Cruising Lake Lucerne and climbing Mount Rigi

I cannot believe it has been more than two years since we made our epic trip to Europe, where we explored 12 cities and towns in five countries, all under 28 days, and with three kids in tow! It is taking me awhile to write about our trip, but I enjoy going through my photos as they bring back many fond memories of the places we explored and the culinary delights we experienced in each location. We spent a few days in the Swiss Alps, which had been a dream destination for me since I was a child. Imagine my delight actually setting foot on the beautiful Alps! Aside from the two days we spent in Murren, a quaint mountain village at the foot of Schilthorn, we also took the cog rail up to Mount Rigi. On our second day in Lucerne, we embarked on a boat cruise around Lake Lucerne and disembarked at Vitznau, where we climbed aboard the cogwheel train to ride the Rigi Railways to the summit. The views on the lake were breathtaking, and the sceneries on the train ride to the top of Mt Rigi were inexplicably beautiful. The views from the summit were awesomely amazing, and I tried my best to fully appreciate the whole experience of being on one of the peaks in the Swiss Alps, all the while trying to keep my little ones from running away and slipping on the snow. Hubby and I had to split up at the summit station because we decided it was impractical and hazardous to carry all our belongings while hiking up to the viewing platform with our three kids in the slippery snow. My mum and I took the girls while the boys had their turn after we returned to the station. There is a picture of my girls and me at the peak, that I posted on the blog two years ago. Below are more snapshots of our trip to the Queen of the Mountains.

The iconic Mt Pilatus overlooking Lucerne:

The Gothic towers of Hofkirche St. Leodegar stands prominently from the lake:

The cogwheel railway station in Vitznau:

Click on this picture for larger view:

Climbing higher towards the summit of Rigi:

Ever the curious monkey (and her curiousity for the world has gotten even stronger, two years on):

We also enjoyed a bird's eye view of Lucerne and surroundings:

We saw some hikers on the trails as we were nearing the top:

Check out that view - click for a larger image:

It was truly beautiful beyond words:

This brings us to the end of our first week in Europe, when we said goodbye to Switzerland, and crossed the border into Germany for the next leg of our journey! I have much to cover, but I am determined to complete the task of journalling about our trip, even if it takes me years!