20th October Lucerne

This morning we drove across the Black Forest in south-west Germany to the Swiss border. We stopped and marvelled at the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, which is the biggest waterfall in Europe. When we first arrived they were covered in a light mist which just added to the mystery and beauty of the falls.  We were lucky that as we were there the mist began to lift and the lady in the shop said that just before we got there you could not see the falls for the mist. We all took so many photos from so many different angles, because everywhere you looked there was something else to see.

Next stop was Lucerne and the magnificent Mount Pilatus. Mount Pilatus was named after a local legend which alleges that Pontius Pilate was buried there. The mountain is heavily fortified, with gun emplacements within the mountain just below the tourist viewing gallery. I was excited to finally be able to go up into the Swiss Alps but nothing prepares you for the majesty of this place. We went up the mountain in the cog-wheel train, which was quite steep in parts but the views were amazing! At the top of the mountain we had free time to explore and admire the sweeping views and breathe in the clear, crisp mountain air. Our return trip was by cable car...which was not nearly as scary as what I thought t would be...guess it depends on the company!!! On the way down we could hear the bells of the cows grazing on the slopes....aaaaahhhh!

We then headed back to our hotel to do a bit of washing, then dinner and after dinner we took a stroll around the town of Lucerne and walked across the 14th century wooden Chapel Bridge spanning the River Reuss.