Update and stay tuned

Since my last post I have spent some incredible days as I headed further east along the Alps. To report very briefly with more detailed blogs to come; four days in northern Italy exploring the stunning Dolomite Range and visiting a series on amazing museums all on various mountain themes built by world famous climber Reinhold Messner. Then I even got to meet and have my photo taken with him – a rather neat experience. Into Austria for a couple of days of exploring castles, art museums, and spending time hiking up among the alpine meadows and glaciers. Across the border into Slovenia for a glorious relaxing day in the "almost too idyllic to be true" town of Bled before setting off on my own for a really tough two-day climb to Triglav, the famous highest peak of this beautiful little country (the mountain even features on their national flag).

The massive north face of Triglav.

The next day back into Austria to meet my guide Marcus and together we climbed a wonderful mixed rock and ice route (the highest level of technical climbing I've ever done) to reach the top of Grossglockner, the nation's highest peak at 3,798 meters (12,461 feet).

Grossglockner - up via the Stuedlgrat route on the left ridge then down via the ridge on the right.

After an incredible month of climbing in the Alps I am now going to spend a few days of not doing much. Reaching the highest summit of five countries in five weeks has been a once in a lifetime experience and I've loved every second of it all. But I am tired, my legs are sore and feet hopelessly blistered, me and my clothes kind of stink, I am way behind on my blog, and I'm ready to start eating three meals a day hopefully putting back on a little of weight I've lost with these demanding climbs. So, stay tuned as I get caught up on sleeping, laundry, eating, and of course, blogging. Cheers.

Time for chilling out in the Austrian Alps.

Big adventures in a little country

Ok – today we start with a quiz (wow – I feel like I'm back at work).

Can you name the country this car is from? (I know it is a Subaru made in Japan – I was meaning where is it registered?).

I hope no one said Florida!

Alright then, what country has this as their national flag?

This is the ruler (Prince) from one of the oldest nobel families who has unmatched constitutial powers in modern Europe as both monarch and head of the government of what country?

This country did not grant women the right to vote until 1984 (that is not a typo – 1984!).  By the way, New Zealand was 1893 and 1920 in the United States.

This is the only country in the world named after the people who purchased it.

This country generates considerable income from the sale of postage stamps – but yet they do not have their own currency (nor do they use the Euro).

This is one of only two double-landlocked countries (i.e., the country is landlocked and so is every country it has a border with). Ten bonus points if you can name the other country.

This country is Europe's fourth-smallest? (The Vatican, Monaco, and San Marino are all smaller).

Hopefully by now you have answered – Liechtenstein. (Fürstentum Liechtenstein is its correct name – hence the country code of FL found on cars, maps, etc., although they use 'li' as their internet TDL).

I crossed into this little country from Swizterland at its south-west corner near the castle dominated city of Balzers. Only 25 kms (15.5 miles) long by 12 km (7.5 miles) wide at its broadest point and 160 square-kilometers (62 square-miles), making it just slightly larger that Manhatten. Yet, it feels much smaller as two-thirds is mountainous with a thin plain alongside the Rhine River marking the Swiss boader. It also shares a mostly mountainous 37 km long border with Austria. The highest point of Liechtenstein is Grauspitz, and I made my way directly towards its base.

At 2,599 meters (8,529 feet) above sea level this country has one of the lowest highest points in the Alps. Yet, it is regarded as among the hardest to reach. Unlike some European counties I have visited (Germany) that have a gondala taking you directly to the summit restaurant. Or Belgium that is marked with a multitude of hiking trails leading to the highest point. Or France and Switzerland, major alpine mountains but everyone in the country knows of the highest point and you can easily find a guide and follow well-established climbing routes to get there. Not so Liechtenstein. A search on the Internet confirmed what I was finding – there are no trails, few people know exactly where it is, and if you get close, there is seriously difficult rock climbing and scrambling involved.

Not be deterred I headed to the ski resort town of Malbun (the only ski area in the country) where it appeared from what I had read online that people had made it to Grauspitz by taking the chairlift to the top and then following the ridge to the highpoint. It was an overcast Sunday morning (September 13^th) as I loaded gear into my pack and paid 13 CHf (Liechtenstein uses the Swiss franc as their official currency) for a return ride to the top of the Sareis chairlift at 2,003 meters. Judging from the cars at the base station (elevation of 1,600 meters) I am guessing about 50 other folks had done the same, although probably not all headed for the highpoint.

Into the mist but it soon cleared as I made my way on good tracks towards the first peak.

I came across an amusing sign which I think was suggesting that high heel shoes would not be a good idea.

No kidding! - Just as well I decided to wear hiking boots today.

