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There
were green meadows around the Engelberg that were walled in by tall
majestic Alpine mountains capped by icy peaks. Every camera angle yielded
dazzling scenic photo opportunities. Engelberg, which means "Angel
Mountain", certainly looked the part on this day.
We
took the ski gondola halfway up Mt. Titlus to a ski lodge called Trübsee.
There were some wonderful vistas from that elevated location. As we
were coming down on the ski gondola, we heard loud metallic clanging
sounds from the ground below. These sounds were coming from large bells
worn by all the cows grazing below us. Later, we heard the same bells
as the cows were herded down the mountain trail. No doubt for the benefit
of the tourists, the cows also sported Swiss flags on their collars.
Lucerne
We
headed back from Engelberg to stop and shop in Lucerne for a short hour.
During the bus ride, we learned from our tour guide that in Switzerland,
it's not uncommon for guided tours to be cheaper than trying to do it
on your own. That's contrary to most everywhere else in the world. He
added that his company, Meier Tours, offered multiple-day tours that
included stays at 5-star hotels, such as the Hotel Sweitzerhoff in Lucerne.
The price seemed very reasonable to me. We thought we would keep that
in mind the next time we were in Switzerland.
As
we entered Lucerne, we passed by the bed 'n' breakfast place we had
stayed at nine years earlier. I was amazed that I even remembered the
place after all this time. Lucerne was such a beautiful city. We walked
on the famous Chapel Bridge next to the Water Tower. Nine years earlier,
the Chapel Bridge had been inaccessible due to a fire. It was nice to
see that it had been rebuilt.
We
were all encouraged to shop at the upscale gift store, Bucherer. The
multi-story gift store had everything from relatively inexpensive trinkets
to fine jewelry and watches that cost over $100,000. The bus tour gave
us a free coupon that could be redeemed at the Bucherer for a souvenir
teaspoon.
Farewell
to Europe - Homeward Bound
On
the last evening in Zurich, we had dinner at a restaurant in Old Town,
called Adlers, that was famous for fondue. The menu included various
types of fondue, including the traditional cheese fondues mixed with
minced hams and spices and more exotic fondues made of pear and other
fruits. We dipped pieces of bread and potatoes into the cheese fondues
that we ordered. It was delicious and quite filling
It
was time to say goodbye to Europe. As much as we enjoyed the places
we visited, we felt glad to go home. It was not that we were being xenophobic.
We were just weary of the cigarette smoke-filled restaurants and public
places, pay toilets, and the struggles to communicate with people who
didn't speak English. We just felt so blessed to live in the U.S.
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