Lucerne, Switzerland

The weekend following our trip to Belgium, Leevi and Charlie Green headed on a guy trip to Normandy, but I still don't have those pictures off of Leevi's phone, so I'll jump ahead to the next weekend where Jenny Green and I went Switzerland.  It's a 4 hour drive to Lucerne, Switzerland and Jenny and I were a bit nervous doing this trip without the guys since we had to drive.  I remember thinking to 4 years ago when we had just gotten to Germany and European travel was so new...I guess we've come a long way.  We picked up our vignette (the driving permit in Switzerland) and scouted out the last Germany gas station that allows us to pump gas at American prices and we were on our way!  We almost canceled because the weather looked bad, but I'm so glad we were able to squeeze this trip in!  There is just sooooo much to see over here and being able to split the costs and not have to drag the kids along is sooooo nice. 

 



This is the famous Chapel Bridge in Lucerne...the sides are usually decorated with beautiful flowers but it wasn't quite warm enough yet.  This bridge is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe as well as the WORLD's oldest surviving truss bridge.

 

 The Alps in the background...

The bridge was constructed in 1333 and destroyed by a fire in 1993...many of these paintings below date back to the 17th century.  I thought I took pictures of the burned ones, but I guess I didn't.

After we checked into the hotel we wandered through the old town...

 

 

and found dinner at the oldest restaurant in town...a yummy (yet expensive) Italian place! 

I had to take a picture for the girls of our bunkbeds.

The next morning we walked to the Lion Monument...a memorial for Swiss soldiers killed in the French Revolution in 1792.   

We also walked up to the city gates which we thought we'd be able to walk along the top but it was closed.  We still have pretty views though! 

And of course we had to bring home some chocolate!!!  We headed out just as the rain started and made it home by dinner time.  It was a quick weekend, but so blessed to have the opportunity!