I made my way along the ridge, passing lots of folks out hiking who all said something similar to me. Not speaking German I took it to be along the lines of: "you must be fit; we are huffing and puffing our way up these steep rocky sections and you just came flying by". There again they could have been telling me I smelt bad – I'll never know. I said 'danke' (thanks) and carried on my way, passing over the peaks of Spitz then Augstenberg at 2,359 meters. Like almost all well-defined peaks in Europe I've seen so far it had a large cross marking the highest point.

Almost at the summit of Augstenberg at 2,359 meters.

Leaving most folks to their lunch I carried on now dropping elevation to reach an alpine hut called Pfälzerhütte-Bettlerjoch at 2,111 meters.

Hut in the mist - note the small van parked outside.

Pfälzerhütte-Bettlerjoch at 2,111 meters.

I passed the hut and carried on with the track getting a lot steeper as it paralled the border with Austria. Growing up in an island nation I aways find it facintating, and still a little weird, that you can have a foot in two countries.

Austria on the left and Liechtenstein on the right.

Getting closer, I think,.....I hope.

After an hour from the hut I reached a major peak just as the weather really closed in. It was Naafkopf with a brand new huge wooden cross that looked like it had just been installed. I reset my altimeter on my watch at the hut but it was recording way low by the time I reached the summit of Naafkopf at 2,570. This can only mean one thing – a drop in barametoric pressure caused by an incoming weather change. I'd already walked a long way and the peak of Grauspitz looked to be about another 1-2 hours away along the ridge. I began to down climb along the ridge as there was no trail beyound Naafkopf. There were piles of stone (cairns) making the easiest route, but it was surprising sporty in a few places. Then the weather began to get worse. I looked at the next section and saw pitions (metal spikes driven into cracks in the rocks for attaching climbing ropes) and thought it was a little too sporty to attempt. One slip and an accident would mean I'd forever be telling people where Liechtenstein is located. Actually, climbing solo and unroped would mean you guys would be the ones forever telling people where Liechtenstein is located.

Summit of Naafkopf at 2,570.

One of the things I love about climbing is it teaches me lessons I can apply in all other facets of my life. Learning when to push through difficulties to reach a goal is a good lesson, but so too is knowing when to turnaround.

Time to turn around –

The ridge I'd down-climbed looked a lot worse as I now looked back up it so I traversed a steep scree slope (no problem for a Canterbury boy raised on greywacky scree fields) and made it back to the hut.

Looking up the ridge I've just down-climbed towards the summit of Naafkopf –

no thank you for climbing back up this so I traversed the scree slopes  on the left.

I bought an ice cold Coke and took a rest at the hut (these alpine huts with their selection of beer, wine, softdrinks, and meals made to order never cease to amaze me. You can see in the earlier photo that this one gets supplied by a little four-wheel drive van that uses the narrow trails to reach the hut. A federally designated US Wilderness Area this is not!). The young woman working there spoke decent enough English for me to learn that the route from Naafkopf to Grausptiz is "extremely difficult, if not impossible, and should only be attempted by great rock climbers with gear" she said. An alternative route lead up from a valley that was served by a steep track dropping down from the hut. Knowing I'd miss the last chairlift ride back down I took this approach but did not really see any feasible way of gaining the slopes of Grauspitz so instead I began the long slog back to the car. I passed a couple of farms, one with an incredible square stone walled field. I shudder to think how long it must have taken to built this.

Stone wall - amazing amount of work to build.

Then back to the ski area passing miles of wooden structures on the steep slopes.  I'm guessing these are used to break up avalanches to prevent them hitting the top station of the chairlift below.

Avalanche control - my hike began at the top of the ridge on the horizon.

Almost back to the car and an amusing sign pointing back to towards the hut noting a place called Täli-Höhe (Probably not pronouced Tally-ho – but funny to me all the same).

Reaching Malbun I decided to stay the night in one of the several local hotels. I was pretty tired but had enjoyed a fabulous day of hiking in some truly spectular scenery. I slept well that night and woke to find it had snowed over night. This was the first snow of the season and it heralds that summer is over and winter getting ever closer. I also thought it ended any thoughts about a second attempt on Grauspitz, but…..

I headed down the hill the next morning kind of feeling like I needed a low-key day. First was Triesenberg, a small town perched on a terrace above the Rhine Valley. I visited the Post Office to buy stamps for postcards and enjoyed learning about the locals from a series of interpreatative panels in an adjoining museum. Aparently in the 13^th century a German-speaking tribe called the Valais emigrated across Europe and settled in small groups in many places, including Triesenberg (I also discovered that they settled in Vals, Switzerland, where the amazing thermal pools were; hence the name of the village – Vals). Their decendents in Liechtenstein still speak their own distinct dialect of German. On down the hill to the capital city called Vaduz.  It has a population of just over 5,000 (the entire country population of 35,163 would comfortably fit inside the new University of Minnesota football stadium).

