St. Moritz and Tirano, Italy

On September 12, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn BERNINA EXPRESS, ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND, TRIPSLeave a comment

This morning after breakfast at our hotel, we were off again, for a short tour of St. Moritz (just around the train station) and another train ride to Italy.

St. Moritz is a luxury alpine resort town in Switzerland’s Engaging valley. It is located at an elevation of 5,910 feet. It was the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism in 1864. It has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, has the Cresta Run, a world-championship bobsled run made of natural ice, and an outdoor Olympic ice rink. Its frozen lake hosts polo, cricket and even horse racing on ice.
St. Moritz first became popular due to its mineral springs which established the town as a summer spa resort.
The sun became the emblem of St. Moritz in 1930, due to the number of sunny days. St. Moritz used the first electric light at Christmastime in 1878, the first golf tournament in the Alps in 1889 and one of the first ski lifts in Switzerland in 1935.

Hotel Waldhus am See. Opened on June 15, 1908, boosts the largest whiskey bar in the World. Steps from train station with view of lake and St. Moritz.

And now it was time to get on our next train – the Bernina Express.

The most spectacular way to cross the Alps is the Bernina Express from Chur / St. Moritz – Valposchiavo – Tirano links up regions with different languages and cultures. This is not a rack railway and the train winds it way gently through splendid scenery.

On the highest railway across the Alps, the Bernina Express climbs up to the glistening glaciers before descending to the palms of Italy far below. This rail link between Northern and Southern Europe builds bridges between regions.

The railway is unique, blending ideally with the alpine landscapes around the Albula and Bernina Passes. The train negotiates the 55 tunnels, 196 bridges and inclines of up to 70 per mile with ease during the 4 hour and 90 mile journey.

Between Chur and Samedan near St. Moritz, the Bernina Express shares the route with its sister train, the Glacier Express, crossing the famous Landwasser Viaduct from mountainside to mountainside, on which many of the two trains publicity photos are taken. South of Pontresina, the train climbs up to the Bernina Pass, past the Morteratsch Glacier, reaching its highest point at Ospizio Bernina, 7,391 feet above sea level. Descending through the fir trees on the other side of the mountain, the train calls the pretty village of Poschiavo. Between Poschiavo and Tirano the train runs round the famous Brusio Spiral Viaduct, where most of the classic Bernina Express publicity photos are taken. In Tirano, the Rhatische Bahn connects with Trenord regional trains to Milan Centrale, change in Milan for high-speed trains to Florence, Rome, or Venice.

The railway line from Thusis – Valposchiavo – Tirano has UNESCO World Heritage status. This railway was built in 1896 – 1904.

Our train route map – just the portion from 7 to 12 today.

Bear and Bearbette enjoying the views, checking out the map and sneaking a little.

The valley at Alp Grum with views of the Palu Glacier

Alp Grum station, 6,860 feet above sea level, almost at the summit.

We crossed the boundary between Switzerland and Italy with nary a notice. The only marker was hidden behind some shrubs.

Once we arrived in Tirano, Italy, we were off to explore and find some place to have lunch.

The first restaurant you see after getting off the train. – No, we are walking up the street to some place Gloria has found.

The Square just outside the train station. Tirano is a sleepy little town with a church built in memory of the visit of the Virgin Mary Sanctuary of our Lady of Tirano.

Located nearby is the Catholic shrine of the Madonna di Tirano, a major tourist attraction. The shrine is dedicated to the appearance of the Blessed Mother to Mario Degli Omodei on September 29, 1504, an event religious pilgrims credit with ending a pestilence. Unfortunately, my hamstring was not cooperating with me, so we did not venture that far. The train had passed by the church, so I had an idea how far a walk it would be.

Our delightful meal at La Piccola Carta Merizzi in Tirano, Italy

And after such a delightful lunch, we went for some gelato.

Afterwards, we did a little walking around the town, but nothing major. And then it was time to get back on our train – The Bernina Express to go back to St. Moritz.

The train climbing out of the valley from Tirano

The train uses the famous Brusio Spiral to gain height.

The snowflake – emblem used for the Olympics held here in 1948 and previously in 1928.

The walkway from the train station to the escalators up to the city.

The tour guide got vans for those who didn’t want to walk up the hill to the city. I was feeling ok, so I went on the walk. Glad I did.

Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz is where winter tourism began in the Swiss resort.
Built in 1896, the hotel retains the glamor of a classic Swiss Alps resort with an expansive lobby with its original carved wood ceiling.
Mountains surround this traditional property which draws celebrities from around the world. Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Rita Hayworth, John Lennon and George Clooney to name a few. Alfred Hitchcock visited regularly enough that the hotel has a Hitchcock Suite where the director used to dwell.

Now, I did say it was up a hill. They were very nice to install escalators to take out a big chunk of that elevation for me.

One of the signs done for the Olympics in the walkway with the escalators bringing you up into town.

More of the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, from the back side where you arrive at the hotel. Notice the Rolls Royce.

From our walk up and around the upper town – the bell tower of the cathedral of St. Moritz and a small plant of edelweiss.

The St. Moritz Leaning Tower is a remarkable 16th-century structure that has survived the rest of its church. The building is 108 feet (33 meters) tall and stands at a pronounced incline, making it an iconic attraction.
The tower was initially attached to the 13th-century Church of St. Mauritius, which was damaged in 1893. The tower’s bell was removed around the same time, since it was top-heavy. Despite several restorations and restructures, it still has a 5.5-degree tilt, which is as large, if not larger, as that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.

Our last night in St. Moritz. Tomorrow is the train ride back to Zurich for our last night stay and then the flights home.

From our last train ride – castle on a hill

Our last evening in Zürich, we walked to the Viaduct where they had built a number of trendy places including some places to eat.

Not sure what happened to Looser 1-8 but…..

For my mind, the trip was over too soon. For my hamstring, it was too long.

This was a very entertaining trip and I only wish is that I did not have hamstring, calf and knee issues. There was so much to see in the places we stayed but with only 1 night, there wasn’t enough time to explore. We did bring home lots of chocolate and coffee pods.

To my great travel friend Gloria – who always finds interesting places to eat. Only wish I could keep up with you. Thanks for sharing the memories.

