Rheinfall (Rhine Falls)

How about stumbling upon this on our drive home for a Christmas Eve present?

Formed by glaciers during the ice age, the Rhine Falls are pretty spectacular, and for €5 per person, we walked down the narrow stairs on the adjacent hill to the observation deck where these pictures were taken. Though they were a marvelous site, we were pleased that we did not take a separate trip just to see the Rhine Falls; however, if you are in the Zurich area, it is worth the detour and admission fee on a pretty day.

Some Rhine Falls trivia - fish are not able to swim up the falls, but crafty/evolved eels have figured it out. Reminds me of our  late pet eel, Slider, who I'm pretty sure climbs the Rhine Falls in eel heaven for exercise. 

Luzern

Trying to check out my Swiss heritage, Patrick and I visited the picturesque city of Luzern on Christmas weekend. We were very lucky that the small town was teeming with Christmas spirit, so all stores and attractions were open. Combined with the 50 degree weather, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect visit! This city is ideal for a romantic getaway - highlights below:

The Dying Lion of Luzern monument was spectacular. Carved out of the natural stone and overlooking a well-maintained reflection pool, this was my personal favorite sight of our trip. The monument was built to commemorate the 300+ Swiss guards who were killed at the Tulleries during the French Revolution in 1792. After the two tour buses cleared, it was a peaceful stop in our day.

I loved crossing the Chapel Bridge, which leads right into the center of town so it's one of the most convenient sights to check out in Luzern. The wooden pedestrian bridge was built in 1333, and the roof contains paintings of the city's history. Sadly, we did not find the painting of the giant, which was inspired by a large mammoth bone found in Luzern that people believed to be that of a giant. At the advice of Rick Steves, we spotted the security cameras that were almost as camouflaged as Barbara Walter's microphones. After the bridge suffered a fire in 1993, they are particularly careful to preserve this landmark sight.

The swans around the Chapel Bridge and in Lake Luzern almost looked planted. Locals trace the swans back to a thank you gift from Louis XIV in the late 17th century for the protection of the Swiss guards. I thought they were beautiful, but apparently some people did not enjoy them so much...

We got an amazing deal at the Palace Luzern hotel from Booking.com. The hotel is situated right on Lake Luzern yet a short 5-10 minute walk to almost every attraction including the city center, Dying Lion of Luzern, and the Chapel Bridge. The above picture is the view from our hotel room!

We were lucky to get last-minute reservations at the Rathaus Brauerei for dinner. Known for their own micro-brew (I had their unfiltered wheat beer which was delicious) and traditional Swiss meals, Patrick and I were both very pleased. We were a little perplexed when the waitresses dropped off three toothpaste tubes with our bread. Adventurous Patrick discovered it was actually squeezable mustard - all different varieties! Interesting at the very least...