Given that Europe is now without borders (only Turkey and Russia require a visa and border crossing) you no longer end up with a wonderful collection of stamps in your passport. But for 3.00 CHf you can get a Liechtenstein passport stamp at the Tourist Office. After doing this, and engaging in a little debating with myself, I decided to take a 45 minute tour of the city on this silly looking little train.

Choo-choo through Vaduz - complete with Liechtenstein polka soundtrack,

the CD of which the driver tried to sell at each stop.

But it was interesting and I'm glad I did. I got some great views of Schloss Vaduz (Vaduz Castle) that looms over the city. It is closed to the public as it is still the private home of Reigning Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein (to use his full name and title). In 1342 the county of Vaduz was formed and in 1712 it is purchased by Prince Johann Adam Andreas Liechtenstein from impoverished German nobels looking to raise a little cash. Just seven years later in 1719 the county gets bumped up to the level of an Imperial Principality within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806 it attains soverignty status through admission to the Rhine Confederation and becomes fully independent in 1866. The same year Liechtenstein goes to war for the last time. None of its 80 soliders were killed, in fact, 81 returned including a new Italian 'friend'. The military was abolished two years later. In 1924 Liechtenstein enters into a Customs Treaty with Switzerland that includes the introduction of the Swiss franc as the official currency. In 1938 with Nazi Germany's takeover of Austria the ruling Prince of Liechtenstein leaves his traditional family home in Vienna and becomes the first monarch of his dynasty to live in their own country. During the war Liechtenstein, like neighbour Switzerland, remains neutral. The current ruler, Hans-Adam II, ascended the throne on his father death in 1989. The following year Liechtenstein became a member of the United Nations. In 2004 the eldest son of Hans-Adam II, Hereditary Prince Alois (born 11 June 1968) was given sovereign rights and appointed Royal Representative with all of the offical duties as ruler, but his Dad retains the status of Chief of the State.

Schloss Vaduz (Vaduz Castle).

The train tour then passed the small four hectares (10 acres) that make up the Princely wine vineyard. Apparently wine from here is world famous with the main grape cultivated being the Blauburgunder. Although is exported around the world, the Prince keeps enough so that on National Day (15^th of August) the entire population are invited to the castle on the one day it is open for a glass of wine.

Princely wine vineyard.

But wine is not the mainstay of the economy. Liechtenstein, it turns out, has a very interesting and I would suggest, somewhat unique national economy. The manufacuturing/production sector provides 43% of the jobs which is a considerably higher percentage than most other European countries (and the US for that matter). The jobs are mainly in small companies with less than 50 employees (in fact there are only 18 firms in the nation that employee more than 250). The manufactuing sector mostly focuses on highly specialized market niches in electrical machinery, vechicle components, and dental technology (which is a fancy way of saying that Liechtenstein is the world's larger exporter of false teeth).  Their top three export countries, in order, are Switzerland, Germany, and the USA.  The manufacturing sector contributes 39% of the nations economic activity which is followed in second place by the financial services industry. It seemed as though every third building was a bank (which is not too far from the truth). Like the Swiss, Liechtenstein has a highly developed banking and finance sector which is internationally attractive for investors due to low tax rates.  The largest bank, LGT, is partly owned by the Princely Family.

Another unique aspect of the economy is that 48% of the people who work in Liechtenstein are cross-border communters (roughly divided into equal portions of Swiss and Austrians with a much smaller 4.3% coming from other European nations). This also has an interesting impact on national statistics as such a large portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is dervived from non-citizens. Therefore, Liechtenstein is one of the few countries that does not produce annual GDP per capita figures as these would be so misleading when comparing to other nations.

If you are wondering how do I know all this fascinating/useless information? [I'll let you select the most apporiate word there]. Well I picked up a free little booklet from the Tourist Information Center called Liechtenstein in Figures 2009 published by the governement statistics department. A wealth of information including:

• There were 365 marriages in Liechtenstein in 2007 (one for every day of the year – how about that!).
• A total of 115 men and 112 women died during the same year. Of these 75 were due to heart attack, 5 to accidents, and 1 to 'digestive organ failure', what ever that is.
• The population of 35,163 is divided into 13,325 households. Of these 4,656 are two parent with children; 2,978 are couples without children; 926 are single parents with children; and 145 are single adults living with their parents.  Kind of sad if you knew the government knew that you were still living at home with Mom and Dad.
• There are 24,368 cars in the country making it 693 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants. These cars were involved in 420 accidents, of which 116 resulted in injuries. Yet, for the 6^th year in a row, Liechtenstein reported no road traffic fatalities.
• The nations 12 Post Offices delivered 17, 825, 000 letters in 2007.
• There are 956 teachers comprised of 715 from within the country and 317 from other countries who commute in each day for their work. Some 76 Liechtensteiners are teachers who commute out to work in other countries (you think they could get together to stop all this commuting huh?)
• Only 1% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture but that accounts for 22% of total land area. Cattle (of which there were 6,037 cows in 2007) contribute almost half of the gross agriculture return  - mostly from the production of dairy products. There were 3,683 sheep representing a 10% increase in numbers of the past five years.

