Luzern

(Luzern!!!)

Our final destination in Switzerland was this little place called Luzern. Bobcatt had already been there and said it was amazing, but the rest of us hadn’t. We kept hearing it was a cool place to check out, and I actually had been told by Carrie-the-girl-with-Curls who was sitting next to me on my flight to Europe that it was a must to check out while in Switzerland. Let me just say that all these expectations were met. The second we got of our train I was stunned by Luzern. It was simply gorgeous.

The sitting is filled with tower walls and these old wooden bridges to cross the river, and the city itself is just filled with this energy.

We decided that we must first hit the most famous site in Luzern that Mark Twain himself called “The saddest sight he had ever seen”, this being the famous statue of the slain lion commemorating the Swiss Guards who lost their lives when they had defended Marie Antoinette from a mob of Parisians. It really was a moving peace, and all though a really cool statue it was a bit of a Debbie Downer.

We decided to scale the towers and look at the view of the city. We then explored the city more and lull and behold I ran into Carrie-the-girl-with-Curls in Luzern. It was really random and quite funny meeting up on the streets when we had just met about five days before on a plane headed for Luxembourg. Again wandering aimlessly has proven to lead to some interesting stories.

We parted then the three of us got some bread, cheese from Appenzeller (soooooo gooooood), and wine. We sat down by the river enjoying this meal with the swans. Once finished we checked out the cathedral behind us and moved on to a Picasso art museum.

All in all it was a pretty sweet day…but now it was time for us to go to our home for the next four months.

(Taking the train "Home")

Oh yea I found Bruce Wayne in one of the towers:

Oh Uetilberg

Bobcatt, Phil, and I originally were planning to go hiking in Italy, but those planes fell through. Yet, we were determined to go on an epic hike. Thanks to Phil’s handy what to do in Switzerland books…we found ourselves walking along the ridge of Uetilberg. This hike was amazing. I felt like I was in Little House on the Prairie or something.

I thought I might turn a corner and a collie would come up to me barking, which I could miraculously understand and find Timmy trapped in a well. It was a gorgeous view filled with ever extending fields. The air just had a quality to it that I can’t describe. It felt crisp and fresh in your lungs, in fact I think I increased my lifespan by ten years just breathing that air for a couple of hours. As we were walking we came across some Para gliders and plucked berries from a tree.

(On top of the world overlooking Zurich)

We finally decided to make our descent towards Lake Zurich and the trek back up to Technopark. Again though on our way back…we didn’t really take the most direct path. We stuck to our old ways of walking aimlessly somewhat heading to the lake. Next thing we know we are in some residential area passing up domesticated cows and bulls. About twenty minutes we pass up clay tennis courts.

We end up making it to the lake and began walking along the shore. About an hour later we stumble upon a local only lake spot. There are large groups of people out sunbathing and enjoying the lake. Moreover, there is a bunch of live musicians playing and some sweet performers defying gravity and entertaining all these locals…and of course these three kids from LA who just happened to stumble upon this scene.

(The machete-juggling-unicyclying-apple-eating-joke-cracking-performer)

Not to much happened after that, but did end up finding this pretty awesome clock:

Just putting one foot in front of the other

So wandering aimlessly with no direction in life actually pays off. At least in Switzerland it does. Our first day in Switzerland all we need was wander aimlessly through Zurich. We went down Bahnhofstrasse and saw meaning things we could never afford. Then we found suddenly turned a few corners and found ourselves at a swap meet. Phil managed to score a sweet Swiss watch which his one goal in Switzerland.

(Phil getting his Swiss watch at a street market)

We keep walking and stumble upon a huge protest. There were hundred of surfers in Lake Zurich chanting “Vee vant vaves!” Needless to say three California boys all whom enjoy a nice swell themselves found this highly entertaining. We keep walking and next thing we know we end up at this huge world champion chess tournament where these world-class players are playing about 15 players each simultaneously.

So that night we decide to go out. After exploring a little bit of the night scene we decide to walk a little bit. We see a bridge Phil gets excited and demands to go there. We get there and I see fire, which the pyromaniac in me is instantly drawn to like a fly. Then Bobcatt hears music and the next thing we know we are sitting by a fire at a private costume party in Zurich Switzerland listening to a Swiss man play American songs. He ended his set with Jason Marz and with that we headed back in to get ready for the next day…

(Enjoying the music)