Sun May 25 Pilatus & Lucerne
事先做過功課， 去看Pilatus雪山要趕早，因為即使是晴天，中午時分山頂的霧會漸漸轉濃，影響觀景。早上8點多從酒店出發，我們的行程是上午乘火車先去Pilatus， 下午遊覽盧塞恩Luzern， 再從盧塞恩乘火車返回蘇黎世 。火車票ZURICH HB ->ALPNACHSTAD（途徑LUZERN）, 單程每人27瑞士法郎 ，車程一小時25分；LUZERN -> ZURICH HB, 單程每人24瑞士法郎 。
乘火車到達ALPNACHSTAD， 火車站附近就是遊覽Pilatus的售票處，往返票每人68瑞士法郎，包括：上山的齒輪火車ALPNACHSTAD－》PILATUS，下山的纜車PILATUS－》 KRIENS，和下山後的汽車（bus no. 1）KRIENS －》LUZERN 。15歲以下孩童半價。Transportation: http://www.pilatus.ch/en/railway-cableways/timetable/
坐40分鍾世界最陡的齒輪火車（48度），, 途中或是綿綿群山， 或是湖泊環繞，或是叢山峻嶺， 或是懸崖峭壁， 還見到不少徒步旅行者們爬山， 十分敬佩他們，一路拍照，一路驚歎，來到到山頂。
山頂景色壯觀， 放眼遠山雲海， 身旁時而薄霧飄渺， 時而陽光普照， 雪山的壯闊胸懷震撼著我們， LG 感慨，人生不快， 都是庸人自擾。。。見到一位徒步登山者坐在山崖和太陽對飲喝啤酒， 讓LG十分羨慕，忍不住問詢登山需要多少時間， 答曰四小時。
下山乘坐纜車， 又是另一番田園景象
坐一路bus回到盧塞恩，原計劃去一家湖邊酒店喝下午茶（English high tea）， 到了那裏才知道星期天沒有下午茶， 於是折返到Restaurant Rathaus Brauerei Luzern (Unter der Egg 2, Lucerne 6004，66.7瑞士法郎 ) 吃午飯。餐館緊鄰湖邊, 看得見卡佩爾木質廊橋The Chapel Bridge，風景絕佳。女兒點了 Älplermagronen: “Swiss Mac 'n Cheese”, 我的德國香腸Nürnberger Bratwurst十分美味, LG則是對啤酒讚不絕口， 連飲三杯Spezialbier BEER， 感慨：這是一個喝酒，做夢，不小心會遺失自己的地方。。。
下午逛街，小城十分美麗， 湖水清澈寧靜， 街道建築有很多優美的壁畫，周日商店大都關門，勞力士的旗艦店是營業的。 在湖濱大道的小攤上買了塊價格不菲的手工藝品：心形手繪石頭。去看紀念生命痛苦和犧牲的流淚的獅子Lion of Lucerne。。。
中途自然免不了吃吃冰淇淋， 喝喝咖啡。在始於1877年的小店Backerei Hug (Filiale Luzern | Muhlanplatz, Lucerne)小坐了一會兒， 是個看人看景的好地方。
現在回想起來，盧塞恩是so far我們最喜歡的瑞士城市。
Travel tips:
Morning: Mount Pilatus, 30 min train to Alpanchstad which is where you then buy a ticket for the cog train up the mountain. The restaurant was good too (self-serve)
Transportation: http://www.pilatus.ch/en/railway-cableways/timetable/
Pilatus-Kulm is located 15km (9 miles) south of Lucerne. Its German name derives from an old legend: During medieval times, it's said, the city fathers of Lucerne banned travel up the mountain because they thought that its slopes were haunted by the ghost of Pontius Pilate; they feared that Pilate would be angered by intrusive visitors and cause violent storms. For many years after the ban was finally lifted, only a few souls were brave enough to climb the mountain. Queen Victoria made the trip in 1868. Today, the ascent to Pilatus is one of the most popular excursions in Switzerland.
From the quays of Lucerne, take a lake steamer for a scenic 90-minute boat ride to Alpnachstad. If you have a rail pass, remember that it will be valid on this steamer.
At Alpnachstad, transfer to the electric cog railway, which runs at a 48-degree gradient -- the steepest cogwheel railway in the world -- at the edge of the lake, and the very top of Mount Pilatus. Departures are every 45 minutes daily from 8:50am to 4:30pm May to September only. At Pilatus-Kulm, you can get out and enjoy the view. There are two mountain hotels and a belvedere offering views of Lake Lucerne and many of the mountains around it. For the descent from Mount Pilatus, some visitors prefer to take a pair of cable cars -- first a large cabin-style téléphérique, then a small gondola. The cable cars end at Kriens, a suburb of Lucerne. Here you can take bus no. 1, which will carry you into the heart of Lucerne. The round-trip fare on the cog railway and cable car is 94F, 50% off for children 15 and under.
Insider tip: Visit Pilatus early in the day. Clouds and fog sometimes move in after the noon hour and mask the magnificent view from the top of this mountain peak. You can be fooled by a clear view at the bottom of Pilatus, only to reach the top later to be engulfed in the clouds.
For information, consult the staff at the city's tourist office or call tel. 041/329-11-11. They're well informed about these excursions, as are the desk personnel at most of Lucerne's hotels.
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/lucerne/797921#sthash.nyaWkS8U.dpbs#ixzz30HWZhrHR
The Chapel Bridge (the correct name is "Kapell bridge") in Lucerne is a covered wooden footbridge that crosses the River Reuss. It was built in 1333 to help defend the city and has more than 100 early 17th century paintings in its roof recording the history of the city.
Lion of Lucerne: The famous carving of a dying lion by Bertel Thorvaldsen is in a small park just off Loewenplatz. The carving was made to commemorate more than 600 of Swiss guards killed by the mobs who stormed the Tuilleries Palace in Paris during the French Revolution in 1792.
During the 18th Century many guards of popes (still existing) and kings were Swiss guards. In German people say "someone is fighting like a lion" if he is a very hard fighter. Most propably this is the reason why the lion was chosen for this monument.