Wow – this government collects data on everything. I find it kind of facinating in a bizarre sort of way. But enough facts and figures and I'll get back to the travel report.

After the tour I went looking for a place to stay and ended up at the Youth Hostel – a sprawling pink building located halfway between Vaduz and the countries largest city, of just 5,700, Schaan. I got caught up on my laundry and enjoyed a comfortable and cheap nights sleep. The weather forcast was for continued overcast skies with rain. But I awoke to a crisp frosty morning with bright blue skies. I decided to have one more attempt on that highpoint. I took my computer down to the reception and had the helpful woman at reception translate a few web pages in German on hiking to Grauspitz. Previously all my reconisance had been limited to English language webpages. It appears that there are two unmarked routes; a long climb from the Swiss side, and an even longer approach from Liechtenstein heading south using the next valley south and west from Malbun. The instructions from the Swiss side were confusing and the success rate seemed about 50% of those trying. The most recent success (summit on August 20^th) was posted by someone using the southern approach (called the Steg Valley) leaving only the briefest description but a couple of good photos of their route.

So, with some bread, cheese, and chocalate bought I was off to the beautiful lakeside village of Steg. I parked the car and walked up a dirt road into an amazing valley surrounded on all sides by towering peaks 1,000 meters above me.

Leaving Steg.

After an hour I got my first look of the ring of peaks – including Naafkopf,

on the left, that I'd climbed two days earlier..

Just as well the weather turned bad Sunday – that ridge looks terrible.

The snow up high was a little concerning but it didn't look that deep. The trail climbed graduadually, then more steeply, until at 1,738 meters there was no more trail. Having memorized the photos to the best of my ability I took off up the slopes at the head of the valley. I surprised quite a few marmots (chunky rodents related to squirrels) before they could dart back down their burrows.

Greeted by the marmots.

I steadily gained altitude and got quite close to a large herd of chamois (a member of the antelope family). These amazing animals are incredibly sure-footed as they graze on the steep rocky slopes and high peaks. They can jump 4 meters (13 feet) from one thin ledge straight up to another. This animal was somewhat thoughtlessly introduced into the alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand for hunting. Although they are quite rare and tend to live the most remote parts of the Southern Alps, especially in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park. Having never seen them in New Zealand it was fabulous to see such a large herd in their native habitat.

Chamois

I was using my map and compass skills heading on a bearing to hit the ridge that the Internet posting suggested as the easiest route to take to reach a peak called Schwartzhorn.

Heading up the upper valley – aiming for the ridge that will take me to Schwartzhorn – hopefully.

The magnificent view down the valley with the lake at Steg looking very small.

I finally made the ridge and things once again got a little sporty.

This time I had the weather with me. Also, the snow was perfect. In places where I didn't need it to be it wasn't leaving perfect handhold on the rock. On the steep sections between the rock bluffs there was snow and I was abe to kick decent steeps. A couple of dodgy clumps of grass handholds needed in parts though. As I climbed higher I finally got my first look at Grauspitz which had been hidden behind Schwartzhorn, and my heart sank as the ridge between the two peaks appeared unclimbable (at least within my safety parameters).

My first look at Grauspitz and "the ridge". Schwartzhorn on left and Grauspitz third peak from the left.

I decided to push on to get to Schwartzhorn and reassess the situation. I found the going increasingly easy and was welcomed to the top by the Virgin Mary and her baby along with the traditional cross.

Reaching the top of Schwartzhorn.

Liechtenstein is a devoutly Catholic country, far more so than any of her neighbours. In fact, 80% of the population report to being practicing Catholics. Maybe gaining a little too much devine inspiration from the top of Schwartzhorn I decided to take a look at the ridge towards Grauspitz. My rules were simple, if I had a bad feeling then turn around; if it looks tricky to climb back up, then don't climb down; and above all, if you don't trust yourself and the situation, then get out. But the words of my climbing buddy Seth were ringing in my ears "A fall here would be bad – so don't fall!" But this was one of those days when everything comes together. It was steep for sure, but within my comfort level. Every valley, peak, meadow, stream, etc, no matter how small, seemed to have a name on my map – but not this ridge. I thought long and hard for a good German sounding name and came up with "Hairy von Scary Ridge".

