Day trip to Lucerne

This weekend Emily and I were invited to go on a day trip to Lucerne with our friends Marie and Bernie who just bought a car. The weather was a bit chilly and rainy, which I guess is more common on the north side of the Alps, but none the less it was another beautiful city.

Emily was quick to sniff out a Starbucks and apparently more than happy to pay 7 francs (= $7) for a small latte. Guess that's what happens when you've been deprived for two months.

Looking down the river

UDA (unidentified dead animal) at the market...maybe a rabbit

Marie and Bernie

Chapel Bridge: A Lucerne landmark covered by moss and flowers. With Thanksgiving not to far away this would be a great place to bag a bird.

A shot from Chapel Bridge

Em enjoying the atmosphere

After strolling around downtown we headed to the transportation museum that just opened in August.

The Swiss are very proud of their accomplishments in the train industry. Here is a snow blower for the tracks

This one speaks for itself

The car exhibit at the transportation museum

The plane exhibit at the museum

Snow line leaving Lucerne

The battle between summer and winter

I thought I would throw this one in for fun. Apparently this is how rich people in Emily's neighborhood move palm trees from their front yard to their back yard.

Emily's 30th Birthday weekend in Interlaken Switzerland

So I decided to surprise Emily with a mysterious trip I planned for her 30th birthday. I rented a Smart car for the weekend and we took off early Saturday morning for a pleasant drive through the alps.

Packing the car and heading to.......well at least Emily had no clue where we were going.

A view from the non-existent back seat.


A quick stop in the little town of Beckenried near Lucerne.

That's how small the car was. The great thing is you can put it in your back pocket when you get out and stroll around.

Emily in front of Lake Lucerne

Emily throwin' up some gang signs...or the big 30.

We headed up to Grindelwald (outside of Interlaken) for lunch.

Where's my lederhosen when I need it?

Our lunch site with an amazing backdrop of towering mountains.

The Swiss love Feldshlosshen...personally I think they could do better.

The Wetterhorn

The Eiger

We checked into our hotel in Interlaken and then a mysterious van picked us up and started driving up a mountain.

Went for a short hike and then.............

....got to our launch area for some PARAGLIDING!!!!!

That's me after running off the mountain.

The updrafts were awesome that day so we kept on going higher and higher.

Emily finally released her death grip on the harness and took some pics.

Interlaken and the mountains.

That me and my guide Miki. He said this was his first flight also :)

Emily taking off.

Emily and Lake Brienz

Emily

Me

Everyone catching the updrafts

Coming in for the landing after doing corkscrews. It took me a few hours to get my balance back.

Emily coming in for the landing.

I think she liked it.

That was awesome!

Finally some good dark German beer.

Sunday breakfast on the lake.

Awe isn't that cute.

A special guest, Rod Stewart!...or just a look alike with a mullet.

A stop at Juanpass on our way to Broc and Gruyeres.

We thought we might try out some action shots after watching some other tourist look like idiots doing it.

I now know how much fun it is. I take back the previous idiot comment.

The advantage of driving a Smart car is it makes parallel parking a breeze.

Gruyeres Castle.

Emily holding down the fort.

We were now in the French speaking part of Switzerland.

Inside the castle walls was a fully functional town.

After the castle we headed to Broc for a visit to the Nestle-Callier chocolate factory. Emily giving thanks to Daniel Peter, the inventor of milk chocolate.

This is the famous "kid in a candy store" look.

I couldn't stop eating.

Emily thinking hard about if she can put one more down the hatch.

These trays just keep coming once they are empty....very dangerous.

Did I mention this was a free tour?

Literally sick to my stomach.

Emily cashing in on cheap chocolate.

After the chocolate feast we headed back to Gruyeres for a cheese tour. It takes 400 liters of milk to make just one 35 kg wheel of cheese.

On our way back to Lugano through the San Gottardo tunnel. This is the second longest tunnel in the world (17 km). It takes 15 minutes to drive through. This was one of the 35 tunnels we drove through on the drive home.

Going up and over Susten Pass.

Looking east from the pass at 7, 300 ft.

Looking west from the pass. These roads were steep and narrow to say the least, oh and the frequent buses didn't help either.

A giant spider waiting in Emily's apartment to welcome us home.