More cosmic wanderings… or

A trip from lake to lake.

As many of my family and friends know, my life although often tried to plan, usually has a mind of its own and leads me in tangents, most of which turn out very well indeed.

A couple of months ago, my eldest son asked if he could use the mountain apartment the first week in August. I replied in the positive and even offered the car as it is easier to get around although if one has to there is a train.  Then about a month ago he learned that he wasn’t going to be able to take the first week in August: how was the last week in July?

Not a problem as meanwhile I had an accumulation of odds and ends of appointments.

At that point he no longer wanted the car – his back is still giving him problems and the train is better for being able to move around.

Fast forward to just a couple of weeks ago: my lovely Syrian friends from Paris asked if they could visit the first week of August – a resounding yes on my part. There is the 1^st of August, then they will produce their marvelous Syrian and grill meal the 3^rd and so it goes. My summer house guest, R., will also be here for her last week – where has the time gone?

Anyway when another good friend no longer needed to go to Northern Switzerland for the day today, I bought the train ticket thinking to give my son a great gift, but no, meanwhile he preferred a car so rented one as I could no longer offer him mine.

Thus is was that two days ago I started seriously considering what I wanted to do today with this train ticket and for some reason, which I couldn’t explain at the time, my mind said “go have lunch in Lucerne”.

 

As Seneca said: hurry and live well: remember that each day is a life in itself.

Terminus - Lucerne - please get off

 

Lucerne's famous wooden bridge - in all its summer glory

 

detail of the wooden bridge

Which is what I did. Caught the direct train and thought to choose a different restaurant, but having checked out several ended up back at one that holds fond memories “Le Lapin” – introduced to me by one of my best friends who grew up not far from Lucerne and with whom I had the privilege of eating there whilst visiting her a few years back during their period of “returning home”. They have since returned to the neighborhood so I see them more often, still good memories.

I also went out to the Hans Erni Museum – something that I had been meaning to do for several years now: more good memories at it is in the same compound as the Museum of Transportation – a favorite of the family. Although I didn’t find another lithograph to purchase (we do have Pythagoras on the wall – bought there when they first opened) I enjoyed refreshing my memory as to his talent.

mural outside the Hans Erni Museum

Somewhere along the way I realized why I had been pulled towards Lucerne as my choice today: my favorite aunt – and second mother – would have turned 95 today! It was during her first trip to Europe that she saw Lucerne and bought me my first watch – a Swiss watch. Who could have known that I would eventually study in France then return to Switzerland and become Swiss all these years later? Cosmic wanderings indeed with an added bonus: it wasn't as hot in Lucerne as currently in Geneva.

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne

7 hours … across Switzerland and into Germany

Or the train from Geneva to Munich.

Due to the higher terrorist level in Geneva and the fact that the last time I tried to take a train to Germany I ended up turning around and coming back once I had done the 3 hours to Zurich, this time I decided to put more than the usual luck on my side. R took me to the train station early enough so that I could have an extra hour in Zurich just in case.

Of course having taken all those precautions, both trains went off without a hitch. Not only, but arriving in Munich I went out the correct door, got a taxi within seconds and was across town in my hotel in time for the 18:00 briefing ! Ran into the tour guide just leaving my room key in an envelope with my name (spelled correctly even – that’s once in a row) on it at the reception desk, so I was able to reconfirm the time as well as where the briefing was being held.

Although inside a train all day was able to get a few pictures out the windows once I had left the fog of Geneva, Fribourg, Neuchatel, Olten and Solothurn behind.

Now it’s on to Christmas markets galore with a childhood friend and her husband, first here in Munich, secondly on our cruise down the Danube from Nuremburg, Germany to Vienna, Austria.

Just a slight note of caution : in the fancy hotels wifi is paying, on the boat we may be out of range so the blogs of this particular trip may be a wee bit out of sync and slow in being posted.

Never mind, rest assured that fun will be had, photos will be taken and news will arrive albeit perhaps at a slower pace than usual.

sun through the fog looking down from the Geneva train station

double and sometimes triple suns through the windows

The Swaroski tree in the Zurich train station

Niki de Saint Phalle's "protective angel" sculpture in the Zurich train station

Into Lindau

Out from Lindau

Along the lake and the border

close up of the square rainbow in the picture above

On the road again…

And again and again and again

I’m a traveler – up for most any trip from a few hours to a few weeks (try to avoid entire months, but have done the odd 7-week trip).

It must have started when my parents moved from the state of Washington to Southern California when I was just 9 months old. Followed a few years where the “only” trips were camping ones for summer holidays, but oh the places I have camped in!

Then there was the car trip across the country (California to Washington D.C.) when I was ten: first along the Southern states, return across the Northern ones.

As a just-barely-teenager the family moved to Hawaii for three years – our summer holidays were limited to the nearest islands.

My young adult life involved two years in a boarding school in Northern California with mostly short flights to return home for holidays, but there were also the band tours and summer jobs as camp counselor in the mountains, then my first year of university back in Southern California.

I had just turned 19 when I began to seriously travel: a year abroad flying to New York then a student boat across the Atlantic to Le Havre in France. Christmas vacations, weekends, Easter vacations – all used to explore first Austria then Italy (never mind the pre-school trip through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland before landing just outside of Geneva Switzerland).

After that initial introduction to Europe I have lost count of the number of trips and countries.

I have traveled by “Plane, Train and Automobile” (remember the movie?) as well as ship, boat, canoe, tram, bus, hot air balloon, cable car and (one memorable excursion )camels.

I have traveled solo; with first my husband (South America was one of those 7-week sagas) then with husband and children (another 7-week was from New York to Alaska with several other trips in between); with a close friend (many of those – so many adventures) or two as well as in a group. All trips, all modes of transportation, all types of lodging (under the stars in nothing but a sleeping bag, tents, lodges, motels, hotels – of all standards – luxury lodgings, even B and Bs though I have yet to explore AirBnB), each have their own advantages, disadvantages, discomforts and charms.

They are however all, without exception, an experience!

Today I traveled to Zurich to join my cousin, taking the train (bless my community for having “day cards” – anywhere in Switzerland for one day at a very reasonable price).

It was another great experience as I enjoyed lunch in the dining car, views first of the lake, then of the plateau between the alps, more rivers and finally a big city. All that in just three hours and in great comfort!

my train today

typical train station - this one is Lausanne

Along the Lac Léman

Lavaux vineyards

tracks along the way

a u-shaped river

Zurich train station and Niki de Phalle's "Angel"

Rear of the Zurich train station

So on to yet another adventure in my life. I always enjoy being “on the road”.