Day 2 in Lucerne

As the weather was forecast to be sunny and warm today we decided to take a trip up Mount Rigi. After catching a train to the base of the mountain, we travelled up to the peak, Rigi Kulm which is 1797 metres high, by Cogwheel train.

Cogwheel train

When we got to the top we could not believe there was another event going on - this time it was a run up the mountain (the crazy fools - we have never seen people look so knackered and sweaty!).

After taking in the views from the top we took one of the mountain paths down to the next village, which was about an hour walking downhill taking in the amazing views - it was a little hazy but we could see the snowcapped mountains above us and the lakes down below.

Towards the end of the walk we walked through a small alpine village called Rigi Katbald where we saw several little chalets.  We stopped for lunch on the mountain and had a local specialitiy called Rosti which is grated potatoes and bacon covered in cheese - not very healthy but very tasty!

Walking through Rigi Katbald

Not healthy but tasty (That's the food, not Peter!)

We then jumped on the cable car to take us back down to the bottom of the mountain (we had done enough of walking - our legs were already aching from walking DOWN - I would hate to think what state we would have been walking up!) and we then took a boat back to Lucerne.

Boat back to Lucerne

On our way to Lucerne!

There is not a lot I would get up at 5:15am for but holidays is one of them! Our flight from London City Airport was at 8:25am so we had to be out of the door by 6am to get the 6:10am train. Our flight to Zurich was uneventful apart from Peter having to be searched at the airport as he set the airport security body scanner off (as usual), and then they swabbed his laptop which set off another alarm and they had to call the Manager before they let us through!!
Before making our way to Lucerne, which is about an hour away from Zurich Airport by train, we decided to have a look around Zurich - as soon as we got off the train we knew that something wasn't quite right as there was an awful lot of people in fancy dress (is this a normal Saturday in Zurich I thought....).  We dropped off our luggage at the station and started to walk in to town....with people half our age dressed up in all kinds of outfits (a lot of which didn't leave much to the imagination). We felt very old!!

Caveman / workman Chic in Zurich (a few of the may people in fancy dress)

Loads of people!

It turns out that once a year the young people of Switzerland congregate in Zurich for the yearly techno street party - and Peter and I were right in the middle of it!

We did find a few quite spots away from the madding crowds so that we could appreciate the buildings and scenery.

Fraumunster Church

View of Limmat River in Zurich

It would have been better if we didn't have to make our way through the rather rowdy crowds - we were glad to get on train to the much more serene Lucerne!

Our hotel in Lucerne is very well situated, both close to the station and the Old Town with lots of restaurants and bars.  After unpacking we rested up for a couple of hours and then went to the old town for dinner - Peter had roast chicken with chips, and I had a local dish of veal in a cream sauce - it was a lovely warm evening so we were able to eat outside.

Our hotel room in Lucerne

Me in front of the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

Cheers!

Day 4 in Barcelona

We slept in to nearly 9am this morning as someone (me!) accidentally hit the light switch near the bed which turns on the main light at 3am in the morning - it was like being woken up by the Spanish inquisition! The weather forecast was saying wet until mid afternoon so we thought we would go to the last of the Gaudi houses - Casa Batllo - and then decide what else we want to do depending on the weather. 

Casa Batllo was amazing and the best of all the Gaudi works that we saw.

Casa Batllo

The main drawing room with its stained glass window that stretched the length of the room

The light well in the centre of the house

The chimneys on the roof terrace

Casa Batllo at night

When we came out of Casa Batllo the sun was shining and we could see blue sky again - hooray!  We wanted to make the most of it so we walked to the Arc de Triomf (yes, there is one in Barcelona too!) and on to Parc De La Cuitadella.

Peter in front of the Arc De Triomf (not as nice as the Paris one!)

Ornamental cascade (or posh fountain to you and I) in Parc De La Ciutadella

We then walked back to the Gothic Quarter to have lunch and then just strolled around the small streets looking at the shops and taking in the architecture. On the way back to the apartment we walked past a lovely bakery and decided to get two pastries for our breakfast tomorrow morning. However, I am not sure if the pastries will make it to the morning as Peter has now decided that they may be stale by the morning and I do agree with him......

Hmmmm cakes

Day3 in Barcelona

Today it rained all day so we adapted our day so that we were outside as little as possible!  Firstly we went to the Barcelona history museum which I found a bit boring - it started off telling you about how Barcelona began and then you go down to the basement to see the ruins of Roman Barcelona.

