10/1/2019 Riquewihr, France

10/1/2019 Riquewihr, France Day 7 Grand Circle, Total travel day 36 The phone says 2.3 miles and 5,963 steps.  Climbed one floor.  

I am thinking I lost my original post about 10/1/2019.  

We traveled through ten locks this morning.  Along the way, we saw swans, fishermen, and a piece of equipment cleaning the green "stuff" from the river.  A truck was then loaded with the green stuff and it was taken away.  We traveled through farmland and vineyards to make our way to a stork rescue.  One town we passed through, a wooden heart was mounted on the peak if a single woman lived there and a wine bottle on a peak meant there was a single male in the house.  The storks' were almost extinct.  Our guide pointed out the stork nests on top of the houses.  They are considered good luck.  The storks make them taller each year and a nest can weigh up to one ton.  After leaving the stork rescue, we stopped in Riquewihr, France.  

I loved this town.  There were ten buses in the lot and a lot of people on the main streets. We had ninety minutes in this town and I spent most of my time on side streets.  It was very enjoyable.  There were many shoppes, restaurants and wine vendors. Riquewihr is surrounded by vineyard-covered rolling hills.   

Riquewihr is a romantic medieval city located in Eastern France on the Alsace Wine Route.  It is a commune and is known for its historical architecture, Reisling wine, and other great wines.  The town still looks similar in appearance to the 16th-century town. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.  The town is surrounded by medieval fortification and has a castle sitting above the town.  The Dolder (1291) is a 13th-century defensive gate. The half-timbered houses date back to the 15th-18th centuries and are very close together. Check out worldaltem.blogspot.com to see more pictures of amazing houses.      

Obertor or Upper Gate into the town has massive double doors and portcullis dating back to 1500.  The portcullis is a heavy vertically closing gate.  It consisted of a latticed grill made or wood, metal or a combination of the two.  It slid down groves inset in each jamb of the gateway.  The clock tower was lovely.  Around every corner was another cobblestone street with more well maintained homes.  

We passed through a town today and the guide said the bottle on the peak of the yellow house meant an available young man lived there.  The heart on the peak of the green house below meant that an available young woman lived there.

Riquewihr is a commune and is known for its historical architecture, Reisling wine, and other great wines.  The town still looks similar in appearance to the 16th-century town. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.  The town is surrounded by medieval fortification and has a castle sitting above the town.  The half-timbered houses date back to the 15th-18th centuries and are very close together.  The Dolder is a 13th-century defensive gate.  We had ninety minutes in this town.  It was very enjoyable.  There were many shoppes, restaurants and winery vendors.    

Obertor or Upper Gate into the town.    Massive double doors and portcullis date to 1500.  The portcullis is a heavy vertically closing gate.  It consisted to a latticed grill made or wood, metal or a combination of the two.  It slide down groves inset in  each jamb of the gateway.  You can see the bottom of the portcullis in the arch.  

Ten buses in the parking lot and lots of people on the streets.  

Clocktower

Riquewihr is surrounded by vineyard-covered rolling hills.  

9/22-24/2019 Zurich, Switzerland

Liver - it was good, but I could not clean my plate.  

Lions are a symbol of Zurich and we were lucky we could see the Alps today.

Charlemagne is believed to be the original commissioner of the church located where the Grossmunster is today.  

Fountains (about 1200 of them) are popular and plentiful in Zurich.  A free source of mountain spring drinking water.  Many are unique works of art.  

Polybahn in Zurich.  Funicular opened in 1889 originally.  It was updated last in 1996.  

Student Center

9/25/2019 Wednesday Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne, Switzerland

4 NIGHTS PRE-TRIP

"Discover the beauty of Lucerne, Switzerland, set on the shores of Lake Lucerne with stunning views of the Alps. Enjoy four nights in this center of Swiss culture and wander the narrow cobblestone streets—admiring the spires, turrets, covered bridges, and fountains for which the city is famous."

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

Accommodations for 4 nights

Daily breakfasts

Included tour with personal headsets: Lucerne

Pre-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Dedicated services of a local Program Director

Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers

All transfers

9/25/2019  Wednesday  Day 2 Arrive Lucerne, Switzerland 33 miles from Zurich  Ave. 63 high 48 low 47% rain

• Accommodations: Ameron Hotel Flora, Siedenhofstrasse 5, 6002 Luzern Switzerland. Call 41 41 227 6666

We had a meeting to go over the agenda for the next four days.  I like the organization GCT offers.  

