HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI

I forgot to mention my day trips to Luzern, Switzerland, and the Swarovsky Krystallwelten (Crystal Worlds) in my previous postings, so here you go.

Location: Luzern, Switzerland
Duration: One afternoon

Luzern (Lucerne) I only stopped in for the afternoon on my way to Zurich. Mark Twain described the Lion of Luzern as "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world". I am inclined to agree. The posture and expression on the animal as a broken spear jutts from its side is full of emotion. Being carved out of the face of a giant rock wall lends the image even more power, and the quiet lake in front of it and the trees surrounding it adds to the sombre mood. The feelings evoked by the entire experience are ... undescribable. Taking into account the fact that it is a monument to an arguably pointless sacrifice mixes the emotions further. Luzern is worth visiting if only for the lion.

(Note: HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI is the inscription on the monument that translates to: "To the loyalty and courage of the Swiss")

Of course, that's not the only thing Luzern has to offer. The main thing that also caught my eye were the two bridges that connect the old town centre to the rest of the city. Disturbing paintings of death and dismemberment look down upon you as you cross either bridge. If I knew more about the history of the city, or if I were able to read the captions, it may shed light on its significance. But as it is, the bridges are just a peculiar site seen during my trip.

Location: Krystallwelten in Watton, Austria
Duration: 1 afternoon

I guess I can describe Krystallwelton (Crystal Worlds) as an art exhibit where all the exhibits make use of Swarovky crystals. All of the exhibits are shiny and some look amazing, some seem ripped out of a cheesy sci-fi film, while others are so fantastical that it makes you wonder what the artist was smoking when (s)he designed it.

But the real story behind this daytrip is how I got to the location. It was supposed to be a 15 minute train ride followed by a 20 minute walk. It ended up taking me about 2 hours to get there.

First, I was distracted on the train (don't ask) and missed my stop. Getting off at the next stop, I found out that it would be an hour before the next train would arrive. I decided to explore the small town I was in. Nothing to write home about really, besides some of the younger children yelling and pointing at me. Waiting at the train station, I figured that if I only had to go back one stop, I could probably hike there and save myself some cash and do a little sight seeing. Or I could sneak on board the train and hope that they don't check my ticket. (Being a cheap bastard, paying for the ticket was out of the equation). Chose to hike; took me about 40 minutes and I figure it was about 5 km. How many cool sites was I able to leisurly peruse? None. Nothing made me want to stop and stare, although part of that may be because it was freaking hot and I had lost my cap a few days before.

The things I will do to save €2.