A Georgia Girl in Germany

OK, OK, so I am woefully overdue in updating the blog. It’s not that I don’t relish the down time summarizing our adventures, it’s just that I haven’t had any such down time lately. So, having our van in the shop this long, holiday weekend means we need to stick close to home...and that I have a little extra time to myself to try to knock out a few posts.



Back in September, over Labor Day weekend, the kids and I headed out on a three-country express tour. The tour started by taking us to Switzerland, past beautiful Thunersee -- Lake Thun.

Our first stop was a shop in Brienz, the woodcarving center of Switzerland. The kids really liked the hand-carved animals. Benjamin kept a watchful eye on this bear, and Zachary & MacKenzie found the perfect pet for our household (smile). He really looked lifelike!

MacKenzie & Benjamin liked this family of dogs too.

We had a pretty view of Brienzersee -- Lake Brienz -- from the upstairs of the woodshop.


Benjamin liked this little chair -- it had a pressure seat that caused it to play music when someone sat on it.

Zachary tried teaching this bear how to play on his Nintendo DS after he finished looking around the shop.



Of course, MacKenzie had to pet every dog she found in the store.

This area of Switzerland is known as the “area of a thousand waterfalls.” There’s even a military airport and runway near the base of this waterfall. Our guide told us that there are underground shelters for 97% of the population. Apparently the Swiss are well-prepared for a war, since every house built must include a nuclear shelter. Talk about a neutral, but well-prepared country! It’s pretty though, with the villages nestled between mountains, lakes and waterfalls.

Below, you can see the red Pilatus cogwheel train -- on the steepest railway in the world.


Our next stop was Lucerne. Lucerne was founded in 1178 and is the geographical heart of Switzerland. It was poetically described by Alexandre Dumas as “a pearl in the world's most beautiful oyster.” I really liked the paintings on the outside of these buildings. The one on the left is a typical house painting, and the one below shows a carnival scene.



Lucerne is a renowned Swiss holiday resort. Here we are on the 607-foot-long covered Kapellbrücke crossing the Reuss River. It’s the oldest wooden bridge in Europe and one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions. The bridge was built in 1333, and designed to help protect the city from attacks. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Lucerne's history. Unfortunately, much of the bridge, and the majority of these paintings, were destroyed in a 1993 fire. It’s clear when walking across the bridge which parts are original and which parts were rebuilt after the fire.

Below, you can see part of the Kapellbrücke on the left and the 1677 Baroque Jesuitenkirche --Jesuit Church -- just past the bridge.


One last shot of the kids in front of the Kapellbrücke, this time with the octagonal Wasserturm -- Water Tower, a 13th century fortification. These are the town’s two most famous landmarks.

MacKenzie insisted that I take a photo of these ducks on the bank of the Reuss River. It’s amazing how drawn to animals she is!

Benjamin loves peering over ledges into fountains. Fortunately, he hasn’t fallen into one yet.

After walking through the town of Lucerne for a while, we loaded onto a boat to cruise Vierwaldstättersee --Lake Lucerne. We cruised past King Leopold’s summer house, the Richard Wagner museum and other houses typical for the locale, all while afloat on the lake surrounded by the Alps.

It was very peaceful and quiet on the lake, although slightly windy. But, we managed to shield our food from the wind long enough to eat lunch on the upper deck.


The highlight of the boat ride was when each of the kids steered. I was surprised at how much control the boat captain gave each of them. He’d actually allow them to veer of the straight path for a short while, then direct them (without laying a finger on the wheel!) back on course! Well, not so much steering freedom with Benjamin.






MacKenzie had the longest turn, and Zachary took his duties very seriously, but Benjamin had the cutest tilt of the captain’s hat.



Back on dry land, we walked through the town a little longer. This time, we strolled past the 1634 late-Renaissance Hofkirche church.

We then headed to the Glacier Garden just off the Lowenplatz to see Bertel Thorvaldsen’s famous Löwendenkmal --Lion Monument -- carving showing a dying lion. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when a mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. The garden is a geological phenomenon left over from the Ice Age, and proves that Lucerne was once covered by a thick frosty layer.


Benjamin, as always, was drawn to the water. For a while, he really made me nervous as he laid on the ground, leaned over the edge and dropped leaves into the pool.

Of course, any trip to Switzerland wouldn’t be complete without awing over the Swiss Army knives. The boys really enjoyed window shopping just around the corner from the Lion Monument. They were most intrigued by the larger-than-life-size moving models that show off the features of the most elaborate knives. They didn’t get knives on this trip, although Zachary and MacKenzie received age-appropriate versions for Christmas.

Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Switzerland, Travel, Zachary