Day 7: Lucerne

Today started a bit cloudy with mild weather, perfect for hiking around hilly countryside.  We used a city map for a self-guided tour and climbed at least one million steps, but all very worth it for the views.

This was the start of the climb, we actually went inside the tower you see in the background - many, many
narrow stone staircases at different levels.  Great cardio workout :) 

We think there were oxen and alpacas in the background here.

We reconstituted ourselves with a hearty meal at Fondue House.  

Joe chose a local specialty, called Raclette.  "Raclette is a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland and the Savoie region of France. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape". Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes (boiled), gherkins and pickled onions".  

I went with a traditional fondue with bread and fruit 

(and Joe's mini boiled potatoes were also delicious dunked in the fondue).  

With full bellies and the evening still quite young, we strolled outdoors to find that the sun was shining in full force and we could see the snow covered Alps very clearly!  With renewed energy, we took a 2 hour stroll along the bank of Lake Lucerne.  

We stayed outdoors until twilight in order to delight in the reflections off the water.  

Tomorrow we hope for all clear weather so we can journey to the top of Lucerne's tallest mountain, Pilatus.  If the weather cooperates, we will take a gondola to the top.  Cross your fingers for us, please!