Finally have a bit of time to catch up on the blog, today. My friend Clara, the Austrian girl I'm staying with, doesn't have wireless in the apartment. A little difficult to get online, although I can use her computer, but I don't like spending too much time on it.
I'd like to fill everyone in on my trip to Luzern since I know I never got a chance to write much about it - Definitely a highlight of my time in Europe. Photo is from the balcony in my room at Greti's house.
Christian Sr. and Sarah picked me up at the train station in Luzern just minutes after I arrived around 7:00am. I hadn't slept much all night on the train but I felt pretty good, all things considered. Night trains are an adventure in themselves I suppose, but I think everything worked out pretty well. I didn't pay extra for a real bed and I'm glad I didn't because I think I had more room in the regular seating area. Most of the trip I had the compartment to myself, laying down all six seats so it was like sleeping on a super-firm king-sized bed! There were a couple strange occurrences, though, like waking up to a family of four asking if the seats were available, sitting down and being loud and obnoxious, then leaving about 20 minutes later for no apparent reason. That irritated me just a bit, especially since I had finally ACTUALLY fallen asleep! The next time I woke up, there was a guy sitting in the compartment with me so I moved my feet out of the way a little bit but he left about 5 minutes after that... yeah, I know, a little sketch! It was just a tiny bit difficult to feel comfortable falling asleep because I always had the possibility of someone stealing my stuff in the back of my mind – even though my ski bag was probably out of the question since it was about 80 pounds, and all my big valuables (wallet, laptop, etc.) were in my backpack which I was using as some kind of pillow and would probably notice if someone was messing with it... but still, always bugging me that some creeper would come in and try to take something. I completed the journey without losing any goods so it was okay.
I recognized some things about Luzern but not much since my last first in 2004. I definitely remembered the Amgwerd house, though, and immediately felt at home, just as I suspected. It was so great to see Greti looking unchanged, just as happy and vibrant as I remembered her. First order of business was breakfast and a lot of catching up. Christian has mastered his coffee preparation and always had a cup of black ready for me each morning. I did enjoy the occasional cappuccino, though. I lasted a few hours but finally succumbed to my need for sleep around 10am or 11am. I woke up around 12:30pm and Christian Jr. made his first appearance of the morning by inviting me on a afternoon stroll through downtown Luzern with his girlfriend. Once again, I recognized a few things but most was just a blur from my old high school years. The weather was gorgeous and stayed that way the entire week I was there. So lucky!