Looking back up the worst part of Hairy von Scary Ridge towards Schwartzhorn.

Just like the top section of the previous ridge, things got progressively easier, although the wind began to howl. In no time I was atop Grauspitz – what a wonderful feeling.

On top of Liechtenstein: Grauspitz at 2,599 meters.

From the summit of Grauspitz looking back to Schwartzhorn, Naaafkopf, and the Austrian Alps stretching off in the distance.

Like many highpoints there was a summit register. A book kept inside a water-tight tin. I noted the book had been started in 1992 and only a couple of dozen pages were filled. I added my name noting I was just the 22^nd (and probably the last) person for the year.

Looking back down the Schwartzhorn ridge I climbed up and into the Steg Valley – can you see the lake and car?

The view to the west – almost all of Liechtenstein and the Rhine Valley.

The climb back to Schwartzhorn was nowhere bad as I expected – it looks worse than it was, mostly.

Then I decided to take a chance and look for a faster route down as the wind was really blowing stronger by the minute. My gut hunch was perfect and I followed animal trails along the ridge until I reached a saddle then their tracks dropped into the head of the valley I needed to descend. The long knee jarring hike out really commenced from there – but all went well and I totally enjoyed every minute of just being in this magnificent alpine scenery. I hadn't seen a single person all day but meet a farmer out rounding up his cows. He spoke German only but I pointed to the peaks and said "Grauspitz" and raised my hands above my head. He pointed and said "Nein, Schwartzhorn". "Ja, Schwartzhorn und Grauspitz" was my reply. I received a "Sehr gut" (very good) and a warm handshake which was a wonderful moment not hindered by our inability to converse in each others language.

I got back to the car exactly nine hours after leaving. Finally got around to eating the lunch I carried all the way to the top but it was too windy to stop. I drove back into Vaduz where I decided to stay a second night at the Youth Hostel. The next morning, with slightly sore legs I headed back to Balzers, photographed the castle which was built in the 13^th century. It is now owned by the state and it is only opened when being used for concerts. Must be a magical setting for listening to music I would think.

Castle in Balzers

I now turned east and within a mile was at the Swiss border and out of this wonderful little country.

 So all in all a very successful time was had in Liechtenstein. I enjoyed learning of the history of this somewhat unique monarchy and her more recent economic success. But mostly I loved being in the mountains with my two days of hiking – the summit of the highpoint was really just the icing on the cake. I found much of Swtizerland almost overrun with climbers and especially hikers. Many of the alpine meadows are covered in litter (and disgustingly much of it is toilet paper) and the tracks/trails are wide, well-maintained, and busy. Liechtenstein has much smaller but still ruggered mountains that only her few local citizens seem to appreciate. The slogan for Liechtenstein Tourism (the government tourism marketing and promotion department) is "Princely Moments". I certainally had mine.


PS – the only other double landlocked country is Uzbekistan.

Swiss Ramblings

In this blog post I'm going to both describe my final few days of travelling through Switzerland as well share some additional facts on the history, geography, and culture I learned along the way. And I'll conclude by offering my final thoughts on this country I've very much enjoyed (no make that loved) exploring.

 So, I left off last time in Grindelwald after my great day among the mountain giants at Jungfraujoch. I drove back into Interlaken where I fueled up the car with diesel and upon leaving the gas station promptly backed into a large rock denting and scratching up the paintwork (on the car that is – the rock was just fine). I drove on around Thunsee (Lake Thun) to the City of Thun with the setting sun making the whole scene look worthy of a scenic calendar. Leaving the main highway I turned north along little country roads finding another gem of a camping spot in a forest beside a hiking club hut. Next morning it was about an hour's drive into Lucerne. The trusty and increasingly dog-eared Lonely Planet guidebook describes it thus:
    Recipe for a gorgeous Swiss City: Take a cobalt lake ringed by mountains of myth, add a well-preserved medieval Old Town, then sprinkle with covered bridges, sunny plazas, candy-colored houses, and waterfront promenades.


I was about to find out that this is a pretty accurate description of this wonderful city of just 60,000. Parking the car in a huge underground complex on the edge of the city I immediately happened upon a camping store when emerging to surface. This was most fortunate as I'd run of gas for my camp stove that very morning (resulting in barely drinkable lukewarm coffee) and discovered that my spare blue canister is of the wrong kind to fit my stove. With new gaz (that is the brand name not another typing error from me) bought I wandered off into town and came across a huge market. A real odd mix of junk and expensive antiques. I really wanted a genuine old Swiss cow bell, but the cheapest small ones were about 50 CHf (Swiss francs are today roughly equal to US dollars) which, although tempted, I couldn't quite manage. So I made do with a photo. But I did indulge with a "flashback to the 80's" purchase of a couple of CDs from the Pet Shop Boys, so I'll be jamming in yodeling country.

