Lucerne Sunday, September 8
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| View from above of the bar/lounge at Hotel Astoria, Lucerne Sorry - no pics of the hotel, but it was very nice. |
Arrival at the Hotel Astoria was too early to get into our room, but we were greeted by another Viking Host, Radka, who gave us a lot of information, maps and advice about getting around in Lucerne. One thing Viking does well is organization. So organized and seamless for us inexperienced travelers. This was the reason we paid for pre and post excursions directly with Viking. Not to mention that when Bob picked this "river cruise" I wasn't too excited until he agreed that we had to see the Alps when we would be so close. That wouldn't have happened without the pre-extension.
It was pouring rain most of the afternoon, and since it was Sunday, most stores were closed. We had a quick lunch in the hotel coffee house, not to be confused with coffee houses in Amsterdam. More on that later. The server was kind enough to educate me on how coffee would be served and suggested a latte instead of regular coffee. What they call coffee is stronger and served in smaller cups. It was ok, but not what I was craving! I never did get my Starbucks coffee even though we passed one several times. Then it was time for nap, even though experienced travelers warned us against it after a red-eye flight.
Later, we walked to the train station to get our bearings and try to find some snacks. I don't think I've ever seen so many people in one store in my entire life. The two groceries were so crowded we gave up trying to buy anything. We also learned that there is no plain bottled spring water sold in stores. It's all "mineral water." I'd had a taste of that already from the bottle given to us by the Viking bus driver and realized that I did not like it. Yes, I admit it, I'm a water snob!
After we got back to the hotel, we were too tired and jet-lagged to figure out where to eat dinner. After checking menus of all the closest restaurants, we had a bit of sticker shock. Nor were we really interested in a lot of food after all the traveling. We decided at the last minute to get a pizza in one of the restaurants attached to the hotel, La Cucina. The wait without a reservation was almost two hours. To kill time, we wandered around the hotel, rested in our room and went back for a quick, late, dinner. A pizza verdure (smaller than most size mediums in the U.S.), a €6 bottle of water - yes, we learned quickly to ask for tap water after that dining experience - and a small glass of wine totaled thirty-five euros plus a small tip. Apparently, food prices make up for the 15-20% tipping we add to restaurant checks in the U.S. More on Switzerland food and cost of living later.