I don’t know when I will be able to travel again, between my knee and things needing care at the house. So until I can, you need to get out there and explore, whether your backyard or across the world. Life is too short to not take in everything this glorious world is providing to us.

Just remember – take only memories and leave only footprints.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~ Saint Augustine

Glacier Express

On September 12, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn GLACIER EXPRESS, SWITZERLAND, TRIPSLeave a comment

The Glacier Express is a direct train from Zermatt to St. Moritz. The train is also referred to as the “slowest express train in the world”: the journey takes about 8 hours. There is a good reason for this slow pace: the train squeezes its way through the Alps, through narrow valleys, tight curves, 91 tunnels, and across 291 bridges. Traveling on board the Glacier Express is comfortable with coaches that have panoramic sealed windows all the way to the roof. (Note – this means no open windows. Images were taken shooting through the windows so I did my best at trying to reduce the glare/reflection of the train coach in the images.) The train is air conditioned and there is free power and wi-fi available. There is also an infotainment system using your smartphone or tablet that provides information about the route.

You are not required to travel with the Glacier Express if you want to enjoy the scenery of the Glacier Express route. There are regular train services on the same line as well. The regular trains do not offer panoramic windows and don’t have the same level of comfort, but other than that you can see the landscape just as well. The regular trains are local trains, so you would have to switch trains multiple times to cover the whole route. The Glacier Express is the only direct train from Zermatt to St. Moritz.

Yes, you read that right – 8 hours of riding the train. But oh, such views.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith of Valencia Lakes kept it lively with his squeaky seat.

Fencing to prevent snowslides down the hill onto the train tracks.

Looking forward as the Glacier Express is crossing the Landwasser Viaduct from cliff to tunnel just north of Filisur.

Mosaic in the walkway from the train station in St. Moritz

We arrived in St. Moritz and our guide had vans to take us up the hillside to our hotel.

Bear and Bearbette had a trying day with sitting on the train all day.

And we thought of Becky joining us in spirit on this trip.

Our trip included dinner in the hotel, which was very good and we had no idea how far from a restaurant we were with our hotel on the hill.

Zermatt

On September 5, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn SWITZERLAND, TRIPS, ZERMATT1 Comment

Zermatt lies at the foot of the Matterhorn and in the middle of an enormous hiking and ski region making it one of the world’s most attractive vacation villages. The ski region encompasses 54 mountain railways and lifts as well as 223.6 miles of downhill ski trails. The region called “Matterhorn glacier paradise” is Europe’s largest and highest lying summer skiing region.
If it wasn’t raining we would have liked to go up to the Little Matterhorn aka Klein Matterhorn, which is at 12,740 feet and the highest cable car station in Europe.
There is a cog railway that operates between Zermatt and the 10134.5 ft high Gornergrat. The summit offers spectacular views of the Matterhorn, the glaciers and the Monte-Rosa massif (group of mountains).
Zermatt has been certified as an “energy town” since 2016 and only allows electric vehicles to run without combustion engines. The village is 100 % self sufficient in pure spring water. More than 80% of the village electricity comes from hydro power, which provides 100% of the ebus fuel. There are also solar power installations.

We arrived at our hotel in a light rain so it was hard to get our bearings on where everything is located. We were assigned our rooms, with everyone going in different directions.

Looking down from the balcony of our room at the Hotel Alpine Perren.

They had arranged for us to have dinner at a restaurant in our hotel. And afterwards, the rain was down to a drizzle, so Gloria and I decided to go for a short walk.

Zermatt is traversed by the main river of the valley: the Matter Vispa, which rises at the glaciers at the feet of the highest peaks: the Gorner Glacier on the east side near Monte Rosa and the Zmutt Glacier on the west side.

We walked through a small cemetery not far from this church.

And then we headed back to our hotel for the night.

View from our hotel room. I was assuming this was the direction for the Matterhorn, but I had no idea.
We are getting ready to take the cog railway up to view the Matterhorn (but its raining).

The map for going up to Gornergrat to view the Matterhorn.

The cog rail coming down the hill as we are going up.

A view of the glaciers and mountain tops.
Monte Rosa massif, including the Dufourspitze at 15203.4 feet it is the highest peak in Switzerland.

Not the direction of the Matterhorn. We could not see the Matterhorn. But we did see lots of glaciers melting.
Behind us is Gorner Glacier, the 3rd longest glacier in the Alps. The glacier to the right of Gloria’s head is the Zwilling glacier.

Did I mention it was raining…..and thundering. I didn’t see any lightning but…
You can see where the Gorner glacier meets the Grenz glacier and becomes the largest connected glacial surface in the Alps.

Bear even ventured out to try to see the Matterhorn. There is one right? (other than at Disney?)

OK, This is hard to see as I am trying to take a picture through one of those view scopes. Well, now I know which direction to look for the Matterhorn. But it is behind a bunch of clouds right now.

The Bernhard von Aosta chapel on the Gornergrat is one of Zermatt’s most visited places of worship. After the Kulmhotel Gornergrat opened at the end of the 19th century, Sunday mass was read in the hotel’s dining room during the summer. The bishop wished for a chapel and in 1950 construction took place. The chapel is block structure with recessed choir, double offset roof and bell tower as a roof turret over the entrance. It is dedicated to St. Bernard. The interior has a wooden ceiling and floor of stone slabs. The windows are without stain glass, a confessional box stands on the right of the entrance.

The altar piece consists of relief-style carved wooden figures in the center, St Bernard of Aosta; on the left, St Maurice (Patron Saint of Valais); and on the right, St Theodule. A crown of alpine flowers forms the culmination of the altar. The tabernacle is decorated with grapevines; the altar table is made of stone slabs with a cross.
I lit two candles for my mom and Louie (Becky’s husband.)

Europe’s highest open air cog railway brings passengers from Zermatt station to the summit of Gornergrat, 365 days a year. The ride takes 33 minutes and requires a vertical climb of 4819.5 feet. The line leads on 5.8 miles over dramatic bridges, through galleries and tunnels, across forests of larch and Swiss stone pine and past rocky ravines and mountain lakes.

We visited the museum near the top though we didn’t head all the way up to the hotel and stellarium (which is a research center and not usually open to the public). Gornergrat prides itself at being the highest shopping mall in Europe, located at the bottom floor of the hotel. With the rain and thunder, not to mention the slope that I would have to walk up, I didn’t think it was in my best interest.

