Luzern, Switzerland

It had been a long almost two weeks, but the realization that we only had one city left was saddening. Yes, we were both tired and excited at the thought of being able to unpack and no longer live out of a backpack. But one more night in a hostel meant our whole adventure was almost over and it would be back to Arizona for me. We didn't let this get us down for long, though. It was hard to remain upset on that train ride to the north. The views outside the window were, for lack of an even better word, breathtaking. There were layers and layers of gorgeous mountains, with the tips lightly frosted, lush green woods, and the water--it was a deep, crystal blue but without being dark or light. It was entrancing.
We got to Luzern midday, ready and excited to check out what immediately looked like a great city. After stopping to get two much needed doners (the world's greatest sandwich) and accidentally passing the hostel a few times, we dropped off our bags and headed back into town. First to do: check out the lion monument. This giant lion is carved into the side of this huge, rocky mountain. It's crying and has something stabbed in its side. Before even noticing the details, I was already in awe at the size of the creature, and how it seemed to have been randomly placed on the side of a huge rock. We took our pictures then headed back to some paddle boats we saw on our way to the hostel. We decided to rent one for an hour and cruised around the beautiful lake. I wanted to see what was around the bend by the sailboats, but no matter how hard we paddled, we hardly moved. And since we were limited to an hour, and it took us at least one fourth of that time just barely leaving the dock, we just took in the sights. The entire 360 degree view was more than pleasing to the eye. In one direction, layers of painting-like mountains, clear blue sky, and sailboats in the crystal water. In another direction, quaint, humble homes clustered together in a family of a town, with a steeple from the church towering over all other buildings. Look another direction and you see the city--hotels, shops, even a castle at the top of the hill. Each building is different and appealing.
Now I have seen swans before. They are big and beautiful. However, they take on a different guise in Luzern. They. Are. Everywhere. They are everywhere and they are not afraid to get all up in your bubble. I happened to have had a traumatizing experience when I was younger involving swans and other poultry chasing me through a park, even after I threw them the bread. So when Logan and I were paddling around the lake, we paddled a little too close to a swan and her two babies. Because of the amount of swans in the lake, it was hard to not almost run some of them over! This protective mama flared up her wings and came at me. It didn't help that Logan pretended to have food in his hand ready to give to her. So while I squealed and almost capsized our tiny ship, Logan just giggled and turned the boat before my panic attack turned into a legitimate heart attack.
Back on safe, swan-free land, we walked through the city some more--taking in the sites and as always, enjoying each other's company. With just a few precious hours left in Luzern the next day, we spent it doing some Swiss shopping and boat touring. Logan, being the Eagle Scout that he is, bought a Swiss card. It's like a Swiss army knife, but it's in the form of a credit card, super convenient for the wallet. I guess it's a guy thing? I went for a legitimate Swiss army knife, my birthday present to my awesome brother. We found out that we could go on a free boat tour around the lake using our Eurail passes, so of course we took advantage. This little ferry moved a bit faster than our paddle boat, so we made it around that bend this time. Once again, there was a gorgeous 360 degree view.
After we docked and grabbed our backpacks from the hostel, it was back to the train station. Only one more train excursion to go!! There was SO much more we wanted to do while in Switzerland, but it all required at least a day. There were ziplines, luges, hiking...it would have been wonderful to have had more time there, but I am still so thankful I got to experience it at all.