I was leaving Lucerne later this afternoon, but I spent the morning on an adventure to Mount Pilatus, a huge mountain overlooking Lucerne (though you couldn't see below the cloud). I packed up my bag and left it at reception then went to catch a public bus to where the gondola took off.
I got off the bus at the Kriens stop, then wandered around, as I couldn't see the signage for which way to go. I stopped someone to ask for directions and this lovely lady gave me a free ticket voucher for the gondola, as she was a resident there and apparently they are given these vouchers. She was looking for someone to give 2 vouchers to so it worked out well! I took them both, figuring I would offer the other one to someone as I was walking up. I didn't on the way, everyone was in pairs or more.
I walked up the hill to the start of the gondola, then handed over my ticket voucher - it worked, and I saved 72 CHF, which equates to about £60 or $110!
I got on the first gondola, which goes to an adventure park thing, but I wasn't stopping there. I got on the next gondola, where everyone stands on board, and we went up-up-up into the clouds and popped out in the blue skies and sunshine, 2,128m above sea level!
It was glorious up there. It was cold, sure, but it wasn't TOO bad, and the view was just so stunning! I'll stop now and just show you pictures!
Once off the gondolas, I walked back down the hill. There was a woman walking up as I had earlier and I asked her if she was going to Pilatus. She said yes and so I gave her the other ticket voucher. She seemed a bit apprehensive but I hope she used it!
I got back on the bus and went back to Lucerne. I was a bit cold after all the cold air at the top of the mountain and had not been able to get a cup of tea, so I stopped off in Starbucks and had a cuppa while overlooking the river. It was very nice.
Cuppa finished, I went back to the hotel, picked up my bags and went to the train station for my next journey. It took a little under 3 hours but I caught two trains, changing at Interlaken, and found myself in Lauterbrunnen. I went to my accommodation called BASE Cafe and checked in. I'd gone for somewhere cheap(er), as my stop after this was really expensive. It was a little bit like a hostel - you had your own room, then shared a communal bathroom and kitchen. The first night was fine, as there was only another person there, but the other nights... there were a couple of families staying there who knew each other and the walls were so thin that I couldn't get a minute's peace to cook, eat dinner and shower unless I was there before them or awake before them.
Anyway, I dropped off my luggage, grabbed my camera and went to look at Lauterbrunnen in the last of the evening light!
