Sunday is the best day of the week. This Sunday was special because it was my first in Swiss and we planned to visit Mt Pilatus. I was longing to visit from the moment I saw the internet pictures of Mt Pilatus,
And, this was Sunday was too special because it was sunny too. Sun, Kappelsbrucke and Mt Pilatus all in a single frame is indeed very good start.
To start with, nearly 1/2 hour cable-car & cog ride with a stop in between in gives us not only the view of Lucerne city but also a preview of the incredible Mt Pilatus and amazement waiting for us on the top.
Here it is, 2132 meters high Mt Pilatus ..
The photo below is an accident, but it does look good, I guess.
This is Essel - the 1-stop I mentioned earlier. There is a fine restaurant here. This is where we had lunch while coming down.
I was waiting for it to crawl down for about good 10 minutes. The red panoramic Gondola is about to fall on my head.. By the way, that's not a photobomb. It was deliberate. Apparently for silly reason.. I love me most when I am being silly. Yeah..
Below, a someone was standing there for a very long time. Twice or thrice, I noticed him/her standing there in this position like a statue. I was guessing who could this nature-connoisseur be?.. Could he/she be an artist or an author or could even be philosopher, relishing the beauty millimeter by millimeter. I was also wondering whether he/she got frozen.. nah.. he/she must have forgotten him(her)self, lost in bliss looking at the sheer beauty lit up by sun. I thought I should walk to him/her and jolt him to come to reality. But didn't want to disturb his/her state of eternal bliss. That would be a crime.
And, the climb begins again, inching closer and closer to Pilatus terrace.
As we were going up, the sky started becoming discouragingly cloudy.. Oh no. Not again. But can't help, this is Europe. Unlike in Chennai, climate here can change so fast, we have to be prepared for all the four seasons in a day.. Yeah. Once, in Stuttgart, on a fine day beginning of this year, I have experienced all - sun, rain, chill and snow, all in matter of 4 hours.
I hate this sick cloud cover. I don't like to click when it is cloudy at all. It sets off depressive thoughts. To me, all beautiful landscape, monuments etc appears to be grieving when it is cloudy. It really spoils good photo clicking opportunity. These are the places I can't go often, perhaps I wouldn't even get a chance again in my lifetime.
Finally, we reached the top. There is a restaurant, a souvenir shop and this terrace that gives us the splendid, breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountain Pilatus. There is a radar installation as well on the edge of the mountain. From this terrace, we can walk up a little further up but we didn't because we were not wearing appropriate shoes.
While I was standing close to the rail and looking down, 2 paragliding folks came and stood next to me for few moments and then they simply jumped out. Oh my god. The pace at which they came and jumped out gave me slight tremors. I am not sue whether it was legal and people were allowed to jump out just like that.
Now thick black cloud started spoiling my day, again.
Descent begins. Then, it stated becoming sunny again.
Farther I went from Pilatus, sadder I became. For few minutes I felt I left behind a part of me there on the top. But, Pilatus, I will be back.
Touch down in Kriens.
Next on our itinerary is a visit to another picturesque place Kussnacht am Rigi. It takes less than 1/2 hour by train from Lucerne. The train ride gives preview of much more breathtaking landscape and Mt Rigi from a distance.
Bit more of Pilatus, from a distance and different perspective before we reached Kussnacht am Rigi. Can't get enough of Pilatus.
Now, we were closer to Kussnacht am Rigi.. Sunny, but with patches of thick cloud here and there, now and then.
And we are here. People of Kussnacht am Rigi are very lucky and live enviable life here in this blessed village.
My friends Riyas and Bala reached the other end and came back easily.
Then, the fun begins. I got stuck up there for long..I was unable to walk back on that floating metal dock (or something).. The whole thing was wobbling badly and I thought I will fall down in that freezing lake.
After several minutes of 'dancing', 'balancing', I crawled back to base.. Yes, literally I crawled back. Those were the funniest moments of the day, my team couldn't stop laughing. Well, at least, I made them laugh and happy, the least I could do in return for planning and coordinating such wonderful trip. Thank you folks.
That is it. It was near 5PM and we had a train to catch. We wound up our short trip to Lucerne, Swiss and we headed back to Stuttgart.
My friends did not want to miss one more best of Lucerne. The dessert, with a history. Confiserie Bachmann has been making best of best dessert for over a century. I was already too mesmerized since beginning of the day and it seemed to me Bachmann dessert will make me to stay back there permanently, so I decided not to have it but save this best for the next. Don't miss Bachmann, may be, you should have it as the first thing you do after landing in Lucerne. Try it. Enjoy the tasty bliss.