Time to head back down to Zermatt – its pouring.

Time to visit a chocolatier Laderach Store – We didn’t escape without buying some.

And now it is time to go find some lunch. Gloria found a quaint little place for us to try local Swiss food – Whymper-Stube

Raclette – a Swiss and Savoyard dish based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes, onions, and pickles

The Bahnhofstrasse, the main street with lots of bars, boutiques, souvenir shops, bakeries, etc..in the rain.

And then it was back to the hotel as the weather was not cooperating so going up to little Matterhorn was out of the question.

OK, so hopefully we will get to see it tomorrow.

The Matterhorn at 9:30 PM – at least we are seeing some of it – hoping tomorrow will be better.

Matterhorn at 5:30 AM
I guess waiting a day is worth it.
But this is from our room. I am not going out to the bridge as this seems like I will see it clear enough.

Now we see what the symbols are marking the trails. Not that I was hiking but….

As we are waiting for everyone to arrive at the train station as it is time for us to head to our next location.

Right above our heads they are flying high and getting great views today. It was worth the wait for the Matterhorn to reveal itself. Many years ago, my uncle Floyd, who was a member of the international ski patrol, was going to take me to Europe, France and Switzerland to ski. Unfortunately it never happened. So seeing these great peaks brought back memories of skiing with Uncle Floyd and the great experiences he gave me growing up. And though I never got to see them with him and Aunt Agnes, I am glad to finally get to see these wonderful areas that he wanted me to experience.
And now it is time to head to St. Moritz another great ski area. More on that in the next post.

Montreux

On September 4, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND, TRIPSLeave a comment

Short overnight stay in Lausanne, and next morning we are back on a train to Montreux. Montreux is a traditional resort town on Lake Geneva. Nestled between steep hills and the lakeside, it’s known for its mild micro climate and the Montreux Jazz Festival, held in July. The town’s promenade is lined with flowers, sculptures, Mediterranean trees and grand Belle Époque buildings. Offshore is a medieval island castle, Château de Chillon, with ramparts, formal halls and a chapel with 14th-century murals.

We walked from the train station down to the lake. It was off and on sprinkling on us trying to decide to rain or not, and it wasn’t quite sure. Of course this meant the lake was whipped up with some white caps.

The group had signed up for a trip to the Castle Chillon, and our way to get there was by one of these ships. Not sure which one we were going to get and nothing was currently at the dock.

We decided while we had a bit before our “cruise” to the castle, to walk down along the lake to the casino, which also had a small museum inside.

Sculptures along side Lake Geneva in Montreux.

Statue of Freddie Mercury along the shore in Montreux. He immortalized Lake Geneva with the peaks of Le Grammont on the cover of the album “Made in Heaven”.

We made it to the casino without too much rain.

The casino in Montreux – where there is a small museum to Freddie Mercury. No, I didn’t gamble.

A couple of items from the Freddie Mercury museum

After the casino/ museum – we walked back towards the dock, as the rain picked up in intensity, we went into a little shopping center to pick up something to eat for lunch.

Found this on the floor inside the shopping center.

Our boat had arrived and it was time to cruise the lake to the castle.

Gloria helping our Bear and Bearbette on the boat in the wind.

Castle Chillon- looks like no other castle from the Middle Ages… built on an island on Lake Geneva, it is surrounded by tall mountains that are renowned for their beauty. Far away in the distance, you can see the seven summits of a mountain range called the “Dents du Midi” (the teeth of the south). This landscape has been inspiring visiting artists for almost 300 years; they write about it, or paint it, not forgetting to add in Chillon Castle.

Our boat as we disembark for a short walk to the castle.

While the so-called ‘Savoyard’-style castles were generally built on a square plot, flanked by cylindrical towers on each corner, what makes Chillon Castle special is the way it molded with the oval shape of the rocky island on which it was built.
Surrounded by a natural moat, the castle can be accessed via the lake from all sides. It is considered a ‘water side castle’. Chillon is connected to the land by a bridge (formerly a drawbridge, the remains of whose pulley system can still be seen). Chillon is a dual-purpose castle: the northern façade – pierced with arrow slits and later loopholes, and topped with machicolations – constituted the defensive section, which protected the Via Francigena road. On the south side, facing the lake, magnificent Gothic windows adorn the façade of the princely residence, looking out over the typical landscape of the Vaud Riviera, Lake Geneva and the mountains. In the center, the keep and the treasure room are connected to the corps de logis by sentry walks. Just picture yourself living here… the internal space is split into three main courtyards, each corresponding to the use of the buildings surrounding them: the castellan’s and the lord’s residences, which date back to the feudal system.

The sister was our guide through the castle

The castle is perfect for storing wine in the cellar

Having been inspired by the story of Francois Bonivard after a visit to the castle, Lord Byron wrote a poem entitled The Prisoner of Chillon in 1816 about Francois de Bonivard. Byron also carved his name on a pillar of the dungeon.

drawing on the wall in the “dungeon” of the castle.

The tour continued through the upper part of the castle, which I skipped due to my knee. I met up with the group for the wine tasting.

Wine made by the Chillon Castle for tasting. not for sale.

Across the road from the castle is this fortification in the rock. Fort de Chillon, opposite 12th-century Château de Chillon, was part of WWII defenses.

On our way from Montreux to Zermatt. We are heading up into the mountains.
We passed a number of deep crevasses and thus the need for arched bridges.

We were having a good time riding the trains. Even the long day of riding. The trains were very good, comfortable, clean and smooth riding.

From the train station in Zermatt, we took electric vehicles to our hotel. More on Zermatt in the next post.

Lausanne – Interlaken

On September 4, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn TRIPS, SWITZERLAND, LAUSANNE - INTERLAKEN1 Comment

Departing Lucerne on the Lucerne-Interlaken Express.

Off we go in the morning to Lausanne – enjoying some more gorgeous scenery from our train.

Cross Brunig Pass en route to Interlaken.

Before Lausanne, we are headed to Interlaken for lunch.

The scenery blesses my eyes with beauty and my only regret is no windows to open or no stops to get out to capture these with the camera. Cell phone and trying not to get window glare is my only option.

