Sunny Skies in Lucerne

I am afraid to write this since I have heard weather back home has not been to great, but, fortunately, we have been blessed with some fantastic sunshine again today.  Sunny skies not only mean that we are not looking for cafe after cafe to duck in to in order to stay dry, but they also mean breathtaking views of the Alps, which we were fortunate to see many times today during our time in Lucerne.

Lucerne

Lucerne is about an hour's train ride to the south of Basel.  One of the more picturesque cities in Switzerland, it is a great place to see all of what Switzerland has to offer, from views of the Alps, panoramas of the lake, and wonderful medieval, Renaissance, classical, and modern architecture. We traveled with the Swiss students on this outing, which was provided to us by Gymnasium Leonhard. We thank them immensely for their generosity and hospitality.

More of Lucerne

We met at the train station this morning, and once we left Basel, we were treated to many views of the rolling green hills littered with cattle and farmland  Fabian Hoffman's godfather, who is also a historian, greeted us by the lake and gave us an extensive walking tour of Lurcerne.  We went to the top of the concert hall and culture center, visited along the river Reuss, saw the famous Kappellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) and tower, toured Renaissance villas, and hiked to the old fort towers that provided some amazing views of the mountains, lake,

Enjoying the view

What we climbed

and city.

After our walking tour, we had about an hour for lunch before meeting back for our boat ride.  While we were waiting, many of the girls broke into some impromptu acapella, and we were all stuck with "Dancing Queen" in our heads for the rest of the afternoon.  Thanks ladies :)

Top of the Lucerne

We then enjoyed a short boat ride across Lake Lucerne.  The water was varying shades of blues and greens and crystal clear; it tempted one to take a dip.  We arrived at another part of the lake that housed the Verkehraus (Transportation Museum).  The museum was highly interactive and students took advantage of the many exhibitions and simulations that had them on television, in the air, on sea, and on the road. After a couple of hours, it was back to the train station for the ride home.  The train ride provided some interesting conversation between Swiss and American students about cultural norms and differences. While both cultures will never see eye to eye on everything, it is am important step for both parties to engage in discussion about these ideas.  It is amazing to watch our students grow right before our eyes.

Enjoying the ride together

Tomorrow, we head to the Alps, and, hopefully, more sunny skies!