And, this was Sunday was too special because it was sunny too. Sun, Kappelsbrucke and Mt Pilatus all in a single frame is indeed very good start.
To start with, nearly 1/2 hour cable-car & cog ride with a stop in between in gives us not only the view of Lucerne city but also a preview of the incredible Mt Pilatus and amazement waiting for us on the top.
Here it is, 2132 meters high Mt Pilatus ..
The photo below is an accident, but it does look good, I guess.
This is Essel - the 1-stop I mentioned earlier. There is a fine restaurant here. This is where we had lunch while coming down.
I was waiting for it to crawl down for about good 10 minutes. The red panoramic Gondola is about to fall on my head.. By the way, that's not a photobomb. It was deliberate. Apparently for silly reason.. I love me most when I am being silly. Yeah..
Below, a someone was standing there for a very long time. Twice or thrice, I noticed him/her standing there in this position like a statue. I was guessing who could this nature-connoisseur be?.. Could he/she be an artist or an author or could even be philosopher, relishing the beauty millimeter by millimeter. I was also wondering whether he/she got frozen.. nah.. he/she must have forgotten him(her)self, lost in bliss looking at the sheer beauty lit up by sun. I thought I should walk to him/her and jolt him to come to reality. But didn't want to disturb his/her state of eternal bliss. That would be a crime.
And, the climb begins again, inching closer and closer to Pilatus terrace.
As we were going up, the sky started becoming discouragingly cloudy.. Oh no. Not again. But can't help, this is Europe. Unlike in Chennai, climate here can change so fast, we have to be prepared for all the four seasons in a day.. Yeah. Once, in Stuttgart, on a fine day beginning of this year, I have experienced all - sun, rain, chill and snow, all in matter of 4 hours.
I hate this sick cloud cover. I don't like to click when it is cloudy at all. It sets off depressive thoughts. To me, all beautiful landscape, monuments etc appears to be grieving when it is cloudy. It really spoils good photo clicking opportunity. These are the places I can't go often, perhaps I wouldn't even get a chance again in my lifetime.
Finally, we reached the top. There is a restaurant, a souvenir shop and this terrace that gives us the splendid, breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountain Pilatus. There is a radar installation as well on the edge of the mountain. From this terrace, we can walk up a little further up but we didn't because we were not wearing appropriate shoes.
While I was standing close to the rail and looking down, 2 paragliding folks came and stood next to me for few moments and then they simply jumped out. Oh my god. The pace at which they came and jumped out gave me slight tremors. I am not sue whether it was legal and people were allowed to jump out just like that.
Now thick black cloud started spoiling my day, again.
Farther I went from Pilatus, sadder I became. For few minutes I felt I left behind a part of me there on the top. But, Pilatus, I will be back.
Touch down in Kriens.
Next on our itinerary is a visit to another picturesque place Kussnacht am Rigi. It takes less than 1/2 hour by train from Lucerne. The train ride gives preview of much more breathtaking landscape and Mt Rigi from a distance.
Bit more of Pilatus, from a distance and different perspective before we reached Kussnacht am Rigi. Can't get enough of Pilatus.
First view of splendid Rigi.
And we are here. People of Kussnacht am Rigi are very lucky and live enviable life here in this blessed village.
My friends Riyas and Bala reached the other end and came back easily.
I as well followed them.. I reached the other end. Then...
Then, the fun begins. I got stuck up there for long..I was unable to walk back on that floating metal dock (or something).. The whole thing was wobbling badly and I thought I will fall down in that freezing lake.
After several minutes of 'dancing', 'balancing', I crawled back to base.. Yes, literally I crawled back. Those were the funniest moments of the day, my team couldn't stop laughing. Well, at least, I made them laugh and happy, the least I could do in return for planning and coordinating such wonderful trip. Thank you folks.
That is it. It was near 5PM and we had a train to catch. We wound up our short trip to Lucerne, Swiss and we headed back to Stuttgart.
My friends did not want to miss one more best of Lucerne. The dessert, with a history. Confiserie Bachmann has been making best of best dessert for over a century. I was already too mesmerized since beginning of the day and it seemed to me Bachmann dessert will make me to stay back there permanently, so I decided not to have it but save this best for the next. Don't miss Bachmann, may be, you should have it as the first thing you do after landing in Lucerne. Try it. Enjoy the tasty bliss.
