September 22, 2023
Today was our final full day of the trip and it started out with our visit to the Swiss Alps being delayed due to rain. Our morning excursion turned into an afternoon excursion leaving our morning as free time. I am determined to make every second of my day count, rain or shine, so I ate my breakfast (3 hard boiled eggs, 3 pancakes with jam, and a glazed donut) and put on my rain jacket and boots. We did an optional and causal walking tour with our tour guide where she took us to see the Lion Monument and the covered wooden footbridge, Kapellbrücke. The Lion Monument commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution and it is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland with 1.4 million annual visitors. The footbridge spans the river Reuss and has numerous interior paintings dating back to the 17th century although many of them were destroyed in a 1993 fire. The bridge has since been restored and is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. After our short tour, my friends and I walked along the water to the Lindt Chocolate Shop where we tasted and bought different flavored chocolates. On our walk back we ate lunch at LUZ Seebistro where I ordered a sandwich with Swiss turkey, cucumber, and tomato for 9.50 Swiss Franc. After we ate lunch, we quickly hurried to meet up with the rest of our tour group as we were heading to the Alps!
Finally, we were off to the Swiss Alps by our private bus. Once we arrived at the base of the mountain, we boarded an absolutely terrifying gondola that soared through the clouds with a few horrifying dips that felt like we were seconds away from death. Did I mention how much I hate heights yet? The gondola landed into what seemed like a small resort/town. How anyone could live above the clouds beats me. From this area, we took a vertical train up higher and higher into the sky. The train dropped us off at the top of the Alps, from which we had to hike by foot to reach the peak. Nothing about this hike, or whole experience for that matter, was easy. The air was thin, and we were walking vertically. It took us much longer to hike this short amount of distance due to the atmosphere changes, but the view was worth every second of fear and doubt. We were about 6,000 feet up at Rigi Klum, the Queen of the Mountains. Rigi is the highest mountain in Central Switzerland, offering breathing views of the Alps and the lakes (Lucerne, Zug, and Lauerz). We explored and took pictures at the peak before descending back to the train platform. At the platform, we made sure to use the restrooms, visit the gift shop, and buy some snacks before the 40-minute train ride down to the base of the mountain. I am very grateful that we did not have to ride on the gondola again. From the base, we were transported back to the city by boat where I enjoyed a glass of white wine while being mesmerized by the stunning 360 views.
As the boat pulled back into the city's shores, we docked and unloaded, and our group walked back together to our hotel to get ready for our farewell dinner. Our dinner was bittersweet filled with laughter, tears, toasts, and well wishes. We dined at Restaurant Fritschi, and I ate salad, sausage, and chocolate ice cream with cherries paired with wine to drink. Overall, my food was good, but my body had had enough with meat and potatoes, and for the first time throughout the entire trip I was sick to my stomach. Nevertheless, I persevered as I did not want to miss the last time the group would all be hanging out together at a local bar after our dinner. I gave my body 20 minutes to pull itself together and then I headed to Shamrock Irish Pub. Thankfully, I was feeling better, and I had a fun night dancing and singing along to the live music while having a drink or two with my newfound friends. It was a perfect way to end an incredible trip!
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