Arriving at Interlaken, we were going to take a funicular up for lunch. Looking at a map showing the mountains across the valley.
Left is Eiger, then Monch, then Jungfraujoch, and last is Jungfrau.

We spent some time strolling through the quaint streets on the way to the funicular.

For more than 100 years, the funicular has been negotiating the 2411 feet of altitude to the Harder Kulm, located at 4337 feet. The journey starts not far from Interlaken Ost station, leads through a charming forest and passes the wildlife park.

A five-minute walk takes visitors from the mountain station to the lovely restaurant with turrets and a red tile roof.

Next to the restaurant, guests may visit the “Two-Lakes-Bridge” and an airy viewing platform. From there, truly deep sights can be seen and the magnificent view to Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as well as Lakes Brienz and Thun can be savored.

A cow on the viewing platform? Yes, there was.

The mountains across the valley – Left is Eiger, then Monch, then Jungfraujoch, and last is Jungfrau.

This person must have had a spectacular view and thrill flying above it all.

I loved the carved wooden people along the trail.

As we are heading back to the funicular for our trip down after lunch.

The little wildlife park as we pass in the funicular.

Looking back up the mountain – Notice the viewing platform off to the left

From Interlaken, take the BLS Regio Express train to Zweisimmen. Continue on the GoldenPass panoramic train for your journey to Montreux, then continue to Lausanne.
We continued on our train passing through small towns – with unique buildings –

And very large buildings – guessing a hotel.

And more scenery.

Lots and lots of curves as we work our way up through the mountains.

The Swiss Bear – I forget which train line this was on.

Colorful train car next to us as we arrive in Lausanne.

Our arrival in Lausanne. Lausanne is a city on Lake Geneva, in the French-speaking region of Vaud, Switzerland. It is home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters, as well as the Olympic Museum and lake shore Olympic Park.
Away from the lake, the hilly old city has medieval, shop-lined streets and a 12th-century Gothic cathedral with an ornate façade. The 19th-century Palais de Rumine houses fine art and science museums. We arrived late afternoon and we had a very steep uphill walk to get to our hotel which pretty much took out my knee. That made going out to dinner difficult and the hotel restaurant was full. We managed to get some lamb tacos from a small place just a short walk from our hotel which were just perfectly cooked.
I was pretty much done for the day after that hill to the hotel. So the evening was spent relaxing in our room. Missing out on any touring of Lausanne.

Lucerne

On August 31, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn LUCERNE, SWITZERLANDLeave a comment

This is the first actual day using the train system. After our luggage was taken by motorcoach, we had our breakfasts and our guide, Flo walked us to the train station in Zurich. A very large train station and huge signs listing all the trains to various parts of Switzerland.

Flo explained to us how to read these signs even though it is not in English, so if we got lost, we would know how to find which track and most importantly if there is a letter designating which section of the train. One part of the train could be going to one stop and be disconnected, or as in our case, we had a special car for us – or for first class.

Now follow your guide with the red flag.

Your train ride could be long so might want to think about picking up a snack or treat to eat en route.

Yes, there is graffiti here too, but its colorful and you can read it here.

The monitors on the trains kept you informed as to where you were on the trip.

Our ride to Lucerne was not too long. It was nice not having to worry about shlepping luggage. Once we arrived in Lucerne, the sun was shining and we walked from the train station to our hotel.

Lucerne, the gateway to central Switzerland sited on Lake Lucerne, is embedded within an impressive mountainous panorama. Historic houses decorated with frescoes line the picturesque town squares as they do the Weinmarkt square. The Jesuit church dating from the 17th century is regarded as Switzerland’s first sacral Baroque building and the twin towers of the Hofkirche form an integral part of the town scape.
Lucerne is the ideal starting point for many excursions to the highlights of central Switzerland.

Flo stopped us showing us a few sights along the way.

The Chateau Gutsch is a historic Chateau in Lucerne. In 1859, Burkhard Pfyffer bought a plot of land on the Gutsch hill from the town and was granted the right to run an inn. The inn was bought by Ignaz Businger in 1879 and expanded. A large part was destroyed in the great fire of 1888. In 1901 the hotel received its present appearance, being modified after Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.

Complete with gable paintings, the covered, medieval Chapel Bridge forms the center of Lucerne’s town scape and is considered to be one of the oldest wooden bridges in Europe. The most characteristic sight in Lucerne is the Kapellbrucke, a covered wooden bridge running diagonally across the Reuss. Apart from being a picturesque centerpiece, the bridge, built in 1333, is interesting for more than 100 17th century pictures hanging from the roof rafters inside depicting patron saints and scenes from the town’s history.
The Kapellbrucke was severely damaged by fire in 1993 but has been completely rebuilt and restored. Beside it is the octagonal Wasserturm, a 13th century water tower more than 111.5 feet high and once part of the town’s fortifications. The bridge and town are among the most photographed scenes in all Switzerland.

Notice the bells on the side of the building.

Alte Suidtersche Apotheke medieval signboard of the oldest pharmacy store in Lucerne was founded in 1833.

Our hotel just a short distance from downtown.

A view towards Rathaus Stadt (old town hall).

Lucerne was starting a festival that day – here was one of the bands playing along the river.

We were walking back towards the train station and to the area where the boats that cruise on Lake Lucerne are docked as we prepare to go for a cruise around part of the lake.

All that remains from a magnificent railway station built in 1896 but destroyed by fire in 1971. All that remains is this arch which once was the terminal’s main portal. On top is a statue called Zeitgeist or “Spirit of our Times”.

Here are some of the people from our development on the cruise.

We spent the rest of the morning cruising around the lake taking in the sights.

The spires of the Church of St, Leodegar is a Roman Catholic church. It was built in parts from 1633 to 1639 on the foundation of the Roman basilica, begun in 735, which had burnt in 1633. This church was one of the few built north of the Alps during the Thirty Years War and one of the largest rich churches of the German late renaissance period.

The Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern is a grand hotel of the Belle Epoque, located on the north shore of the lake with an opening date of September 2022 after its renovations. It was built as the Palace Hotel Luzern between 1904 and 1906, and is officially designated as a cultural asset of national importance. During the Second World War the hotel became a medical center.

The Pilatus or the Rigi – the queen of the mountains.

