Lucerne, wading thru history

In the summer after my Sophomore year at college I spent two months in Austria on a study-abroad program. We were based in a small ski town outside of Vienna called Semmering which had a tiny street, post office and a bar. The actual classes only went for about 4.5 weeks of that and the rest was travel on the front and rear-end of the summer. Every weekend we busted out the Eurail passes and saw other stuff. In between there was spending of lots of money at the bar. Occasionally there was cramming for exams.

Anyway, one weekend a few of us went to Lucerne. You hear so much about Switzerland growing up that it becomes a priority to see once we got to Europe. Lucerne activities included renting a motor boat, walking the medieval bridge, taking a Lake tour on one of the old paddle boats, and the Bourbaki Panorama, a 360 painting of the retreating French army during the Franco-Prussian War.

Going back to these spots years later is kind of like looking through the past and for someone who has a strong connection to geography and personal history it is total catnip!

First, the hotel: Swiss breakfasts are a team favorite.

This I have never seen in a hotel room: a "peek-a-boo" shower window that lets out into the suite.

There's no screen, you just have to be ok with sharing your shower experience with the rest of the suite. 

The medieval watertower and accompanying bridge.

Must do Kirche. (church)

The cobblestones that are throughout Europe and which are destroying daddy's roadbike.

Can other armies use Swiss Army knives or just the Swiss one? Nevermind, this is the one I want. (He didn't get it since nearly everything in Switzerland requires cashing in retirement accounts to pay for).

Swiss Guards memorial.

Bourbaki. The Prussians beat the French during the 1870-71 war and part of the French force retreated into neutral Switzerland. This painting outlines the scene as the French are disarmed and granted "asylum." They've built out several foregrounds with actual objects (rifle pile, stretchers, train car) to grant that 3D effect.