

Tolstoy said of his visit to Lucerne in 1857, "On arriving in my room and opening the window facing the lake, the beauty of this water and of this day in the first moment literally blinded and then shook me. I experienced an internal unrest and the necessity of giving some expression to that superabundance with which my heart brimmed over."