As you can see, the cruise around Lake Lucerne involves lots of water and plenty of mountains. A trip up one of Lucerne’s regional mountains, the Pilatus or the Rigi – the queen of mountains – is a must. But a cruise on Lake Lucerne with its many bends and arms is no less worthy. Mount Pilatus, is 6,801 feet high and you can reach the summit by one of the world’s steepest cog railways and finish with the aerial cable way. I wish we had time to go do the cog railway and cable way.

Mount Pilatus is a massif above the lake, which actually comprises several peaks of which the highest is called Tomlishorn at 7,000 feet. It’s not only breathtakingly beautiful but also the site of many legends. Supposedly Pontius Pilatus is buried here. Also, a stone giant stands guard at the entrance to a secret cave, and it was the home of a magic dragon. The entire massif offers hiking trails but is also popular with mountain climbers and gives you an overview of all three lakes and many more mountains.

lots of sailing and surrounded by mountains.

Jesus Christ Statue on Lake Lucerne, Meggenhorn, by Josef Vetter in 1900.

The little chapel on left was built in 1879/1880 is adorned with four magnificent frescoes which depict “the Rutli oath”, “shooting of the apple” “Tell’s leap” and “the death of Gessler in the Hohle Gasse”. King Ludwig II of Bavaria also had the idea of erecting a gigantic figure of Tell in the water – intended to symbolize Tell’s Leap. Just above the chapel since 2001, is Switzerland’s largest carillon.

Richard Wagner Museum – Opera lovers should visit the Tribschen Villa, the home of Richard Wagner from 1866 to 1872, where he composed some of his best known works. It was here that he completed Die Meistersinger von Numberg and portions of Siegfried, as well as the Emperor March. On tour you will hear the romantic story of his Tribschener Idyll, composed as a serenade for his wife. Also see the Erard piano on which he composed.

Once we returned to the dock, we were off to find some place to grab a small lunch before a walking tour from our guide.

Yes, that is a wall of chocolate – flowing. Be still my heart.

The Lucerne Fire Department posing with some of our group.

Cairns decorating a small island in the road.

You never know what you will find as you walk around a town. I have seen this in other European cities – but this time he interacted with our group.

The Swiss are very proud of their cows and take special care of them.

Just north of Lowenplatz is the famous Lion Monument, a huge figure of a dying lion hewn from the face of a rock ledge. Designed by Thorwaldsen in 1820, the monument commemorates the death of 26 officers and more than 700 troops of the Swiss Guards. These mercenary soldiers were killed in Paris while protecting King Louis XVI during the attack on the Tuileries in the French Revolution in 1792.

Spreuerbrucke – Surprising as it may be to have one covered bridge that has survived for centuries, Lucerne has two. The second covered bridge, the Spreuerbrucke, was built in 1406, and inside on triangular panels under the bridge’s rafters are 45 paintings of the Dance of Death, known in German as the Totentanz.

Painted between 1616 and 1637 by painter Kaspar Meglinger and his students, this is the largest example of a Totentanz cycle know to exist. These are framed in back, each frame inscribed with explanations in verse of the painting’s subject and the names of the patrons who donated them. Some also have portraits of the donors.

Gloria – 1729 hmmm not sure what to say…

Heading into the folklore show. Traditional Swiss customs featuring alphorns, cowbells, national costumes, and yodeling is an experience, held in a historical place dating back to the 12th century.

The show included alphorns and people from the audience got to try them.

And yes, they dressed up as a cow and walked between the tables.

We ate very well and the entertainment was quaint and funny. Very interactive with the audience.

Afterwards, Gloria and I walked back towards our hotel, through the thousands of people out enjoying the festival of Lucerne. There was lots of drinking and merriment going around.

Views of the Reuss River, the own of Lucerne and the Jesuit Church early evening taken from the Chapel Bridge.

Zürich

On August 30, 2022August 30, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn SWITZERLAND, TRIPS, ZURICHLeave a comment

First, I need to apologize for the delay in getting this trip posted. The trip started on June 24, 2022 and though I have been home for almost two months, I wasn’t really able to sit and review the photos or to write the blog until my hamstring and calf muscles decided they would let me. I injured them on the Egypt trip but didn’t want to put off this trip so I limped my way through. But now I have gotten better even though the end result is needing knee surgery, I am able to get back to documenting our incredible trip.
The trip was scheduled through the Valencia Lakes Travel Club using a Cosmos trip – Switzerland by rail tour. My friend Gloria was brave enough to join me on this excursion even knowing I was not feeling up to all of it. Friendship is a wonderful thing and I am grateful to her for her research in restaurants as we ate very well.

This map – though not our trip does show the principle cities and routes we will take. We stay 1-2 nights in each of the cities in some very nice hotels. We start in Zurich, with our first train from Zurich to Lucerne. From Lucerne, we will ride to Interlaken for a beautiful stop, then on to Lausanne. From Lausanne we will ride the rails a short distance to Montreux and then on to Zermatt. From Zermatt we will take in some gorgeous scenery as we travel to St. Moritz. While staying in St. Moritz, we will take another scenery laden ride to Tirano, Italy and back. And the last day we will travel back to Zurich for our last night before we travel home. So on to the trip…..

Gloria and I as we take our last flight from Toronto to Zurich. Our trip now begins.

Zürich is the largest city in the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) by land area and population. It is the financial center of Switzerland. Because Zürich is the central node of the Swiss-wide train network and also runs the biggest and busiest international airport in the country, it generally is the first place where tourist arrive. Due to the city’s close distance to tourist resorts in the Swiss Alps and its mountainous scenery, it is often referred to as the “Portal to the Alps”. Zürich is not the capital of Switzerland – the Swiss are very much a confederation of Cantons and avoid naming any one city as the capital in order to prevent that Canton from seeming more important than the others. Still, the federal government is headquartered in Berne and not Zürich. Zürich has long been known for being clean and efficient. Due to this, it has been continuously ranked as the city with the highest living standard worldwide for many years. However, only in the last 15 years, it has truly because a fascinating and worthwhile travel destination.

The first sign we saw with Zurich in it. Bear joined us. Yes, I know it is for the insurance company (30 yrs in insurance helps me with those kinds of things.)
We were picked up at the airport and taken by bus to our hotel.

a city street with wide crossings for walking marked but what I noticed was the protective covering for the bicycles on the left.

