A Swiss Blog, Lake Lucerne, mid-May 06

Hi there, thank you for your interest. This part of my blog is best viewed starting at the end. Enjoy!
Towards the end of the day, we rode down towards the lake in a cable cabin (capacity 70 persons) soaring high above the ground. The view was breathtaking, the descent ear-popping, and the temperature rather on the warm side once we were down by the lakeshore at Meggen (ca. 500 m asl). Yes, it is the currently famous place where the Brazilians train for the football championships. Which cup is it again?
Near the top of the Rigi there were still patches of snow on the ground. As soon as the snow is gone, tiny white crocuses come out among the yellow blades of grass -- that's what the tiny white dots are.
(By the way, this image reminds me of landscapes by Swiss painter Albrecht Schnyder, who used to live in Bern back in the 1980s/90s, when I had the privilege of visiting his studio overlooking the river Aare.)
Glad we brought windproof clothing. Hat and gloves would have been ok, too, but we just managed without.
This was the view at which the alphornist was sending his clear but weird and ancient tunes. The peaks in the middle are the «Mythen» and the locals use the feminine gender when referring to them, the way some Anglos refer to a boat or car as «she».
Yes, we even had an alphornist who regaled us with a prelude to our al-fresco lunch. He played several tunes I heard my grandfather and uncle play when I was a wee girl. It's not something I miss but a few heart-strings were strummed rather despite myself -- probably because he allowed us to have a go at blowing this elegant instrument (no worries, he did wipe the mouthpiece before and afterwards). He told us exactly what to do and I enjoyed a real sense of achievement when I actually managed to produce a note, hold it for a while, and add a little flourish at the end of my «performance». When I was given my first chance at the age of six, all that came out of Granddad's horn was a kind of almost-rude whooshing noise -- very disappointing. So good to experience closure at my rather advanced age!
The meal was a little wind-blown and occasionally chilly but very tasty: barbecued meat and sausages, lots of different salads, followed by a delicious, spicy-sweet kind of bread pudding garnished with a peak of whipped cream. It was served by a local cheesemaker and his wife.
Lunch over, we were invited to observe the fine art of cheese making and storing -- did you know that a good «Käser» manages to produce even-quality cheeses all year round even if temperatures vary, the cows are unhappy about something, and the grass doesn't grow the way it should? This man told us that the hot summer of 2003 was a huge challenge because the cheese cellar warmed up too much, messing up the bacteria and fungi that are so important to the flavour and texture of a good cheese. And here's a factoid for the health buffs among my dear readers: real, hand-made mountain cheese contains certain chemicals that eliminate cholesterol -- never mind how much fat it actually contains.
(Having read all this you wouldn't believe that I don't actually like cheese, would you?)
As you can see, I still haven't figured out how to place two photos next to each other, or how to merge several into a panoramic view. For now, I have to rely on your mind working out how these two pix go together.
After the boat came a ride on a narrow-gauge cog-wheel railway, up from Vitznau. Sorry, train buffs, I didn't have time to take a picture of the turntable at the bottom of the line. But perhaps some website can help you out. Try googling Vitznau-Rigi Bahn!
There are two paddle wheels on each side of the boat. I had fun watching the water and paddle churning round in a blur beyond a wee window. A young boy made room for me and looked at me with big eyes as I inched towards the glass pane with my camera.
Magnificent! How do they keep that engine so clean?
On Lake Lucerne, May 14, 06: The day after said AGM, some of us teamed up for an excursion up to the famous Rigi mountain (1800 m asl). It was a mixed day, weather wise, but at least it didn't rain, and I enjoyed the company of fellow business or craftspeople. Is translating a business or a craft? I sometimes wonder...
The first leg of the trip saw us on the «Uri», a 105-year-old paddle steamer!
This is the view from her deck -- three photos that might make up a panorama, if only I knew how to merge them!
This is better, i'n't it?
Lucerne, May 13, 06: Bearing my foreign friends in mind, I took a few touristy photos, just for the heck of it, but initially I was in two minds, still fascinated with the pollen on the water.
At the top edge of this photo is the famous Kappellbrücke, the Medieval covered wooden bridge lovingly restored after a fire some years ago. Walking across it (through it?) is really an extraordinary experience, even now. Part-way into the bridge stands the so-called Wasserturm, or Water Tower. I'll have to find out whether it really held water or whether it is called that because it stands in the water. Anyone knows? Thanks for posting your feedback.
Of course, I had my wee camera with me (my dear Scottish friends, kindly take note of my sympathetic/ empathetic adoption of your favourite adjective -- I have no Scots and, alas, less Gaelic). The fir trees were in full bloom, and so were lots of other trees and grasses, which made for what looked like rafts of pollen on the calmly flowing river that exits Lake Lucerne, or Vierwaldstättersee, as we call it here, the Lake of the Four Forest States.
This time, I want to show you a few pix from Switz. On the mid-May weekend, I was in Lucerne for a combination of business and pleasure. My hotel was on the railway station side of the Reuss river, the conference venue was on the other side. Don't ask me which one would be lovelier -- they are both absolutely gorgeous hotels, classics of Lucerne, say no more here.
Hello there, friends, family, strangers! Welcome to this part of my blog! I hope you'll enjoy reading about an excursion to Lucerne and the famous Rigi mountain.