On to Switzerland!

Next we worked our way out of Germany, thru Austria and Liechtenstein, to our next country (#8 if you’re counting), Switzerland. Our first stop was Appenzell, a well-known cheese region high in the alps. We’ve learned that one of the big reasons Switzerland is known for it’s cheese and chocolate is the abundant source for high quality milk. Every spring the cows are led up high in the alps where they graze all summer. Then in the fall, the farmers ceremoniously march their herd down from the “high country”, right through town and back to the farm. While the cows are away, some of the farmer's even clean the barn and rent beds made out of hay for willing tourists. While roughing it here and there is fun, the prospect of having our suitcases smell like manure did not appeal to us. Anyway, as if on cue, we had to make room for one of the farmers herds as soon as we pulled into town. After strolling through the village, changing our money to francs, and visiting the local cheese factory, we ventured on. Planning to stay the night in Zurich, we quickly bypassed the city (for the time being), finding accommodation prices to be crazy. We continued on towards Lucerne where we found much of the same, even the Hostel in town was $160. Switzerland is expensive! We finally settled on a hotel for one night and then found a great (and much more reasonable) apartment for the next four nights. Merlischachen, (they pronounce this one with lots of spit and phlegm) is situated just up the coast from Lucerne, and would become the jumping off point for the first leg of our Switzerland stay.

Our first day trip was back to Zurich, and if we needed anymore verification that this is an expensive country, we found it here. If money is no object then this is a great city set along the shore of Lake Zurich. They have a great old town, church steeples everywhere, and all the shopping you can handle. But if money is an object, then the $14.50 value meals at McDonalds that we saw, probably won’t cut it. (Not that Angie would let us eat at a McDonalds at any cost.)

Next on the agenda was Lucerne. This is a beautiful city, and probably the most visited by tourists in Switzerland. The city icon is the Chapel Bridge, a 607 foot covered bridge that was originally part of the city’s fortification wall. It was originally built in 1333 and today is lined with 1800 plants. The water tower along the bridge has had many uses over the years including a dungeon, torture chamber, treasury vault, and city archive. Part of downtown Appenzell.
This was our apartment in Merlischachen.  We were on the third floor and to get to it, you walked up stairs right through the middle of the owners living quarters.  The kids loved this place though, as they had two kids of their own which translates to lots of toys everywhere.
One of the boys, Julien, had the exact same birthday as Cole. These guys had a blast.
Along the banks of Zurich.
Some new friends.
With all the walking, you always need time for snacks.
A little alphorn concert in Zurich.
No trip to the mountains is complete without an alpine luge.  This one was just outside Zurich.

They even had bull riding.
This goat wanted to catch the kids on the slide.
The Chapel Bridge and Water Tower are the most photographed monuments in Switzerland.


Besides the bridge, another Lucerne landmark is the mightly lion. This guy is carved right into the mountain and commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards that were massacred during the French Revolution.  If you look close he's crying and slowly dying from the broken spear in his side.