We have just read the forecast for Sunday at Jungfrau, and the temperature is forecast as -16 (max and min). Hmm, we are not sure we have brought appropriate clothing for that, but we will give it a go.

Luzern from the Lake
 Luzern from the Lake

Today in Luzern was, let’s say, pleasant. It is a pleasant town. Neat, tidy, orderly – no pesky spruikers and faux merchants here. We had a lake cruise, and the conversations around us were about currencies, financial products, investment strategies and the like. People obey the rules, especially on the roads, whereas in other parts of our journey, adherence to pesky conventions such as stop signs, speed limits, give way, has been entirely optional, and pedestrians are merely a tricky moving target.

The day dawned with the sky clear, the sun bright, but the encircling mountains slightly hazy and topped with a few fluffy clouds to blend with the snow capped peaks. Unfortunately my hacking cough has returned and despite Jenny’s ministrations of oily substances, seems to have gotten worse. Knowing that both cold and wet were likely environmental hazards in the coming week or so, we thought it best to see a doctor. There was a handy clinic just below the railway station and they were happy to see me for a substantial fee. The doctor had limited English, but he was able to diagnose through some helpful acting of symptoms and slow speaking. He prescribed me an inhaler of a sort I had not seen before, and he invited me to inhale deeply from my bottom. I had not realised this was even possible! Sensing confusion in my hesitation to make an attempt he gave me a mimed demonstration. Relieved, I saw him exhale fully and inhale deeply into his belly, and I offered a short prayer gratitude for hesitating. I think I may have been a little embarrassed.

The cruise was great, just two hours on the calm waters of Lake Luzern with postcard views of the hills and mountains. The Swiss take their tourism very seriously with a singular mindset to extract maximum dollars from every visitor. The meal on the boat consisted of a light salad, a small piece of fish and some potato chats, a beer and a coke, cost 58 Francs, probably about $65 it was very nice, but…

I felt quite exhausted from all this mining of my wallet, so went back to the hotel to rest, while Jen went out to explore the old historic Luzern, and offer up some more Francs. She enjoyed her time of exploration, and indeed, it is a very easy place to navigate and enjoy the sights and shops.

Our train leaves for Interlaken at 0905 in the morning, and we have already noted the Swiss obsession with punctuality on their rail service. We have seen predictions of cold and wet in the coming days, and we hope this does not detract from our enjoyment of this lovely country.