Lake Lucerne

Next up on our adventure was Lake Lucerne, Switzerland.  Another morning, another lake, another city.  But there was something so very special about the Lion Monument.

The Lion Monument is in memory of the 800 Swiss Guard that lost their lives protecting the French king Louis XVI.  The French King told the Swiss guard to lay down their weapons and the 800 were then slaughtered by 10,000 armed soldiers during the French Revolution.  The monument itself is heart-breakingly beautiful.  The sculptor chose a lino because of its strength, power, and loyalty, spear in its side, still protecting the French.  The expression on the lion's face is amazing--the artist captured such emotion in a creature and it so accurately depicts the devastating situation.  This monument and its story were one of the highlights of the trip for me.

  "The Lion lies in his lair in the perpendicular face of a low cliff − for he is carved from the living rock of the cliff. His size is colossal, his attitude is noble. How head is bowed, the broken spear is sticking in his shoulder, his protecting paw rests upon the lilies of France. Vines hang down the cliff and wave in the wind, and a clear stream trickles from above and empties into a pond at the base, and in the smooth surface of the pond the lion is mirrored, among the water-lilies."

"Around about are green trees and grass. The place is a sheltered, reposeful woodland nook, remote from noise and stir and confusion − and all this is fitting, for lions do die in such places, and not on granite pedestals in public squares fenced with fancy iron railings. The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is. " − Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad, 1880

 We had some free time to walk around Lucerne for a while.  One of the highlights of the town was the Chapel Bridge.  The beautiful pedestrian wooden bridge was built in 1333 and extensively burned by mostly likely a careless cigarette in 1993.  The middle burned, but the edges are still original.  It's a beautiful bridge adorned with flowers and quite central in the city

 We walked across the bridge; you can see the burn marks inside.

 After some more wandering around town, we hopped on the bus to head to the Stanserhorn.  Views from the top of the world coming soon.