In Which Tigger Resolutely Avoids the Camera

Hello, readers! It has been a while. Apologies. For those keeping track, we are now relating the events of Wednesday, June 26, the fifteenth (!) day of our trip.

After all this running about, we were quite tired and looking forward to our scheduled rest day. We had a leisurely breakfast, sat around and read, hand-washed some laundry...

This was the only time Mouse used the clothesline she brought. AND IT WAS WORTH IT.

 ... and went to Luzern.

This was our first real sunshine since Scotland. And Scotland should never be the one place one sees sunshine.

 We were somewhat astonished at the change. When we arrived, the lake was a raging, opaque turquoise torrent pouring into the Reuss River at Niagara speeds under a black-gray sky.

At a guess, the water is ten feet deep and perfectly clear. See the school of fish swimming?

Also, when we arrived, the mountains were so shrouded in clouds that they were nearly invisible. Now... look at them! (So pretty.)

Granted, the tops are still a little difficult to see.

After his complaints of being left out at the Tower of London, Mouse and Badger were very conscientious about bringing Tigger everywhere we went - but strangely, he never seemed to find the right time to appear on camera this day. He refused to pose on the bridge where the lake meets the river - Poohsticks, he insisted, is played with wooden sticks, not Tiggers. He seemed dubious when Mouse and Badger tried to reassure him that they had no intention of throwing him in. He really ought to have been more trusting. Mouse and Badger would certainly have waited until a day when the current was flowing fast enough to actually push something under the broad Luzern bridge in under an hour. We admired the swans and water and sky and Alps and dear heavens, SUNSHINE! for several minutes before strolling on toward our goal.

In Switzerland, Badger had one goal (as previously mentioned): to have genuine Swiss chocolate. Mouse, on the other hand, had a more pressing desire: to have genuine Swiss fondue.

Worth every single one of the many francs involved.

Given our budget, we had to refrain from getting any but the cheapest of cheese fondues, left with only bread and potatoes to dip in. To Mouse's surprise, the potatoes were by far the best of the pictured items. To Badger's surprise, the expensive local spring water actually did taste noticeably superior to other waters. Even Mouse the water-hater rather liked it upon trying a sip.

To Badger's embarrassment, Mouse acquired a non-pictured group of items by asking the waitress if anyone was going to eat that plate of delicious-looking vegetables abandoned on a nearby table. Well, not quite that bald-facedly, but still. Tigger stayed in the bag out of shame. Mouse and Badger devoured everything in short order and left satisfied to go souvenir shopping.

It is now the wish of the writer to record the wonderful array of gifts and souvenirs (and chocolates!) purchased in the shops of Luzern. Unfortunately, that would ruin a few planned Christmas surprises for friends and family. Suffice to say, it was a very satisfying shopping afternoon. Tigger spent most of it snoring in the bag. He claimed it was because he was bored from the shortage of exciting adventures and exploring, but Mouse and Badger suspect that he was getting some much-needed rest after all our adventures.

We went to bed early that night. After all, there were only five more days in Badger's trip. We were going to be pushing ourselves to the limit to make the most of them. Unfortunately, the Luzern Youth Hostel had among its guests a certain large number of youths. Mouse and Badger felt very old wishing for those darn kids to shut up and get out of the hostel garden (right below our non-closable window) so we could sleep. It is our unanimous conclusion that youth hostels ought to consider restricting themselves to adult use.*

*Unanimous conclusion is reached with tongue fully in cheek in order to nudge out grumpy frowns into smiles.