Long Days around Luzerne and Hiking in the Swiss Alps (13 - 27 June 2016)

This was to be a 2.5-week-long visit to Luzern/Horw.  First we took the opportunity to relax for several days after our 2-month-long ride from Brittany - then it was all about exploring the familiar geographical landmarks dotted around the scene.  We would climb two notable summits in this time: Burgenstock and Mount Pilatus.  And of course, we made sure to make time for gourmet meals and plenty of playtime, as Bo found Horw to be a fantastic playground...

Fun in the sandbox.  Bo and Yanis.

Chasing after the local girls!

Ennetburgen on Vierwaldstatersee, our jumping-off point to climb Burgenstock.  

Bo was en forme for this hike, here throwing it down.  

These were some friendly cows...

... who lapped up the attention.

Looking southwards from near the summit of Burgenstock at 1121m..

... and northwards over Vierwaldstatersee.

Katy and Bo picnic at the top....

... followed by an animated descent.

Needless to say, we found ourselves in a situation of stunning natural beauty.

Bo measures himself against a looming wall of firewood...

... and wanders swiftly through the forest.

The chapel of St. Jost as it leans to the lake.

Horw at dusk.

Jason's you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it DIY firebrick pizza oven., placed in their garden allotment 200m from their house.

Sonja's friend Marina, 2 y.o. son Yanis, and Sonja enjoying a laugh while we wait for the first pizza to bake...

2120m Mt. Pilatus as seen from Jason and Sonja's flat.  It is our next climbing mission.

This heavy effort was accompanied by grunting and exhilaration.

Sonja, Bo and Jeff on a mid-morning breakfast break on the climb up. 

Bo leads Jeff up the slopes with great views opening up over the lake.

Bo leads the way still as Sonja follows behind.

Starting to feel like proper Alps terrain now.

Bo greets the passengers on the funicular.

Mattalp at 1600m elevation (500m to go!)

Alpen wildflowers...

Sonja, Bo and Jeff on a snack break.

Katy pushing ever upwards.

Above Mattalp we reached snowfields as the mist rolled in...

... which took us most of the way to the summit...

... from where we had mystical and beautiful views over the scene....

Mountain goat balanced on a steep promontory, gazing out over the vast splendid chasm.

Bo + Katy, Sonja and Jeff as we descend steep slopes.

We witnessed some stellar views here over the lake...

The descent got hairy for a spell as Sonja and Katy negotiate small cliffs with the aid of a cable...

... creating tense moments like this one!  Bodhi sensed the wicked adventure of it all...

... and found himself on smooth forest trails shortly later.

Back in Horw,  Bo clowns around with Lisa and Joy, neighbors.

Trying out the new bike in the flat while Jason looks on.

Happy times.  Pictured with a friendly neighbor family (L-R: Katy, Lisa, Martina, Reto + Bo, Jeff + Joy.  

From Luzern we took a mid-summer break in our travels.  Jason and Sonja would go to hike the Haute Route Pyrénéenne.  Katy and Bo returned to the UK for 5 weeks; and Jeff returned to a small remote village in the department of Correze in the south of France to do restoration work on an old barn.  We will reunite on 5 August in Luzern and resume our travels...

Dipping into Switzerland: Basel to Luzerne (8 - 13 June 2016)

Our "Welcome to Switzerland!" consisted of a great stay in Basel courteous of Barbara, a Warm Showers host, and her family.  We would now cycle onwards to Luzerne, Switzerland, where Jeff's brother Jason and wife Sonja live in a small town called Horw. Our last visit together was in 2013 when Bodhi was 3 weeks old to celebrate Jason and Sonja's wedding.  Along the way, we would stay with a colorful series of friends and family from both the north of England and Switzerland...

In Basel we were hosted by a great family who also run an artesenal knife-smithing shop...

They specialize in Damascus steel knives.

Our generous host Barbara got on famously with Bo.

The girls all together.  Sina, Barbara, Katy and Anna.

Bo tears up the block in Basel. 

We first rode out of Basel following the Rhine as it snakes through the city...

... but we got bogged down shortly later in the industrial morass east of Basel, Pratteln-Augst, a never-ending nightmare of pharmaceutical plants and riverside factories.  

In Rheinfelden we were hosted by Stephen and Simone, family friends of Katy's from the same village in the north of England (Nenthead, Alston).  They are likewise an international family (Simone is from Brazil) and have had similar visa/immigration issues with the UK - their solution has been to move to Switzerland.  

Simone gave birth to their second son, Jacob, one week before our arrival.

Bodhi and Gabriel playing together.  They were born 2 months apart in 2013 in the same hospital in Newcastle.

This fab photo required nearly 10 minutes to get it right!

Bo munches some ice cream in Rheinfelden.

The Rhine at Rheinfelden, between Germany and Switzerland.  Running high from the absurdly rainy springtime.

Switzerland is a good place for bicycles: loads of bike paths and well-signed bike routes.

After leaving the Rhine we cycled up through small villages...

... including one sizeable climb to 569m...

... before descending down to Brugg on the River Aarau...

... and then Windisch.  Here we were to be hosted for a night by Stephen's brother, Douglas, who has been an expat in Switzerland for nearly 25 years...

We arrived to a welcome of cold beers and the first match of the 2016 Eurocopa (France-Romania).  The boys chilling.  (L-R: Stephenj, Bodhi, Douglas, Jeff)

Moving on towards Luzerne, we cycled the Seetal valley with its twin lakes, including the one above: Baldeggersee.

A sublime scene here: stork nest with baby stork, backed by the distant snowy Alps.

The Seetal is loaded with kites.

Nearing our destination for the night, Ballwil, we witnessed clearing skies and the great massif of Mt. Pilatus at dusk.

In Ballwil we were hosted by Sonja's parents, Sepp and Anita.  The evening included a gourmet dinner, many drinks including artesenal pear schnapps, and plenty of storytelling to fill in the three years since we've seen each other!  On Sunday morning we headed out on a short walk around the village...

... where Bo explored some artful gardening.

A wonderful moment before we would move along to Luzerne and Horw.

Sepp and Anita accompanied us on bikes from Ballwil to Eschenbach...

... where Anita tried out hauling  Bodhi.

Entering the Reuss valley.  Waving the Swiss flag for solidarity,

Some fanstastic wood-carving along the Reuss river trail,

Entering Luzerne on the Reuss...

... with its amazing riverside medieval installations.

Now above Horw, the house pictured is where Jason and Sonja live, backed by the beckoning Mt. Pilatus.

That's Uncle Jason!

Original chalkboard art by Jason and Sonja to mark a belated birthday party for Bodhi...

... including a Fish birthday cake covered in strawberries...

... and the featured gift: Bo's first real bike, courtesy of Jason and Sonja.  

Bo taking the bike out for an initial test.

Curious moment in Horw.

Jeff, Bo and Jason: boys, brothers, bench and bikes.

Wild rainbow seen from the kitchen window.

Katy and Sonja catching up.