(This blog was started a week ago, but has been a little delayed...sorry! Please read as if received last weekend.)
So glad we "freshened up" before dinner...here's why. We found a cute little Mexican place where we could sit outside. We sat down and opened the menus...14.50 sf (remember, the conversion is equal to the dollar) for guacamole! I love guac, but that's a little steep! Each entree would have been about 40 sf. Whoa, too steep for these cheapies! So, long story short, we found a glorified Subway and McDonalds. (see, aren't we glad that we looked and smelled good for Ronald McDonald?) Is this what it means to "sacrifice" as a parent? Anyways, check out the cost of these cheeseburgers - yep, that's 2.5o sf! Ouch! Wish I could say they tasted much better than the $1 burgers in the States...but nope, the same. Luckily, we got some ice cream to top off our fancy meal!
Sunday was going to be our mountain-top experience day, but we woke up to rain and clouds. (Can't trust that weather.com!) But, as the Zabikows always say, when life hands you rain, head to Zurich! We still had one day left on our Eurrail passes that we had decided that we just weren't going to be able to use. Well, since we had already seen much of Lucerne and the forecast looked a little better for Mt. Pilatus on Monday, we were able to use the pass for a sightseeing day in Zurich. Zurich is only a 45 minute train ride from Lucerne, so we arrived around 11 a.m. We found a map at the train station and ventured out to see what we could see. Thankfully, the rain had stopped (although note the picture that shows Ben in his stroller...nice and dry), so we just had clouds.
The rest of our day in Zurich was just strolling through the cute streets and seeing the view of the mountains and Lake Zurich. The water was so clear and blue - something we are not used to seeing back in Amsterdam (although the canals are lovely to look at, I wouldn't even want to stick my pinky toe in the water). I know Zurich is quite a global and cultural hub, but I was surprised to see so many...Starbucks. Felt like they were on every corner. We left Zurich thinking...we like Zurich, but we love Lucerne. Maybe the gray skies affected those conclusions?? No matter, we were definitely glad that we had a chance to explore another one of Europe's fabulous cities. We traveled back to Lucerne about 3:30, relaxed at the hotel for a bit, then grabbed some dinner and listened to some music at Lucerne's Blue Balls Festival (yes, that is really the name). This is Lucerne's annual music festival - lots of blues and jazz. We got to hear the "best Johnny Cash band in Germany". Wow, right up our alley! ;)
Monday equals mountains! The sky had some clouds, but we did see the sun, and at least no rain. We purchased our "Golden Ticket" and were on our way around 9 a.m. The Golden Ticket takes care of all of the travel to and from the mountain...90 minute boat cruise to the base of Mt. Pilatus, 40 minute ride to the top of the mountain on the world's steepest cogwheel railway, then 5 minute ride down on aerial cableway to a mid-point mountain stop, 30 minute ride down the rest of the mountain on panoramic gondola, then 15 minute bus ride back to Lucerne. Here are the stories and pictures to go with each leg of our journey...
Started heading up the mountain around 11 a.m. on the cogwheel railway. The steepest section of the ride is 48% grade. Yikes! It was a great way to travel up the mountain though, we were able to see all of the detail of the mountain - and my personal fave, we saws cows and heard their big cowbells ringing as they ate. How cute! Once we got up to a certain point and looked back down, you could see the layer of clouds across the sky...pretty cool picture.
Our 5 minute ride down on the aerial cableway. At this stop, they have a toboggan slide and a suspension rope park - looked like fun!
Travel Tuesday! Our train left Lucerne at 6:45 a.m. to Basel, then Basel to Paris Est. Ben zonked out on this leg of the trip around 10:30, he's just had too much excitement! We had just enough time in Paris to change stations, grab lunch, and board our train for Amsterdam. We met a really friendly Australian family that we chatted with most of the way home...that really helps the time fly! We had a wonderful trip to Switzerland (don't worry, we made it home with some Swiss chocolates for all those wondering), but it's always nice to make it back home.
Well, we made it back from our trip to Lucerne on Tuesday afternoon, but I admit that we have been busy getting our Amsterdam lives back in order since then...laundry, shopping, cleaning. We did make it to the zoo and the pool late this week as Thursday and Friday were near 80 degrees! Fairly uncommon, so I just couldn't see myself at the computer updating the blog when the sunshine was calling us outdoors. Today is another beautiful one, but I figured I needed to hunker down and share our Swiss adventures (and besides, Ben is napping, so I don't mind typing away for now.)