The Lucerne Saturday Market where I said 'Nein' (no) to the cow bells but 'Ja' (yes) to "West End Girls".

On into the heart of the city where there was some sort of farm-comes-to-town festival happening with lots of animals, demonstrations, and samples of local produce. I bought a great sausage and dense but tasty piece of bread for lunch – and it came with an additional 2.00 deposit for the paper plate. I was given a little plastic token that when I took my dirty used plate back I was refunded with my 2 franc coin – I'd love to know what it was all about and why.

Lucerne lunch – with my 2 CHf refund token for a paper plate!

Having mentioned the Swiss currency twice in the above paragraphs I'd thought I tell you some more about their money by way of a little history. You may wonder why their currency is written as CHf and not Sf (for Swiss Francs). Well, the abbreviation for Switzerland is CH – here is why. When the Romans rolled into what is now Switzerland they found a bunch of Celtic tribes including the Helvetii. Having conquered all the locals, they rubbed salt into the wounds by calling the territory Helvetia. After the decline of the Roman Empire and almost a thousand years with Frankish rulers from Germany and the Burgundians from France (laying the foundation for the division between French and German speaking Switzerland that exists today), the self-ruling Cantons (like states but more the size of large US counties) began to join in a Swiss Confederation. Rather than giving preference to either of the dominate languages they used the Latin - Confoederatio Helvetica. So it is CH that you see of car license plates, in internet addresses, and on their currency. Swiss francs are divided into 100 centimes (which just to keep you on your toes are called Rappen in German speaking Switzerland). They have a 5 CHf coin which is huge and heavy and a tiny small coin which is 50 centimes (with the 20, 10, and 5 centime coins being larger than the 50 – go figure). Notes come in 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 1,000. Being a nation famous for banking, it seems that big notes are preferred. My 200 CHf request from an ATM gave me just one bill. But it was no problem to change it – in fact the women in front of me at the camping store bought a 50 CHF jacket and paid with a 1,000 bill.

Ok – enough of history and foreign finance for a while. Lucerne is famous for some interesting sites and I now visited the three that sounded the most intriguing to me. First stop was the Löwendenkmal (The Lion Monument). This amazing sculpture commemorates the some 800 or so Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. The French King relied on a regiment of soldiers from neutral Switzerland for his protection. On the 10^th of August 1792 the Revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace where the King and family were living. After fighting off the Revolutionaries the King ordered the Guards to stand down. Ever loyal they did, and 600 were instantly killed that day and other 200 later in prison (mostly by guillotine).  One officer of the Guards happened to be home on leave in Lucerne during this time, and thus survived. He committed his life to creating a memorial for his fallen colleagues and began to collect money from local citizens. After 20 years of fund raising he commissioned the monument of a lion dying of wounds in a cave, design by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and carved during 1820-21 in an old disused standstone quarry not far from the edge of the city.

The Löwendenkmal (The Lion Monument).

The monument is dedicated Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti ("To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss") and these are the words you see above the den. The dying lion is portrayed impaled by a spear, covering a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis, symbol of the French monarchy; beside him is another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland. The inscription below the sculpture lists the names of the officers. When visiting as part of his around the world tour, Mark Twain proclaimed this to be: "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."  It is hard not to agree.

Next stop – the famous bridges crossing the Reuss River. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (670 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although much of it had to be replaced after a fire on August 18, 1993. Partway across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. This tower has previously served as a prison, torture chamber, watchtower, and treasury. Inside the roof of the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history. The tower and the bridge are Lucerne's trademark and form one of the most photographed monuments in the country.

The Kapellbrücke Bridge, Lucerne's most famous landmark.

A little down river was the Spreuerbrücke or Mill Bridge which alos zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it is now the oldest original covered bridge in Europe. It features a series of medieval-style 17th Century paintings of scenes related to the plague by Kaspar Meglinger. The entire series is titled Dance of Death. With each scene portraying various conditions of men and women infected with the plague: priests and warriors, princes and men of learning, the young bride, the devout nun, the lawmaker, the hunter, the miller, even the artist himself, all depicted at the mercy of The Black Death, with his mocking smile.

Painting of the plague on Lucerne's 1408 Spreuerbrücke or Mill Bridge.