After arriving at our hotel, Novotel Zurich City-West, my first impressions were that we were in an industrial area of the city. The buildings were very manufacturing looking, functional but not as one would expect as a place for a hotel. Surprisingly, the area and the hotel were very clean with neat functional lines. And as I was to find out, it was very close to the local transportation. We met with our guide – Flo, who explained how to use the tram line and where some things were located. We had originally hoped to go to the Lindt chocolate factory, but we did not have enough time with the scheduled dinner to go and get back (plus you needed tickets and they were sold out for today), so we decided to venture a bit into the city using the tram.

We walked around the corner and down the block to get to the local tram station. We were to take tram #4. We went down to the main train station – unfortunately it was having its façade restored, but one of the entrance arch with clock was still visible.

Alfred Escher Memorial Fountain outside of Zürich’s Hauptbahnhof (main train station)

Hotel Schweizerhof is located at the head of the Bahnhofstrasse, right across from the Hauptbahnhof (train) Station and just a few steps from the city’s main attractions. Built in 1876, the hotel has a history as a luxury hotel.

We started our walk on the Bahnhofstrasse.

Fountain from Paris, 1870, to initiate the 1982 World Convention of Water Experts in Zürich.

Bear practicing safe traveling checking out the view of the river Limmat.

A tour boat on the river Limmat with St Peter’s Church in the background.

Hotel Storchen is one of the oldest hotels in Switzerland, dating back to 1357. It was reconstructed in 2017 to renovate and modernize the hotel doing it in just 6.5 weeks. The restaurant is highly rated and the hotel – well, rooms start at over $450 to over $1,000 a night.

Taking in the view from Wuhre, also known as Wuhre an der Limmat, is an historic pedestrian only street in the Schipfe district of Zürich. It runs, along the left (western) side of the Limmat river for around 0.1 miles from Weinplatz in the north to Munsterbrucke in the south.

The Zunfthaus zur Haue is the guildhall of the Zunft zum Kambel, one of the 14 traditional guilds of Zürich. In 1487, the guild acquired the House zum Kambel. In 1358, the Zürich knight Gotz Mulner II sold sovereignty rights to the city of Zürich. It has been in the possession of salt merchants and then cloth merchants. The deer on the roof is reminiscent of those times. It’s now a restaurant.

Grossmunster in Zürich. Old Romanesque church, symbol of the reformed Zürich, where reformer Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people’s priest in 1519.

Ahh the sights and smells inside a chocolatier.

And then it started to rain again, so off we went trying to find a place to eat. We decided on The Butcher, on Badenerstrasse, a little place that had excellent burgers. It was then raining pretty good, so we headed back to find the tram. We thought we had to walk all the way back to where we got off the tram, but we noticed that there was a tram #4 that was just across the river. It was correct one, and we managed to not get completely drenched taking it back to the stop by our hotel.
This evening was our welcome dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. We got to meet everyone on the trip and we had a nice dinner……until the fire alarm went off. Now everyone had to leave the building. Fortunately it was not pouring any longer as we stood outside in the open area across from the hotel. All was well and there was no fire, so we were allowed back inside our hotel after a fashion. Now it was time to prepare for the next day’s train ride. So make sure everything is packed and ready to go to have the suitcase outside the room bright and early the next day.

Cairo – last day

On May 9, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn CAIRO, EGYPT, TRIPSLeave a comment

Morning view of the pyramids. My last view of them.

Our last tour. The Museum of Egyptian Civilization was so worth it, and most know I don’t usually do museums.

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is a large museum in the ancient city of Fustat, now part of Cairo, Egypt. The museum partially opened in February 2017 and displays a collection of 50,000 artefacts, presenting Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day.

What makes it different is the mummies. Since the mummies were previously in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir square, people wonder what’s new about having them here.

As recently as 2020, a ceremonious procession moved 22 mummies from the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Tahrir Square to their new permanent home. This grouping included 18 kings and four queens, and was known as The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade.

This large collection of royal mummies includes the likes of King Ramses II, the most famous pharaoh of the New Kingdom, and Queen Hatshepsut, who came to rule at a time when women did not become pharaohs.

Here, they are displayed in a way that’s completely different from the way they were displayed before. When entering the Royal Mummies’ Hall, the whole mood, the lighting, and even the decorations give off the feeling that you’re entering a tomb. For starters, the dimly lit hall is located below ground, and visitors are instructed not to take photos or cause too much noise to respect the sanctity of the display. The entire ambience in the hall is very somber, and observing the mummies up-close helps put the entire Pharaonic civilization in perspective: these were normal human beings who built an entire legacy based on their ability to innovate.
The Roman Capula Leg was believed to be the first prosthetic limb made in history, however, the artificial toes created in the Pharaonic era precede it by hundreds of years – and one of them is on display at the NMEC.

The Baldachin of Princess “Isetemkheb II” – notice the hand stitching

The ancient Egyptians used to make tents made of mats, leather and thick linen cloth as a temporary means of residence since the Pre-dynastic Period. This unique tent was found in 1881 buried in one of Deir el-Bahari (Valley of the Kings) cache corridors and was still preserving its bright colors as it was made entirely of applique colored leather, and decorated with carefully cut-out leather ornaments and texts fixed on a different color piece of leather. This is supposed to be the only remaining tent from ancient Egypt until now. It was made between 1046 – 1037 BC for the funerary purification of “Isetemkheb II” who was the daughter of the army general and High priest of Amun “Masaherta” and the chantress of Amun “Tayuheret”, and the granddaughter of king “Pinudjem I” of the 21st dynasty.

This treasure was found in 1989 inside a pottery vessel that was hidden in the walls of a Roman fort that includes a temple of the gods Serapis, Isis, and Harpocrates in Dush, Kharga Oasis. The treasure includes a golden wreath with the image of the god Serapis at its center, two bracelets, and two gold necklaces made of 187 golden plaques. (Roman period, AD 2nd century)

Then it was to the Coptic corner to a church – St Sergius. We walked down old streets that were very narrow as they didn’t have camels back then. As we descended we got close to where the street level would have been during the time Mary and Joseph would have traveled. But with the blowing sand, the silt from the flooding Nile it has raised the ground level by many feet. I vaguely heard a number but until I can verify let’s not use one.

looking inside St Sergius church (service was going on so we stayed outside)

The Hanging Church is also referred to as the Suspended Church. It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the Roman Fortress. Logs of palm trees and layers of stones were constructed above the ruins of the Roman fortress to be used as a fundament. The Hanging Church is a unique church and has a wooden roof in the shape of Noah’s ark. From the 7th century to the 13th century, the Hanging Church served as the residence of the Coptic Patriarch.