Roman ruins

Peter looking at a pot in the roman ruins

The entrance, where you had to leave your bag, and the exit were in different parts of the building which meant you had to go outside, and walk around the building to go and collect your bags (and umbrellas!).  It was pouring with rain and we would have got soaked so we decided, along with a group of german women, to walk back through the ruins to get to the start - of course it was easier said than done and we all got a bit lost but luckily one of the members of staff found us all walking around aimlessly and he had to guide us, against everyone else who was going the other way, to the entrance - at least we didn't get wet!

We then trudged through the rain to the La Boqueria Market which is Barcelona's most popular and colourful food market - there were stalls selling all kinds of things - fruit & veg, nuts, olives, fish, and even pigs heads and trotters!!

Glad to be getting out of the rain and into the market!

One of the market stalls

We had some lunch at the market and then braved the rain again, walking up to see the Palau Guell, a Neo-Gothic palace designed by Gaudi. It was very interesting but quite dark so we were unable to take many pictures. 

Entrance to one of the rooms in the Palau Guell

A small chapel inside Palau Guell. When they weren't using it they could just close the doors (which are either side of Peter in the photo)!

Day 2 in Barcelona

Today we did a walking tour around the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. It was very interesting and we walked down tiny streets and alleyways which we would have never gone down on our own!

This building was part of the old roman wall

Barcelona Cathedral

Roman columns from the Temple of Augustus housed in a medieval house!

The Royal Palace that dates back to the 13th Century

After lunch, we did a self guided walking tour of the El Born district, the medieval part of the city, which after years of neglect has now become quite trendy and arty!

In the evening we went down to a small restaurant close to the sea and have a lovely lobster and shellfish paella.

About to tuck in!

It was as tasty as it looked!

Day 1 in Barcelona

Looking at the weather forecast it looked like the rain was coming in the afternoon so we set off early to make the most of the weather.  After a quick breakfast we hopped on the Metro to get to Park Guell, a park created by Gaudi.  Although the metro was only a 10 minute walk away from the park we had to walk up the steepest road ever! 

A view from the top of the steep road!

Park Guell was amazing - it had great views of the city but also many different features in the park:

Sitting on the Serpentine Bench in the Square

Admiring the view from the Square

Under the square!

The Gatehouses of the Park - we called them the gingerbread houses

Next stop was the Sagrada Familia Church - one look at the massive queue and Peter declared that 'nothing was worth queueing that long for' so we walked round it admiring the view from the outside whilst I made a mental note to book online for a time later in the week so that we won't have to queue!!

Views of the Sagrada Familia Church

By this time it was lunch time and not a rain cloud in sight!  We grabbed some lunch and then went up to La Pedrera which was an apartment block built by Gaudi.

La Pedrera from the outside

It was just as amazing inside as it was outside - Firstly we went up to the roof terrace where there where the ventilation towers and chimneys are like sculptures!  We then went down in to the attic, which its 270 arches, where they had a museum of Gaudi's work. Finally we went in to the apartment which had recreated to show how a bourgeois family would have lived in the early part of the 20th century.

Inside Le Pedrera

On the roof terrace

Weird looking chimneys!

Hallway inside the apartment

After 6 hours on our feet we were too tired to do anything else and made our way back to the apartment for a rest.  In the evening we went out to a local tapas bar which was packed with people - we had to wait 40 mins for a table but it was worth it as we have another very nice meal.

Peter getting ready to tuck in!

We've arrived in Barcelona

We arrived in Barcelona mid afternoon and checked in to the apartment that we are renting for the next few days - It is a very well located, modern apartment right next to the Placa de Catalunya.

Peter lounging on the sofa in the living room





Our bedroom

We checked out the weather forecast and to our horror it was saying it was pretty much raining for the next 4 days so, as the sun was shining, we dumped our stuff and took to the streets of Barcelona!  Of course, first stop was ice cream....how can anyone resist a cone with a mixture of Bounty and Ferrero Rocher ice cream? Peter had a more civilised strawberry and lemon.

Hmmmm.....ice cream



After scoffing our ice creams we then walked them off down La Rambla, a long road from the centre of Barcelona to the sea, with lots of stalls, musicians and street artists.  There was lots of people about, especially once we go to the port.  We stopped to have a drinks and watched the boats go by.

In the evening we had a lovely tapas meal washed down with a litre jug of sangria - how very spanish!!