1982 - Home Leave to England - Lucerne

Tuesday August 3, 1982, Lucerne

We woke up early as usual this morning and although the streets were still wet, it had stopped raining, after breakfast we set off for town again. Rab and Matt still had some shopping to do while I had agreed to go across to Swiss Re again this morning to see their training facilities. It was a very interesting visit and will be of great use to us if I can get permission for some of my young people to come over here. This time the vehicle that took me back to the hotel was a Cadillac – silver like yesterday’s Mercedes. Talk about travelling in style. I got back at about 11.30 and met up with Rab and Matt, back from their shopping.

We checked out of the hotel and got down to the railway station and bought our tickets at 11.58 just four minutes after the train for Lucerne had left. So we had an hour’s wait until the next one. Rab spent some of it chatting away to an American girl from Wisconsin – or somewhere like that. There seemed to be a lot of Americans about, but not many Poms.

Leaving Zurich

On the way to Lucerne

The train ride was comfortable and reasonably priced at f16.40 each for a return journey. There were only two stops on the way, one of which was Zug, which looks a lovely little place. The scenery on the way was magnificent – just what you’d expect from seeing pictures in books and magazines, all green and hilly.

Outside Zug

There was a bit of a circus when we arrived at Lucerne at about 14.00. according to our reservations, we were booked in the Hotel de la Paix, so off we went there in a taxi as it was across the river in the old part of town. But, Lo and Behold! – no reservations and a full hotel. No apologies either - just “Well, it is not my fault.” From the stupid receptionist behind the front desk. After much messing about it was eventually  discovered that for reasons unknown there was a reservation for us at another hotel, the Bergendorf in the new part of town back across the river and about 200 metres from the railway station.

By now it was about 15.00, as hot as hell, I am hungry and not very happy especially as the stupid taxi driver seemed to go out of their way to hit every traffic jam in Lucerne. After booking into the hotel, unpacking and mucking about with a travel agent trying to book an hotel in Innsbruck we finally got to a restaurant – the Capitol – and had a very nice meal. Rab had pork with a curry sauce; Matt had veal sausage and rosti and I had sausage and cheese and mushrooms on toast because I was so hungry. Washed down with two or three Pony beers it was good value at a total cost of $15 and it changed the whole complexion of the day.

Lucerne

It was drizzling a little after we had eaten so we walked across the old covered wooden bridge and spent a couple of hours exploring the old part of the city (and the shops) before catching a cab back to the hotel. It certainly is a beautiful city and we were very tempted to spend an extra night here but to get to Munich by 12.30 on Friday we would have to catch the 06.07 train. Not worth it, so we’re sticking with the plan to go through to Innsbruck.

We had a snack of yoghurt before I left Matt and Rab in their room. The weather forecast is for a clear day tomorrow so we are hoping to go up Pilatus. If not the old town is worth seeing – such lovely old buildings, many of which are painted with external murals. So far it has been splendid.