TOUR INFO "A Grand Circle representative will meet you at the airport and assist with the transfer to your hotel in Lucerne. (Depending on your arrival time and hotel check-in policy, you may not be able to check into your hotel room immediately upon arrival at your hotel. Your Program Director will advise you of our check-in status and activity schedule for the day when you arrive.)

You may want to stroll across Lucerne’s trademark Chapel Bridge (where the Reuss River leaves Lake Lucerne) and admire its paintings of old battles. Or wander through the adjacent quaint quarters with their maze of narrow, winding streets.

The balance of the day is at leisure to relax after your overseas flight. You can also do some exploring on your own, or join an orientation walk to get acquainted with the vicinity around your hotel.

This evening, join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Drink."

Pictures below the text.

My INFO Lucerne is known for its medieval architecture and is located between the mountains and a lake.  It has a fairytale appearance.  Explore Lucerne's Old Town.  You will find elaborately decorated buildings, especially notice the frescoes.  Look for Pfistern Guildhouse (Kornmarkt 4, Lucerne), the Hotel des Balances (Weinmarkt, Lucerne, the Restaurant Fritschi (Sternplatz 5, Lucerne) and check out St. Peter's Chapel on the Kapellplatz.  There are trolleybuses and motor buses to get around the city.  

Lake Lucerne is Switzerland's fourth-largest lake.  

The Rathaus (town hall) in Lucerne was built 17th-Century.  It now has its very own brewery and pub.  You can have a beer, Weisswurst (spiced white sausage) or Luzerner Kasekuchen (a cheese tart).

Kapellbrucke/Chapel Bridge is an iconic site.  This (204m/669ft) old wooden footbridge is the oldest one of its kind in Europe with decorative paintings all along the inside walls.  It is especially beautiful at night.  

Spreuer Bridge/Spreuerbrucke is another covered wooden footbridge.  Inside, the footbridge is decorated with forty-five 17th-century paintings depicting a Danse Macabre-style (Dance of Death) about mortality and human existence.  You will see skeletons, priests, courtiers, and angels in scenes.  This bridge is between Kasernenplatz and the Muhlenplatz.  

Lion of Lucerne is a memorial to the hundreds of Swiss mercenaries that were killed in 1792 while fighting for King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.  The dying lion was carved into a rock at the park near Lowenplatz.

Glacier Garden has glacial potholes that have been traced back to the Ice Age.  Gletschergarten Luzern, Denkmalstrasse.

Chateau Gutsch is a turn-of-the-century hotel that can be reached by climbing a long staircase.  You will enjoy a great view of the city and Lake Lucerne. The bar alone is worth the climb.  

NO Nuclear Bunker tour that was built in the 60s and 70s.  It can be accessed from the Sonnenberg highway tunnel. The Sonnenberg Bunker could shelter 20,000 residents if there was a nuclear attack.  Tours are available on the last Sunday, but we are there on Saturday.  

The Museggmauer and its nine towers date back to the 14th-century.  They are remnants of the old wall that surrounded the city.  Four towers are open to the public.   

Mount Pilatus offers the best views of Lucerne and can be reached by gondola or cable car. You can count 72 other mountain peaks on a clear day.  

My trip to Lucerne went perfectly although the train was very crowded.  I walked the three blocks from the train station to my hotel rolling my suitcase easily as it was level and smooth.  I met my tour director, nice man and attentive.  About 1:00, I was able to drop my stuff in my room and went to walk in old town.  It is lovely here.  I walked for a while along the lake and then sat on a bench and just enjoyed looking at the mountains.  I wandered the streets and went to the market as the prices here are as ridiculous as Zurich.  I think I might go to the mountains tomorrow so I got some things I can take for lunch.  

This town is much prettier than Zurich.  Zurich has 40,000 students.  Lucerne has about 50000 residents.  It is much simpler here.  I did walk through the Chapel Bridge looking at the battle paintings which are trianglular paintings in the peaks of the bridge framing.  

Kapellbrucke/Chapel Bridge is an iconic site.  This (204m/669ft) old wooden footbridge is the oldest one of its kind in Europe with decorative paintings depicting Zurich's history in the peaks.  It is especially beautiful at night.  

Chapel Bridge diagonally crosses the River Reuss. 

Here’s some pics.  I love this town. 

Lots of sidewalk cafes along the river.

Lake in Lucerne with the Alps in the distance.