Warning before you go any further...this blog contains a LOT of pictures. Switzerland was so gorgeous, I couldn't help myself with all the photos. I figure, if I took 'em, I might as well share 'em. So, consider yourself warned (and enjoy the mountain beauty that God created for those back home who live in flat Illinois).
We left home last Friday (the 18th) before 6 a.m. to catch our 6:30 train to Paris. We met a mom and her 11 year old son who loved playing and laughing with Ben. We loved it too because it helped keep him entertained for 4 hours! Arrived at Paris Nord station about 10:30, walked to Paris Est station, had a potty break and grabbed some lunch, and let Ben loose for a little bit. The 12:30 train to Basel, Switzerland was about 3 1/2 hours, and Ben finally fell asleep after the 20th reading of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". (This kid is just nuts for Seuss!) We only had a few minutes to catch our train to Lucerne once we arrived in Basel, so we were running (and Ben was giggling, I'm sure we were a sight). The train to Lucerne had a panoramic car with big windows, and we could already see that the view was amazing! We finally arrived in Lucerne around 5 p.m. A long day of traveling, but overall, Ben did great. On our way to the hotel, we stopped by a bank to get cash - Switzerland is not part of the EU, so they are still using the Swiss franc as currency (although many places will take the euro, but then give you change in Swiss francs). We checked into our hotel, unpacked and relaxed for a few minutes, then found a yummy Italian place for dinner. The food in Lucerne was expensive - we paid 50 swiss francs (the swiss franc is basically equal to the US dollar right now, so we paid $50) for lasagna, a small pizza, milk, and a bottle of water. Sheesh! We did have a great view of the Chapel Brigde though, so no real complaints. Just a small walk on the way back to the hotel, as we were longing to rest our weary eyes.
We left home last Friday (the 18th) before 6 a.m. to catch our 6:30 train to Paris. We met a mom and her 11 year old son who loved playing and laughing with Ben. We loved it too because it helped keep him entertained for 4 hours! Arrived at Paris Nord station about 10:30, walked to Paris Est station, had a potty break and grabbed some lunch, and let Ben loose for a little bit. The 12:30 train to Basel, Switzerland was about 3 1/2 hours, and Ben finally fell asleep after the 20th reading of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". (This kid is just nuts for Seuss!) We only had a few minutes to catch our train to Lucerne once we arrived in Basel, so we were running (and Ben was giggling, I'm sure we were a sight). The train to Lucerne had a panoramic car with big windows, and we could already see that the view was amazing! We finally arrived in Lucerne around 5 p.m. A long day of traveling, but overall, Ben did great. On our way to the hotel, we stopped by a bank to get cash - Switzerland is not part of the EU, so they are still using the Swiss franc as currency (although many places will take the euro, but then give you change in Swiss francs). We checked into our hotel, unpacked and relaxed for a few minutes, then found a yummy Italian place for dinner. The food in Lucerne was expensive - we paid 50 swiss francs (the swiss franc is basically equal to the US dollar right now, so we paid $50) for lasagna, a small pizza, milk, and a bottle of water. Sheesh! We did have a great view of the Chapel Brigde though, so no real complaints. Just a small walk on the way back to the hotel, as we were longing to rest our weary eyes.
We woke up to a beautiful sunny day on Saturday. We had breakfast and left the hotel for Lucerne sightseeing and shopping around 9 a.m. We found a little farmer's market where we bought some fresh berries for lunch, then walked to Bucherer to look at watches. This particular Bucherer store was opened in 1888 - the first store Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened. Very expensive, so no purchasing, just looking. (We did find a cuckoo clock that caught our eye, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend so much money). We wandered through the shopping area a bit longer, and we both found watches that we love!
Finished up shopping, grabbed some lunch at a local deli, and ate on a bench near the Chapel Bridge. This begins our sightseeing tour for the day...
The Chapel Bridge crosses the Reuss River and is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe. The water tower and covered bridge are really beautiful set against the water and mountains. From there, we walked by St. Leodegar church to the Lion Monument, a famous carving of a dying lion (commemorating hundreds of Swiss guards who were massacred during the French Revolution).
The Lion must have been too exciting for Ben, he fell asleep. :) So, Greg and I found a bench under a shady tree and just sat and talked. The weather was quite warm, probably near 80. After nap time, we saw the Musegg Wall - a wall that runs along the city with many towers. You can climb one of the towers and walk a section of the wall, which we did. It was a little narrow with the stroller, but we are so glad we made the effort as the views of the city, Lake Lucerne, and the mountains were spectacular. (See for yourself below!) We had some play time in a nearby park before heading back to the hotel for a little freshening up before dinner.