We then went to have lunch on one of the river boats – no sailing, just lunch

and then back to hotel for people to pack. We have our farewell dinner at 7 in the Lebanese restaurant in the building. ( I wasn’t thrilled with the welcome dinner there, but that’s just me) others liked the dips etc.

Last evening. I have to leave at 12:20 am to go to the airport for a 4:40 flight to Frankfurt and then flight home. So no sleeping until Florida.

Our guides in Egypt. Ours was Sherif on the right.

I am back home (well weeks ago). Sorry that I couldn’t post while on the trip itself, but I have caught up only 17 days after my return. There is one thing that covid did – it reduced the crowds. We were places where I should not have been able to get a clear image without throngs of people, but due to many countries just opening back up and fewer people traveling, we were able to see and spend more time in the various temples. Of course, that meant restrictions on how many people could eat together on the ship and mask requirements in a number of places. We got in and out of Israel in between the conflict issues without incident. And finally, we managed to get through Egypt’s southernmost temples in temperatures that were hot, but survivable. I definitely would not go to Egypt later than mid-April.

Hope you enjoyed the trip.

Cairo

On May 8, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn CAIRO, EGYPT, TRIPSLeave a comment

Yesterday was a travel day. We left our ship in Aswan and flew back to Cairo on a private charter plane. On our way to the airport, we drove to the Aswan High Dam. There was too much dust flying around that day, so I didn’t get off the bus. Upon arriving back in Cairo, we checked back into the Intercontinental Hotel that we stayed in for the first part of the tour.

Here is the view of the pool from my room.

The next morning we went to see the last Wonder of the World – the Great Pyramid.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and tomb of Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Built in the 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years, it is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact.

Initially standing at 481 feet, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years. Over time, most of the smooth white limestone casing was removed, which lowered the pyramid’s height to the present 454.4 ft. What is seen today is the underlying core structure. The base was measured to be about 755.6 ft square, giving a volume of roughly 92 million cubic feet, which includes an internal hillock.

The dimensions of the pyramid were 481.4 ft high, a base length of 756.4 ft, with a slope of 51°50’40”.

The Great Pyramid was built by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks weighing 6 million tons in total. The majority of stones are not uniform in size or shape and are only roughly dressed.

There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest was cut into the bedrock, upon which the pyramid was built, but remained unfinished. The so-called Queen’s Chamber and King’s Chamber, that contains a granite sarcophagus, are higher up, within the pyramid structure.

The funerary complex around the pyramid consisted of two mortuary temples connected by a causeway (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), tombs for the immediate family and court of Khufu, including three smaller pyramids for Khufu’s wives, an even smaller “satellite pyramid” and five buried solar barges.

The middle pyramid was built for Khafre, the fourth of the eight kings of the 4th dynasty; the structure measures 707.75 feet on each side and was originally 471 feet high. The southernmost and last pyramid to be built was that of Menkaure, the fifth king of the 4th dynasty; each side measures 356.5 feet , and the structure’s completed height was 218 feet. The pyramids have been almost entirely stripped of their outer casings of smooth white limestone; that of Khafre pyramid still retains the outer limestone casing only at its topmost portion.

Bear in front of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

this was taken with the cell phone to get all the pyramid in the image even with a 24mm lens.

these blocks are not small – taller than I am

You could go into the great pyramid through about a 400 ft tunnel used by the grave robbers. They don’t recommend if you have knee, back, or are claustrophobic as it is maybe 3.5 to 4 ft high and you need to squat as you go through it, with small openings to let the other people pass you to go back out. This leads to the “burial chamber”, but nothing was found there.

We drove around to the back side for the Kodak moment and for some of our group to ride a camel. Since they don’t go to the pyramids and you can’t really see them from our vantage point, they had to tip their camel driver to take their photo with the pyramid behind them.

Khafre closest and the Great Pyramid Khufu to the left. Because of the hillside elevation it makes it look like Khafre is larger.

you could go for a camel ride – but not near the pyramids

Karen, Gwen, and then Victoria on lead camel

Grace enjoying herself on her camel ride

Oh the classic shot. How could I not take it.

Afterwards we drove to the Sphinx. It was around on the other side behind the building they used for the mummification process.
To the south of the Great Pyramid near Khafre’s valley temple lies the Great Sphinx. Carved out of limestone, the Sphinx has the facial features of a man but the body of a recumbent lion; it is approximately 240 feet long and 66 feet high.

The winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, the most famous in legend, was said to have terrorized the people by demanding the answer to a riddle taught her by the Muses—What is it that has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?—and devouring a man each time the riddle was answered incorrectly. Eventually Oedipus gave the proper answer: man, who crawls on all fours in infancy, walks on two feet when grown, and leans on a staff in old age. The sphinx thereupon killed herself. From this tale apparently grew the legend that the sphinx was omniscient, and even today the wisdom of the sphinx is proverbial.

Afterwards we went to the Mena House, a Marriott hotel for lunch. Great view from there. The Mena House was once the hunting palace of King Farouk, is set in 40 acres of jasmine-scented gardens with the pyramids towering above. In December 1977, Egypt and Israel sat down together at Mena House in a quest for a peace settlement (also attending were American and United Nations representatives). The results of this Mena House Conference were to lead to the Camp David Agreement, which restored Egypt’s sovereignty over the Sinai peninsula.

On to a papyrus place. Apparently, they had lost the process for making paper. They have since recreated the process. You need to be careful because the Chinese have created fake looking ones from banana or sugarcane. We got our demo on how they make it and then we were able to shop for some with ancient style paintings or more modern. They are done with vegetable dyes mostly but some have some paint. I picked up a small one for my grandson of King Tuts and his wife having a picnic on the Nile with the fish below them. (For when he is older – til then I’m sure my son will take care of it for him).

