Today the weather was not ideal. It was very cloudy and the drizzly rain set in. We decided not to go the Mt Titlis but to explore Lucerne instead. The bus dropped us at the Lucerne Train Station at about 9:20am. From there we explored the city of Lucerne which is located right on Lake Lucerne. The river Ruess flows both in and out of the lake. The water was flowing every quickly out of the Lake and into the Ruess River. The medieval inhabitants of Lucerne used the river to mill grain in three mills that were built in the fast-flowing river.

There are two covered bridges built of wood that cross the river. One of the bridges, named Chapel Bridge after St Peters Chapel at one end of the bridge, is one of Europe’s oldest wooden bridges and landmark of Lucerne. Much of the bridge had to be replaced after a fire on 18 August 1993, allegedly caused by a discarded cigarette. Part way across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (i.e. tower standing in the water), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Lucerne's history. I walked across this bridge after leaving the train station.

I walked downriver, between the Kasernenplatz and the Mühlenplatz, and crossed the river on the Spreuer Bridge (Mill Bridge) which zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it features a series of medieval-style 17th century plague paintings by Kaspar Meglinger entitled Dance of Death. The bridge has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.

I walked to the Hof Church in which there is a beautiful pipe-organ which was being played when I was in there because it was Sunday today. Then I walked through the old town and marvelled at the old buildings. The shops were mostly shut because it was Sunday, however many of the food, pastry and chocolate shops were open. The chocolate is sensational and is sold in flat, freshly poured slabs, which include a variety of fruits and nuts, in dark, milk and white chocolate.

Lucerne has a huge number of watch shops. It is clear that the Swiss have a huge history in watches and clock mechanisms. There is every brand of expensive watch being retailed in the shops of Lucerne. Cuckoo clocks and victoronox pocket knives are also being sold everywhere.

I walked to the Medieval defences which are still partly standing. There are none towers and a connecting wall with ramparts. It is possible to climb the towers and walk on a part of the rampart wall. The view over Lucerne is fantastic from the top of these towers.

I walked over the river and caught a ride on the vehicular up the steep hill to the Chateau Gutsch which was built in 1888 and stands on the hill with fantastic views over Lucerne.

I then went on a walk to find the Lion Sculpture for which Lucerne in famous. Bertel Thorvaldsen's famous carving of a dying lion (the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off the Löwenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when an armed mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

The chocolate shop Laderach proved to be too tempting to resist. Their slabs of chocolate are superb, particularly their milk chocolate with cranberries.

We were picked up by the bus in Lucerne and arrived back at the hotel at 6:30pm. We had a memorial meeting at 7:00pm.

Tomorrow we leave at 8:00am and travel to Milan and then on to Venice.