So glad we "freshened up" before dinner...here's why. We found a cute little Mexican place where we could sit outside. We sat down and opened the menus...14.50 sf (remember, the conversion is equal to the dollar) for guacamole! I love guac, but that's a little steep! Each entree would have been about 40 sf. Whoa, too steep for these cheapies! So, long story short, we found a glorified Subway and McDonalds. (see, aren't we glad that we looked and smelled good for Ronald McDonald?) Is this what it means to "sacrifice" as a parent? Anyways, check out the cost of these cheeseburgers - yep, that's 2.5o sf! Ouch! Wish I could say they tasted much better than the $1 burgers in the States...but nope, the same. Luckily, we got some ice cream to top off our fancy meal!Sunday was going to be our mountain-top experience day, but we woke up to rain and clouds. (Can't trust that weather.com!) But, as the Zabikows always say, when life hands you rain, head to Zurich! We still had one day left on our Eurrail passes that we had decided that we just weren't going to be able to use. Well, since we had already seen much of Lucerne and the forecast looked a little better for Mt. Pilatus on Monday, we were able to use the pass for a sightseeing day in Zurich. Zurich is only a 45 minute train ride from Lucerne, so we arrived around 11 a.m. We found a map at the train station and ventured out to see what we could see. Thankfully, the rain had stopped (although note the picture that shows Ben in his stroller...nice and dry), so we just had clouds.Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, and we saw many of the beautiful churches. St. Peter has the largest clock face in Europe, and the Grossmunster (great minster) and Fraumunster (our lady's minster) were both built in the 800's. I always love how a church steeple will tower over the rest of the city skyline.
The rest of our day in Zurich was just strolling through the cute streets and seeing the view of the mountains and Lake Zurich. The water was so clear and blue - something we are not used to seeing back in Amsterdam (although the canals are lovely to look at, I wouldn't even want to stick my pinky toe in the water). I know Zurich is quite a global and cultural hub, but I was surprised to see so many...Starbucks. Felt like they were on every corner. We left Zurich thinking...we like Zurich, but we love Lucerne. Maybe the gray skies affected those conclusions?? No matter, we were definitely glad that we had a chance to explore another one of Europe's fabulous cities. We traveled back to Lucerne about 3:30, relaxed at the hotel for a bit, then grabbed some dinner and listened to some music at Lucerne's Blue Balls Festival (yes, that is really the name). This is Lucerne's annual music festival - lots of blues and jazz. We got to hear the "best Johnny Cash band in Germany". Wow, right up our alley! ;)Monday equals mountains! The sky had some clouds, but we did see the sun, and at least no rain. We purchased our "Golden Ticket" and were on our way around 9 a.m. The Golden Ticket takes care of all of the travel to and from the mountain...90 minute boat cruise to the base of Mt. Pilatus, 40 minute ride to the top of the mountain on the world's steepest cogwheel railway, then 5 minute ride down on aerial cableway to a mid-point mountain stop, 30 minute ride down the rest of the mountain on panoramic gondola, then 15 minute bus ride back to Lucerne. Here are the stories and pictures to go with each leg of our journey...No surprise here, Ben LOVED the boat ride! The views of the mountains from the water was breathtaking, and it was amazing to see all the houses and little villages on the side of the mountains. Could you imagine waking up to this?
Started heading up the mountain around 11 a.m. on the cogwheel railway. The steepest section of the ride is 48% grade. Yikes! It was a great way to travel up the mountain though, we were able to see all of the detail of the mountain - and my personal fave, we saws cows and heard their big cowbells ringing as they ate. How cute! Once we got up to a certain point and looked back down, you could see the layer of clouds across the sky...pretty cool picture. The Zabikows on the top of Mt. Pilatus! Brrrrrr.....note the coats, scarves, and Ben's winter hat!
Our 5 minute ride down on the aerial cableway. At this stop, they have a toboggan slide and a suspension rope park - looked like fun! Then, it was about 15 minutes down by panoramic gondola to a playland for Ben. He has clearly found his 2nd favorite mode of transport (after boat ride). As you can see, he was very interested in the geology of the mountain (more plainly, he likes to pick up rocks).
The rest of the ride down the mountain was gorgeous!! We were so glad that we had a semi-sunny day for this adventure.