Showing us how they make paper from papyrus

Then back to the hotel and a last sighting of the pyramid in the distance.

and to the 18th floor for a relaxing drink. This is tea – Shebo is not here so no more smoothies

One more full day.

One more half day of sightseeing, covid testing, papers to fill out, etc. Our flight leaves at 4:20 am Friday.

Abu Simbel

On May 8, 2022 By Sue KarskiIn ASWAN, EGYPT, TRIPSLeave a comment

Currently driving across the Sahara desert towards Abu Simbel. Off in the distance are not pyramids but natural erosion leaving behind sediment rock.

It’s a 4 hr drive and to avoid the heat during the worst of the day we left at 6 am.

View crossing the lower Aswan dam looking north

The Sahara Desert. Not what I expected. The sand has blown away leaving the mounds you see.

After a midway stop to stretch our legs, we arrived at Abu Simbel. We are just 12 miles from the Sudan border. It is hot. Did I mention it is hot. I will mention it again just in case.

Because of the heat, I decided to pay to take a golf cart around to the entrances of the two temples.

Abu Simbel is an ancient temple complex, originally cut into a solid rock cliff. The two temples which comprise the site were created during the reign of Ramesses II. It is certain, based upon the extensive artwork throughout the interior of the Great Temple, that the structures were created, at least in part, to celebrate Ramesses’ victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE.

It is agreed that it took twenty years to create the complex and that the temples are dedicated to the gods Ra-Horakty, Ptah, and the deified Ramesses II (The Great Temple) and the goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari, Ramesses’ favorite wife (The Small Temple). While it is assumed that the name, `Abu Simbel’, was the designation for the complex in antiquity, this is not so. Allegedly, the Swiss explorer Burckhardt was led to the site by a boy named Abu Simbel in 1813 CE and the site was then named after him. Burckhardt, however, was unable to uncover the site, which was buried in sand up to the necks of the grand colossi and later mentioned this experience to his friend and fellow explorer Giovanni Belzoni. It was Belzoni who uncovered and first excavated (or looted) Abu Simbel in 1817 CE and it is considered likely that it was he, not Burckhardt, who was led to the site by the young boy and who named the complex after him. As with other aspects regarding Abu Simbel, the truth of either version of the story is open to interpretation and all that is known is that the original name for the complex, if it had a specific designation, has been lost.

I started with the smaller temple as there were less people heading into that one.

The Small Temple stands nearby at a height of 40 feet and 92 feet long. This temple is also adorned by colossi across the front façade, three on either side of the doorway, depicting Ramesses and his queen Nefertari (four statues of the king and two of the queen) at a height of 32 feet. The prestige of the queen is apparent in that, usually, a female is represented on a much smaller scale than the Pharaoh while, at Abu Simbel, Nefertari is rendered the same size as Ramesses. The Small Temple is also notable in that it is the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a ruler dedicated a temple to his wife (the first time being the Pharaoh Akhenaton, 1353-1336 BCE, who dedicated a temple to his queen Nefertiti). The walls of this temple are dedicated to images of Ramesses and Nefertari making offerings to the gods and to depictions of the goddess Hathor.

Notice the smaller figurines next to the legs of the colossus statues – representing the princes and princesses

Face of Hathor, the goddess of motherhood, love, fertility and music

Scene of Nefertari making an offering to Hathor

Notice the Baboon carvings above the heads of the statues of Ramses at the Great Temple

The Great Temple stands 98 feet high and 115 feet long with four seated colossi flanking the entrance, two to each side, depicting Ramesses II on his throne; each one 65 feet tall. Beneath these giant figures are smaller statues (still larger than life-sized) depicting Ramesses’ conquered enemies, the Nubians, Libyans, and Hittites. Further statues represent his family members and various protecting gods and symbols of power. Passing between the colossi, through the central entrance, the interior of the temple is decorated with engravings showing Ramesses and Nefertari paying homage to the gods. Ramesses’ great victory at Kadesh (considered by modern scholars to be more of a draw than an Egyptian triumph) is also depicted in detail across the north wall of the Hypostyle Hall.

Abu Simbel temple, four statues of divinities inside the inner sanctuary,

The location of the site was sacred to Hathor long before the temples were built there and, it is thought, was carefully chosen by Ramesses for this very reason. In both temples, Ramesses is recognized as a god among other gods and his choice of an already sacred locale would have strengthened this impression among the people. The temples are also aligned with the east so that, twice a year, on 21 February and 21 October, the sun shines directly into the sanctuary of The Great Temple to illuminate the statues of Ramesses and Amun. The dates are thought to correspond to Ramesses’ birthday and coronation. The alignment of sacred structures with the rising or setting sun, or with the position of the sun at the solstices, was common throughout the ancient world (best known at New Grange in Ireland and Maeshowe in Scotland but the sanctuary of The Great Temple differs from these other sites in that the statue of the god Ptah, who stands among the others, is carefully positioned so that it is never illuminated at any time. As Ptah was associated with the Egyptian underworld, his image was kept in perpetual darkness.

It also contains a number of paths and rooms. Scripts could be found written on the walls about Ramses’ II military victories, his personal life alongside portrayals of Ancient Egyptian gods.

The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1964 by a multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators working together under the UNESCO banner; it cost some $40 million at the time (equal to $300 million in 2017 dollars). Under the supervision of a Polish archaeologist, Kazimierz Michałowski, from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir was the new site, positioning the two temples in the same orientation as the originals. Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 213 feet higher and 656 feet back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history. The faces on the outside were cut in one piece to preserve the faces. Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser.

Did I tell you it was hot? I can tell you it was hotter than……I can’t imagine this place in summer. I took the golf cart to ride in and back. Glad I did or there would have been an evaporated puddle of me on that walk. We were told on the bus ride back that it had reached 125°F at Abu Simbel.

We stopped for lunch at a resort. Nice views and nice lunch.

Now the 4 hour drive back to the ship.

Wow – its the Philae Temple off in the distance

And what could be better than a smoothie from Shebo after that very, very hot and exhausting day trip.

and that evening we were entertained with a little show by the crew, which included one of the men doing a belly dance. He was better than the pro they brought in a few nights before. Sorry I only have video of him.