Adventures in Switzerland

Day 7- Paragliding

Returned to our favourite  pizza spot again...I think somebody's going to have to lean how to put carpaccio on a pizza with truffle oil in Toronto.



This morning we had a great sleep in preparation for our paragliding adventure. We met our pilots at 130; two fantastic and very competent guys with great personalities. Then we took another cog railway to Mount Generosa...1760 meters up.

The pilots laid out the gear and basically we ran ...in about 4 steps we were flying. MC was still running in the air!! 

Up, up, up we went. I climbed to 2,000 meters. MC remained slightly lower to enjoy soaring on the wind currents. Back and forth we went with Lake Como and Italy one way...

.... Lugano and Switzerland the other. When it was time to land, we dropped in elevation by doing tight circles, sort of like being on a roller coaster,  and we landed gently.

The entire process took about 3 hours and we were up in the skies for about 40 minutes.

Enjoyed the end of the day with Bellinis and snacks at the pool.

This was an amazing treat; a raspberry with smoked salmon. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for excitement when I get home? Start cooking?

Day 6

Today, we had a big adventure----canyoning.

It started with an exciting drive, discovering parts of Switzerland that we really didn't need to see. For example, Corippo, a municipality in the canton of Ticino. With a population of just 12, as of December 2011, it’s the smallest municipality in Switzerland. Despite this, it possesses the trappings of communities many times its size: an official website, its own coat of arms, a village church, a restaurant, and a mayor who leads a town council consisting of three local citizens. And a dead end!

The previously mentioned Corippo Coat of arms...perhaps there are not a lot of graphic artists in town

Though we were a little late arriving, we met our canyoning companions and experienced the most challenging part of the day- getting into the wet suits! The suits are modified with extra rubber at the seat and knees. I eventually got mine pulled up and was as snug as bug in a rug.

 

We then had to walk up to the town and down to the river. I was tired before I started canyoning, but was determined not to let my team of twenty-somethings down. We reached the river, lay down in a chute and flew into a grotto. Cameras are not allowed since many previous canyoneers have spent the day diving for lost cameras.

 

 

 

 

We then slipped, slid, walked, shuffled, jumped, and rappelled down the stream. The whole adventure took about 2 1/2 hours...with no breaks.

It was a 'blast' that I’m happy to have survived.

 

Day 5

Today was all about shopping at the outlet mall. MC got some great deals. Our suitcases will need some serious sitting on to get them to close! And it was about food...this was the best fondue ever.

Then we had Mexican.

 

Note to self….must practice drinking shooters.

 

Day 4

Today we were off on a an early train ride to Lugano. MC and I are getting quite proficient at using trains and buses.  It helps that we have only carry-on bags. The scenery is fantastic, very mountainous with wonderful lakes. The mountains are so high that the valleys are in shadow for much of the morning.

I forgot to tell you about the cows. Every spring the cows are taken to the countryside to pasture and returned to their homes in the fall. The cows wear large bells so they can be found easily. Everywhere you go you hear the ringing of the cow bells. Amusingly, some tour guides use them as well. Lugano is lovely - it's like Muskoka is to Ontario or Lake Como to Italy- think rich vacationers. The town shops sell goods from every designer possible...Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc. We had a wonderful relaxing day by the lake, then dinner in town. 

By the way, the 5 minute cab ride from the train station to the hotel (about 5 minutes in a Mercedes) was 24 bucks plus tip!



A great Coke campaign.

Rocking horses everywhere...similar to the moose in Toronto.

Swiss tequila.



Day 3

 

Today we headed to Mount Titlis in Engelberg on an early morning train. It's about an hour from Lucerne.  We took 3 different gondolas to get to the top, including one that rotated, providing us with a spectacular 360 degree view from above the clouds.

 

Out first activity was the cliff walk, which was like a swaying bridge way above the world.

Then we took a short chair lift down to the snow park where we tubed and used various slides. It was lots of laughs.

 Back on gondola to return to Lucerne...it was a great excursion but go early...you wouldn't believe the lines as we left.

Back in Lucerne to a hot day....so we rented a boat for a tour of the lake. While waiting M.C. got a new best friend.



I had trouble getting back on the boat without a little help.



Day 2

After searching for sun in vain yesterday, today we rose to sunshine...

This was the view from our window....
 so we went to Mount Pilatus.

First the rope course....I decided the better course for me was that of photographer...M.C. has the muscles...

After about 3 hours of climbing - the grand finale was the 20 meter free fall jump..

Next...toboganning. While standing in line M.C. asked if she could go first down the run. I interpreted this request as her thinking I might slow things down if in front. Later I learned that she wanted to go first in case she became scared and would perhaps need me to push her. However, because at the time I felt I had something to prove, I sped down the run at maximum speed, disregarded the brake sign at the first curve and flew off the course. I managed to crawl back on and complete the track....braking at all curves. 

We got to ride back up enjoying the scenery and smelling the nearby cows.

 

Our hotel.

Dirndl anyone?

Day 1

 

My daughter Mary-Claire and I landed safely in Zurich and managed to catch the correct train to Lucerne. We arrived in the rain, so instead of heading up to the mountains we went on a tour of the city. Lucerne is a city in the German-speaking portion of north-central Switzerland, population about 76,200.

 

 

Because of its location on the shore of Lake Lucerne, within sight of the Swiss Alps, it’s a tourist destination with tourist prices for food and drink.  A single serving of Cheese fondue, a beer and a coke cost $40.  

One of the city's famous landmarks is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first erected in the 14th century.

 

 

The Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal), or the Lion of Lucerne, is a sculpture designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris, France. Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

 

My husband and son will be envious of our hotel location, right beside Lucerne casino.