Thursday Afternoon: Luzern
After leaving Selina's (so much more on that restful, inspiring, clarifying experience soon!), I boarded the first of three trains to Luzern, Switzerland with so much excitement. As regularly as Jack calls the rest of us, there's nothing like seeing your child in real life 🙂
The city of Luzern greeted me with a pristine bus station, magical weather... and an overwhelming crowd of people. Selina had warned me that Luzern has turned touristy, and she was right—far more than I expected.
Rather than waiting for Jack to fight through the chaos to pick me up, I chose to walk 2 kilometers with my luggage to a parking lot, where Jack could meet me more easily. The tree-covered promenade beside Lake Luzern was so breathtakingly beautiful, I stopped and called the boys back at home to share it with them.
Despite the crowds, the day unfolded beautifully. Jack arrived at our meeting place not even 10 minutes after I did. The light was soft and golden, spilling through an amethyst sky, and the autumn leaves and creamy buildings reflected its glow.
Jack and I got the biggest sandwiches we could buy from a Doner Kabob stand, then sat on the steps by the lake. After that, we walked the ancient bridges, and climbed hills farther and farther away from the crowds. We wandered back to the car about an hour after dark, as the heavy clouds of the afternoon finally gave way to rain.
The Airbnb in Unterterzen
In Europe, you can rent a car at 19 (as opposed to 25 in the U.S.). Like John, Jack likes to drive and jumped at the opportunity to spend a few days with a car. This opened up the chance for us to stay in a smaller, quieter town away from tourists and the tiny, expensive hotels in those towns.
I only found this Airbnb a week before we arrived and still can't believe how perfect it was. We arrived in the rain long after dark and couldn't find the right building for about 30 minutes, which was equally hilarious and frustrating.
What a sight we woke up to—on John’s 50th birthday, no less. I felt guilty sending him this photo, while also feeling grateful that it is so very like John to be home home taking care of the younger kids on his birthday, so I could have these opportunities. Shout out to the friends and family who made his day special and helped me feel at peace with being away. 🙂
Friday: St. Gallen
When Selina told me Luzern was overrun with tourists these days, she recommended St. Gallen, a small medieval town near where she grew up. When Jack and I looked it up online and saw the Abbey Library, we knew we had to go.
St. Gallen was the city I always dreamed of visiting, I just didn't know it. St. Gallen is a city rich with history, overflowing with beauty, and blessedly lacking in crowds.
We stopped by the tourist center and paid a few euros for the self-guided city audio tour.
Medieval buildings, a museum brimming with treasures, a dark and secret library of ancient books, and cathedrals filled with light—we lingered for hours in that magical place between the past and present.
We meant to leave and squeeze in a quick hike, but Jack couldn't find his phone so we went back to retrace our steps, searching for the phone.
In the end, I think we did a more difficult hike than planned, as we raced the sunset up up half a mile of non-stop stairs. I was huffing and puffing, but I couldn't slow down as that sun slipped closer and closer to the horizon.
As you can see, we got to the top in the nick of time. I had lost my coat and scarf on the way up, but now I finally pulled off the sweater I had sweat through and started clicking the camera. 🙂 We Whatsapped John to share the moment - and the clanging of the cowbells, which was 🙂
Finally, we took the long way down on switchback roads, catching different glimpses of the gorgeous lit cathedrals around each turn.
Finally, we stopped by the same festival for dinner that we hit on the way in. The food trucks there were.... honestly, better than any restaurant. Empanadas for lunch, gyros for dinner, and wrapped up the night with a 4th WhatsApp call to John on his 50th birthday 🙂
Saturday: Weesen to Quentin
As mentioned before, we chose to stay in Unterterzen simply because an Airbnb was available less than a week before leaving and it was within driving distance of everywhere we needed to go.
But when I mentioned Unterterzen to those familiar with Switzerland—like a man I met on the plane from Copehagen to Zurich—they smiled and said, “That’s the postcard-perfect part of Switzerland.” They encouraged me to view the spot not only as a place to stay, but a place to explore.
So I looked up hikes and found one that seemed just right. It followed the northern shore of the lake—the same breathtaking view we could see from our apartment—and passed by a 2,000-year-old Roman tower, a historic chapel, and Switzerland’s second tallest waterfall, ending in the very special and tiny town of Quentin, available only by foot or by boat.
We planned for a 10km trek over four hours, but as often happens, reality stretched our plans. It turned into 14km and closer to five and a half hours, mostly because we lingered at every stop—marveling at the tower, resting in the quiet chapel filled with streaming light, and climbing far higher in mud to the waterfall than was advisable - but worth it.
Quentin was just as picturesque as I’d imagined.
We returned by ferry, the air biting cold, but I wrapped a huge scarf around my head and soaked in the view.
The hike was more difficult than we'd planned, but I’d do it all again—and hopefully, I will one day, with the rest of the family.
Slow Sunday & Zurich
Since Monday would be an early morning and long travel day (especially for me), we decided to take Sunday morning slow. We sipped our way through a pot of coffee and watched the clouds weave their way in and out of the mountains while Jack streamed his church's service for us.
Eventually, we set off for Zurich, stopping for lunch along the way.
Every time I see Jack these days, he reminds me more of John, which makes me happier than words can say. That Sunday, I watched him strike up a conversation with the owner of the little café. He listened intently while the man shared his story of hopes dashed by tragedy. Jack asked more questions and listened more —all in German, of course, a language he couldn't speak one word of just 18 months ago. I couldn’t help but feel proud of him.
Zurich greeted us with an unusual stillness—everything was closed for Sunday. And yet, I think I liked it better that way.
I still can’t understand how a city can be built on hills and yet filled with canals. We found ourselves walking up and down countless steps, finally stumbling upon Lindenhof Hill—an unexpected town square, perched high above the churches, canals, and shops.
Just like that afternoon in Luzern, the fall sky flirted with the sun, casting a soft ever-changing glow over trees, cathedrals, and boats.
From there, we made our way down to the main canal, heading to our final destination—a concert at the Zurich Tonhalle. Jack loves classical music, so I found the tickets Saturday evening after our hike. Truthfully, it was the best classical concert I've ever attended, and a lovely last memory - but not as wonderful as that last hug I got from Jack the next morning, as he walked onto his flight back to Germany.
I'll hold on to that until we see him again in December - this time, in Denmark...!
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