Lucerne is beautiful. Lucerne is the type of place that puts even the most fantastical of Disney movies to shame. I took the very expensive train and was picked up by my Swiss-German CouchSurfing host and his Canadian girlfriend. In the evening, we all pitched in to eat legitimate Swiss fondue. In Switzerland? The Swiss men laughed in my face after I asked where the rest of the dippers are. The next day, we walked along the guard towers that granted spectacular views of the quaint city and I even befriended a yak.
One of my resolutions this year was to make friends from all places, other species included. The mixing of Canadians, French, Americans, and Australians at the event kept people speaking a large amount of English โ good for me, as my German let alone Swiss German could use some serious work. I was happy to meet such a friendly and eclectic bunch of people, if only for a short time.
After the barbecue, we all emigrated to a festival put on by the city โ with multiple stages around the lake. The Swiss have a stoic reputation, so I wonder if this comedian was a genius of hilarity to get an entire crowd of Lucernites laughing. Everyone I met instantly became my new friend, and the jolly spirit of everyone was nothing short of contagious.
My host couple got into a bit of drama with one another but made up for it copiously and loudly during the nightโฆ and the morningโฆ and the afternoonโฆ so much so that I no longer felt very comfortable around them. At some point, I wondered if the sound was coming from their room or from a pack of wild basset hounds on the hunt for a tasty meal. While the lovebirds were busy on their own, I ran into Josh โ someone I met in the previous city โ and his super friendly girlfriend.
We went around the guard tower walls once more and I waved hello to my friend, the yak and concluded the day with a stroll along the lake. We stopped for ice cream at one of the many creamery stands, each of us enjoying a different flavor of lactose deliciousness. I was encroaching on their snow-globe of newfound love! The entire stay, I wondered why they even hosted someone in the first place โ were they lovestruck exhibitionists looking for an unsuspecting voyeur?