I then carried on with the art theme – although this one a little less macabre. The Sammlung Rosengart is regarded as Lucerne's blockbuster cultural attraction. The Rosengart Collection was originally the private art collection of father-and-daughter Siegfried and Angela Rosengart. The collection, housed in an old Swiss National Bank building, comprises well over 200 works by 23 different "Classic Modernist" artists. These include 125 works by Paul Klee and some 50 by Pablo Picasso. Other artists represented include (in alphabetical order) Bonnard, Braque, Cézanne, Chagall, Dufy, Kandinsky, Laurens, Léger, Marini, Matisse, Miró, Modigliani, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Rouault, Seurat, Signac, Soutine, Utrillo, and Vuillard. Angela Rosengart was a close personal friend of Picasso having modeled for several of his paintings. As close friends and among the few exclusive dealers in his work, they often had 'first pick' of his outstanding paintings and sculptures. Complementing the collection were over 200 photographs by David Duncan of the last 17 years of Picasso's life with his family in their home near Cannes, France. This was an incredible collection, and unlike many of the other more famous European art museums, it was about the right size so you fully appreciate the works rather than feeling over-whelmed.
Leaving mid afternoon I drove around the northern shore of Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne) to the town of Kussnacht ,where a house beside the lake was flying a New Zealand All Blacks flag. Then to Schwyz – home to the original copy and most important document in Swiss history, the Charter of Federation signed by the Cantons of Nidwalden, Uri, and Schwyz in 1291. On the Hauptplatz (main town square) the Rathaus (town hall) had amazing murals painted in the 1800s depicting scenes from the Battle of Mortgarten.

Town Hall with its amazing murals in Schwyz.

Schwyz, a town of 14,000, is also home to Victorinox – maker of the Swiss Army pocketknife. Click the link to find out how the company got its unique name. I drove past the sizeable factory on my way to Brunnen. This spectacular town is located at the junction of two lakes (Lucerne and Uri). Paralleling an incredibly scenic road I headed onto Aldorf, where William Tell is reputed to have shot the apple of the head of his son.

Statue to William Tell in Aldorf.

Then a 50km torturous route up the wind-swept Klausenpass at 1,948 meters followed by a steep drop down to the towns of Linthal, Rüti, and Glarus. The last being interesting in that two-thirds of the town was burnt in a disastrous fire in 1861. The re-building left a mixed legacy of graceful mid 19^th century buildings with the older very solid timber rural houses still showing some of their fire scars. At nearby Näfels I turned to follow the shores of the Wallensee (Lake Wallen) stopping for the night at a great hotel in Filzbach. Unusually, the price of the room came with the evening meal and breakfast. I was the only person staying at the hotel overnight. At the beginning of my trip every hotel was close to full, then as we head into autumn and everyone else is back at work I am often one of very few tourists in many of the places I visit and stay.

Next morning off around the lake, through the funny sounding town of Flums, then over a bridge crossing the Rhein River and out of Switzerland for a few days. I'll do a separate post for my enjoyable three days in the little country of Liechtenstein.

So, picking up the Swiss story again on the morning of September 15th, I stopped to take a picture of the white painted line on the road that marks the border of Liechtenstein and Switzerland and then in a flash I was in Fläch. The next town after that was Maienfeld. Johanna Spyri (18827-1901) wrote the story of Heidi basing it in the countryside around the town. The locals even renamed a little village nearby Heididorf which does a roaring tourist trade on everything Heidi related (which is a little crazy when you consider she never lived there because she never existed). Through a town with the great sounding name of Bad Radaz, apparently a favorite holiday destination for Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.

I carried on through Chur, Domat, and Trin (which are also all rather cool names for towns I think). Then through the famous trio of ski towns (although increasingly well known for snowboarding with the Burton Open held each January) of Flims, Laax, and Falera. Next and more sizeable town was Ilanz and I arrived on cattle auction day – which was fun to watch for awhile.

Watching the cow auction in Ilanz.

I couldn't work out what language the locals were speaking, it wasn't on of the three commonly heard Italian, French, or German - it turned out to be Romansch. This language (from the Rhaeto-Romanic language family) is spoken by less than 1% of the Swiss population but since 1996 it has been recognized as an official national language which should play an important role in guaranteeing its preservation and promotion. Should you find yourself deep in these valleys of Graubünder Canton, the only place this language is spoken, then it might be helpful to know that hello is allegra.

I now turned south and stopped my frequent breaks for photos and exploring as I had an important appointment to keep – and you know the Swiss, they tend to be punctual. In Lucerne I picked up a brochure of a hot pool complex that looked simply amazing. It is connected to a very expensive hotel and they offer accommodation and spa packages. They then release a select few day passes – for the following day, in a rather complicated reservation system needing a European mobile (cell phone) as I discovered. So, I had the helpful woman working at the Lichtenstein Youth Hostel make the call to inquire about a reservation for me when I got back from my hike. So right on time at a few minutes before 11 am I rolled into Vals.

