Switzerland 2025 - Day 13 / Lucerne, Solothurn, and another family reunion

Steps today: 22 319 / 14.71 km

Just like yesterday, today started with a walk around Lake Lucerne, and then a family reunion - my dad's side this time.

The lake was as beautiful as ever, and I can't get over how there are still so many flowers in bloom in mid-late October!

We strolled around Lucerne some more, just soaking it up and enjoying the city.

Coffee stop. In hindsight I don't remember what we did for lunch....  probably just a sandwich at the train station.

We met up with my aunt and cousin around 2:30, joined by my mom, and had a nice wander around Solothurn.  Spending time with my father's sister today seemed particularly special because by coincidence today was the anniversary of his death.

Solothurn was a very nice town, I don't think I've ever visited it before....

 Lit a candle for my father in the church

The after the stroll, we stopped for a drink and were joined by my cousin's sons who are all grown up now... where does the time go? I have a picture of where we stopped, but was too distracted to take some of us, damn!

Afterwards, we moved over to a pizzeria where the rest of the family joined us -  we were 11 in total.  It was a really fun night, but that ginormous pizza kicked my ass!!!!

We parted ways around 20:30, and Frank and I headed back to Lucerne.  No more stops on this night, it was late enough for us!

Switzerland 2025 - Day 12 / Lucerne, Olten, and Family Reunion Lunch at Säli-Schlössli

Steps today: 16 999 / 11.21 km

Today was a highly anticipated day - Family Reunion (Mom's side).

Our train to head off to meet them only left at 10, so after breakfast Frank and I spend the morning walking along Lake Lucerne. Beautiful!

The plan was to meet at 11AM in the parking lot of the train station in Olten. I bumped into my cousin Marc by accident shortly after I got off the train, he was there with his 2 daughters who I never even met!

Soon thereafter my mom and her sister showed up, and we found the other group of people at the other side of the parking lot. 11 years later everyone was little older, (including me) but always recognizable. I met some more kids who I before or had only seen as babies or weren't even born yet. 

It was great!  Will it be another 11 years until the next time?

Lunch was at the Famous-in-Switzerland: Säli-Schlössli. An old Castle renovated into a restaurant and private banquet hall which my cousin Cosimo had reserved just for the 19 of us (only 4 couldn't make it). He really went out of his way to make it a special day for everyone.  

The Castle itself has nice memories for me too,  I remember as a child in 1981 trekking up there with my grandfather and laughing about my poor blistered feet.  I am pretty sure that square box addition on the left wasn't there back then!

Once the fog cleared, the views from up there were beautiful

And in this one, still a little obscured by the haze, you can see the "Flower Pot" I remember from childhood. (Nuclear Power Plant Chimney)

By about 5:30 it was time to say good bye, and Frank and I went off to stroll around Olten a little bit before getting back on the train.

We got back to Lucerne around 7:30 

The weather was so pleasant outside that we stopped for a little "snack" before calling it a day.

Switzerland 2025 - Day 11 / Lucerne

Steps today: 20 215 / 13.33 km

Today, we changed home bases after 10 perfect weather days in the Berner Oberland. What incredible luck we had! Sunshine and not a drop of rain. Clear blue skies every day to enjoy the Alpine views and great hikes...  it was absolutely wonderful!

Staying put for 10 days was kind of a treat too! We usually move along after 3 or 4 days. TEN in the same place felt like indulging. 

The journey to Lucerne was about 2.5 hours, and the room was predictably not ready when we arrived, so we left the bags and set out to explore.

We started with the obligatory Lion Monument, and then just wandered around.

Lunch was our next goal and I wanted a raclette again so we started the search. I always prefer the do-it-yourself style raclette, not the kind prepared in the kitchen and I lucked out big time! ...  or so I thought at first.

I was excited to see the stove and huge wedge of cheese

But just one bite of the cheese confirmed this was not "The Real Thing".  It didn't stink, it was mild, it hardened too quickly on the plate, and worst of all it left a soup of oil in the plate.

You can see very plainly in this picture how oily it is.  This place is just for tourists who want the experience and don't know what the real stuff is supposed to taste like.

Interestingly, they served it with a plate of fruit and I have to admit I like that combo! I've never ever seen raclette with fruit...  but it works!

A little more wandering around town after lunch and then we made it to Church to light a candle for Frank's dad who died a year ago yesterday.

The skies were overcast, but it was still comfortable outside and around 2PM we thought it was a good time for a Spritz break.

Slowly, the clouds dissipated and the sun and blue skies were out again. We thought it would be a nice experience to go up to the Chateau Gütsch (a Castle-Hotel up on a hill) and enjoy the terrasse in the sun with beautiful views down over Lucerne. Well, they didn't want us riff raff tourists up there and we were not so subtlety dismissed. Fine. The views over Lucerne were just as beautiful standing by the front door!

Instead of taking the funicular back down, we hiked through the forest instead. It was so nice I was glad that in the end we weren't allowed to linger on the terrasse.

Next on the agenda, a very important task: Getting a time-lapse picture of me in the Old Chapel Bridge.

Here's 2006, 2011 and 2014

and now, 2025 .... 

We went back to the hotel to officially check in and unpack, and then just some more wandering.

Around 5:30 we decided to have supper by the river since it was still so comfortable outside.

It was a nice time overall, but it cooled down much quicker than we anticipated and it became cooler as the evening wore on and less pleasant to be outside.  We were glad to leave in the end!