Lucerne and Weggis

Lucerne

The first city where we started our tryst with nature’s abundance. The best way to explore Switzerland is by a combination of boats and trains. We started off with a lake cruise on lake Lucerne. We had absolutely no idea what was in in store for us. When we started,  the lake was inside the city and all we saw was the city and its many buildings (mostly hotels). We saw some really distant sights of mountains in the far beyond. As the journey progressed, the city became a faint memory and all we could see for miles and miles was nature.

Beautiful majestic  mountains, the sun rays peering through the dense vegetation on them, the lake itself seemed to stretch for miles, some sparse  clouds kissing the top of these mountains and the air so clear that you feel a high just being there. It is a very humbling experience. You are reminded of what a small spec you are in the bounty of God’s amazing creations. The sights on the cruise was spellbinding. We just sat there with the wind in our hair and feasting our eyes.

The many sights of Swiss

The lake is a massively gigantic water body and all along its coast (don’t know what it is called for lake) were different villages. It would have taken us 3 hours to go around the entire lake. You’d think it would get boring or monotonous after a while. But NO! The views keep changing on the course, the lake itself turns from blue in parts to green at others , the slopes have interesting houses on them, the mountains converge, the sun plays hide and seek with the clouds- ah  ever so many sights – it never ceases to enthral the onlooker.

Changing langscapes

In Switzerland, you don’t have to work hard to experience something nice. Just wake up and walk down the street to something beautiful or if you are lucky just peep outside your window to be struck by beauty of nature.

In the midst of nature

Weggis

The cruise boat we were on, makes several stops on the lake at different villages along its border(coast/shore). Jay’s spontaneity has to be given credit where it is due. While I was busy taking in the fresh air and feasting my eyes on the water and mountains, he noticed that a lot of people were getting off the cruise boat. He quickly discussed with the cruise crew and charted up a cool cogwheel train ride to Mt Rigi. We quickly hopped off our river cruise and took a Cog Wheel train up the mountain to Mt Rigi. A Cogwheel train works on a cog enabling an ascent up a steep slope without getting derailed. 

Fact: A rack-and-pinion railway (also rack railway, cog railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep grades. The first mountain rack railway in continental Europe was the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn on Mount Rigi in Switzerland, which opened in 1871.

That is the one we took. It was quite an experience in itself because the train is inclined and so the person in the seat in front is above you. The views outside were lush green and extremely beautiful. The Cog wheel train is one of the oldest trains and goes pretty slowly. As you go up you are surrounded by such soothing greenery.

We got to the top and after hanging around there for a bit, took a cable car down. As the cable car lowers itself down the mountain the views are gobsmack green. The slopes, the trees on the slopes, the lake in the distance, the sun rays shimmering on the lake the mountains behind the lake- it is an out of the world experience.

Strolling the Swiss streets

After getting off we wandered around the village a bit on our way to the next cruise pier. The roads around the hill were winding up and down the houses were all beautiful and we couldn’t help but wonder how many celebrities, businessman, politicians had vacation homes in that setting? All houses there had beautifully manicured gardens full with flowers bushes and well , each with an interesting story to tell. Of course we sat on every bench on our way just taking it all in and smiling from ear to ear.