To say this place was fantastic is not really doing it justice – in fact I don't really know what words to describe this incredible experience. In 1983, the village of Vals bought the Therme spa with the hotel: today the Hotel und Thermalbad AG company is 100 % owned by the Vals community. It was a fairly typical layout with several hot pools of different temperatures but the community wanted to upgrade the facility. The architect Peter Zumthor, from Haldenstein in Graubünden, was commissioned to build a new spa which was opened in 1996. The rectangular construction with stacked walls of Valser Quartzite quarried only two kilometers from the pools used 60,000 stone slabs to create a true work of art. Please do check out this website, click on the link at the top called "Spa" then look at the pictures of the various pools.

At 42 CHft was easily the most expensive swim I've ever had. But the whole ambiance of the place was magnificent. I stayed for 4 hours – emerging thoroughly relaxed and with extreme prune fingers. I began the rehydration process by consuming vast amounts of Valser water. This mineral water, from the same complex of springs that feed the pools, is bottled at a huge plant in the small town and you find it throughout Switzerland.

Valser water from Vals: I tried the natural (still), classic (with gas), and two interesting flavored varieties: pear and mint, and the more acquired taste of rhubarb and mint.

I retraced my route back to Domat, passing through many tunnels, including the amusing named Crap Sés Tunnel (crap means 'peak' in Romansch).

Then south to Thusis and shortly thereafter I tuned off the main road and found a great campsite beside a power station (the name of which was Kraftwerk Solis). Next morning up and over the Julier Pass (quite high at 2,284 meters/7,494 feet) and then down the other side and shortly into St. Moritz. Twice the host of the Winter Olympics (1928 and 1948) and annual host for summer and winter vacations of the rich and famous. I wandered around town amazed at the huge number of very high end shops (the full range of designer brands for all luxury goods were here). I bought a $125, 000 watch – just checking to see how carefully you are reading. It does make me wonder who goes on holiday and decides they will buy a new watch – at that amount of money! Looking in the real estate agents windows was equally amazing – houses in the 10 million CHf range were pretty common. My contribution to the local economy consisted of two postcards and a great poster for 3 CHf, then I headed on my way. Then through three amusing named towns; Zuoz, S-chanf, and Zernez.

In a nation that I feel almost all looks like a national park I was amazed to find that there is only National Park – called "Swiss National Park". I paid a brief visit to the information center in the town of Zernez to peruse the exhibits. The park was created in 1914 and spans 172 sq kms.

I drove through the heart of the park somehow ending up in the middle of a vintage car rally. These were mostly British cars (Bently, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, etc) in a rally that started that looped around Switzerland. This brought back lots of memories of my childhood cruising around New Zealand in my Dad's vintage Austin. I followed one of these cars and before long – there were two opposing unmanned guard shacks indicating the border with Italy.

Following a vintage car out of Switzerland and into Italy.

So, my time in Switzerland has come to an end. The drop-dead gorgeous scenery never gets old. I felt at times as if I was driving through the scene on the lid of a box of Swiss chocolates. The people I meet were nice – quite reserved but still friendly, helpful, and genuinely glad that you were there to see their country that they obviously love. I will have to think about returning to ski these magnificent mountains – the size and variety of resorts, and even the smaller ski areas, is mind boggling. It was also interesting to see where alpine tourism was born, and with more than 200 years practice, the mountain towns have catering to international visitors down to a science. But, I believe that to understand a place, its history, culture, and people, then you have to look to the land. And Switzerland with her verdant valleys and snowy peaks, raging rivers and tranquil lakes, deep forests and quaint villages is an amazing land.

One final interesting antidote. In the German speaking part of the country the way they say thank you is interesting – and provides another glimpse at the Swiss way of doing things. I had my German phrase book but what people would say to me was not in there. Then, in Lucerne a bought a great little book called the Xenophobes guide to the Swiss. This series of little books are useful, interesting, but mostly amusing (The Guide to the Kiwis makes for fun reading!). It explains that for the majority of the country German is the dominant language. However, they speak a version or dialect known as Schwizerdütsch, or Schwyzertütsch. It is a spoken language only and for writing they use High German (Swiss German is reportedly as different to High German as Dutch is). So, when saying thank you, rather than danke, (thanks) which they think is too German, the Swiss say merci (French for thanks). But then to avoid being mistaken for French speakers they add very much in German. However, it is not the High German vielmals, but rather the Swiss-German version without an 's'. As the Xenophopes guide states; "The result is very odd, very bilingual, and very Swiss."

So, merci vielmal Swizerland for an incredible adventure.