We made it back to Lucerne around 3 p.m. and then hopped on another train for a 10 minute ride to Hergiswil. What's in Hergiswil you ask? The most traditional glass factory in Switzerland where you can watch them form and blow glass. Watching these guys work and make the glass products was just amazing and hot - it was really warm in the factory, of course. We purchased a large glass bowl that we can use for serving or just display, so pretty! Back to Lucerne, dinner, packing, and lights out!
Travel Tuesday! Our train left Lucerne at 6:45 a.m. to Basel, then Basel to Paris Est. Ben zonked out on this leg of the trip around 10:30, he's just had too much excitement! We had just enough time in Paris to change stations, grab lunch, and board our train for Amsterdam. We met a really friendly Australian family that we chatted with most of the way home...that really helps the time fly! We had a wonderful trip to Switzerland (don't worry, we made it home with some Swiss chocolates for all those wondering), but it's always nice to make it back home. Nick & Megan (Greg's brother and his brother's girlfriend for those who don't know) arrive tomorrow. We are so excited to see family and to have our first visitors!
Before I go, a quick piece of Getting to Know Amsterdam. Holiday season is definitely here, as many businesses will just close whenever the owner wants to go on vacation. Currently, our pizza man, chicken man, and black bean man are all closed...ugh! They post signs in the windows giving the dates they will be gone. Could you imagine if your grocery store or Target just decided to close for a couple weeks? I kind of like it though...everyone needs a vacation, right?
Finally, let me leave you with this pic from switzerland. Yes, it really says that, and yes, I must be 10 years old cuz I thought it was really funny. Auf Wiedersehen!
Now for a recap of our fantastic trip to Brussels... 
We took a train on Saturday morning to Bruges, about an hour away. We loved it there - a very cute, quaint little town. Very touristy, but very rich with history and culture. Photos below include the Church of Our Lady (where we saw a wedding taking place early in the day, so we went back later to see Michaelangelo's Madonna and Child sculpture), the Provincial Court in Markt square, and the City Hall in Burg square. Our favorite part of the day was a little boat ride through the canals (we got a great shot of the Belfry). And, of course, sampling the wonderful Belgian chocolates (and more free chocolate for Ben)!! The train was packed on the way back to Brussels; we had to sit in the vestibule the whole way. We overheard some American high school students who were backpacking through Europe. They were chattering away about how stupid and small Belgium was, how rude the French are, etc. I was so sad for them, they were being so disrespectful to the other possible Belgian or French travelers, not to mention their parents who I'm sure were footing the bill for their trip. Why even come to Europe if you are going to be negative about your experience? Anyhoooo, I'll get off my soapbox now. We enjoyed a picnic dinner on the lawn in front of the St Michael cathedral, and ended the day with another yummy waffle (Greg is addicted!) and a Belgian lace souvenir purchase.
Sunday was meant to be fun day for Ben - the Atomium and Mini-Europe. But, I think his back molars must be bothering him because he didn't get much sleep and was Mr. Cranky Pants as we walked around Mini-Europe. He finally settled down once he realized he could push the blue button in front of each model and hear the national anthem of that country (he's a sucker for music). The whole thing was a little cheesy, but really quite amazing at how detailed and precise the models are of many of the famous buildings in Europe (and, where else can you get Big Ben, the Eiffel tower, and a water slide all in one photo?). Back to the hotel for Ben and Dad to take a nap, then ventured out again to St. Catherine cathedral and of course...the photo everyone has been waiting for...Mannekin Pis. It is hilarious to me that there is a statue of a little boy peeing, and then funnier still that there is such a huge crowd of people taking photos! We saw a shop selling Mannekin Pis fountains and thought of picking one up for the Shipley patio/garden. :) We finally made our way to the Grand Place center and saw the beautiful buildings. We had some really tasty Italian for dinner (yet again, more free chocolate for Ben) and saw lots of German and Spanish soccer fans strolling the streets as the Euro final was Sunday night. (Spain won for all those who don't keep up with international soccer, and we heard the celebrations most of the night!)
Monday morning was check out. We left our bags at the hotel to wander around the city a little more. The pace of this vacation was so different than Paris. So much to see and do in Paris that we felt like we were on a "tight schedule" to see everything, but in Brussels we were able to walk in a direction and happen upon some really beautiful things without really having a plan. We saw a few more churches, the Palais Justice, and found Wittamer chocolates, which had an unbelievable display window! Stopped to devour some frites with ketchup and mayo, picked up some beer to bring back home, and caught the 1:19 p.m. train back to Amsterdam. We admit that there is a big part of Brussels that we didn't experience...the mussels. I can admit that I've tried them before (and didn't enjoy the slippery, slimy things), so the closest we got this trip was a picture. :)
