Nottwil

This morning, we woke up in Kierns Switzerland, a town right outside of the city of Lucerne. We slept well last night and woke up to a nice Swiss breakfast. Around 8:15am, we got on the bus for another optional experience, going up to Mt. Pilatus. We took a cogwheel train up the mountain. It is the steepest cogwheel railway in the world with a 48 degree angle. It was so beautiful seeing the sights all around. Switzerland is so green and clean and the air is so fresh. The train took 30 minutes to get up to the top (7000 feet high!) and we were welcomed with winds and a temperature of 42 degrees. It was a stunning view from the top. We took extra steps to get to the peak of the mountain where it was extra cold and you'll never guess what happened. I fell down the stairs walking down! My other knee this time 😕 I'm getting beat up in Europe and Europe is winning. I am still okay! After we got my knee all cleaned up, (even though this fall ripped my jeans and left a blood stain), we took the tram back down the mountain. More stunning views. When we got back to Lucerne, we had free time for about 2 hours so we did some munching, souvenir shopping, (including getting me a brand new, blood-free, very expensive pair of new jeans!), and trying Swiss chocolate. It was so so good. They even had a flowing chocolate wall! We also walked along the Kapellbrücke (literally, Chapel Bridge), which is a covered wooden footbridge spanning the river Reuss. The famous water tower by the bridge was built in 1332 and was originally a part of the city fortifications. After walking around the city a bit more, we took the coach out into the country, about 45 minutes from town. We arrived in Engelberg, a picturesque country, and took a horse-drawn carriage through the town with views of the river, the Titlis Mountain (a ski resort in the winter), cows and sheep, rolling hills and houses. Then, the cherry on top was an introduction to farm life by an actual Swiss farmer, Uli, who, with her husband, has lived and farmed the land for 30 years, explaining the dairy that they make, including yogurt, milk, and of course, cheese. And she MADE us 14 different types of cheese to try, (including Sbrinz, which was brought over to Italy, where they ended up making parmesan from), Rösti, (potato and herb pocket), cheese pie and chocolate cake from SCRATCH!! AND she served us white wine that they make in Switzerland with purple grapes. It was so delicious! We felt like she was hosting us in her own home! It was a very special experience. From there, we headed back to Lucerne for free time. We ended the night at a bar and rooftop lounge, from a Swiss friend's recommendation called Rooftop Suite Lounge and Bar in the middle of Lucerne with a view overlooking the city. We are tired but happy! Tomorrow, we're off to Florence! 🇮🇹Read more