"I have no friend or intercessor
No psychopomp or true confessor
But only you who knows my heart
In every cramped and devious part."
⚫️⚫️⚫️
This morning began cold and snowy. After breakfast, Tom and I bundled up... Okay, I bundled up. Off to our adventure! We walked to Adliswil to catch a bus to Thalwil, then on to Lucerne. Out of the train station, we first saw a bridge. This bride had been built in the 14th century. It served as the town's main bridge and withstood many trial and tribulation. The tower standing next to it had served as a dungeon, archive and treasury vault. In the 17th century, the bridge was decorated with paintings on the inside. However, unfortunately, the bridge was burned down about 20 years ago. I asked how and Tom informed me, "Kids were screwing around." I can't imagine being those kids. What a tragedy. The inside, where the paintings had been, now have what appears to be advertisements.
After that we walked to one of the two main churches in Lucerne. Tom described it this way: "There's the big Catholic Church and then a big church for monks. I don't know why they needed them this big... Rivalry, I guess. But they are cool!" So off we went.
The "monk's church" is actually a Jesuit Church. After some searching I found the exact date it was built was 1666. My cynical side chuckled a bit there. It was reconstructed in the mid-18th century. And whoever helped with that reconstruction deserves a high five or something. It's astounding. High ceilings, gold and silver carefully adorning everything, white prestine walls, and an alter that could make anyone stand in awe. I stood in silence and adoration for a while and finally looked behind me. On the back wall are the large pipes of the organ. The organist had been practicing, which of course only added to the majesty of the building.
Tom and I walked through the street with all the shops next. As we walked past the river I tried to explain how, despite how small it was, you can still see eddylines and tiny boils. My rafting excitement was rewarded with a bored look and a "Okay, Becca..." comment. But we also saw a random banana painted on a wall. That made up for my excitement being dashed beforehand.
The next stop on the "Tom's Tours of Lucerne" was a lion monument. Quite literally, it is a lion carved into the side of a stone wall. It was made for all the Swiss mercenaries in the French Revolution in 1792. It was created by Bertel Thorvaldsen. I later read that the town was not able to pay him his commission. So instead of defacing his art, he made a mockery of the town by making the lion's den look like a pig. Either way, quite the piece of art!
Tom and I both agreed it was lunch time. Sarah had helpfully packed snadwiches for us. We went to the lake side to eat. I ate quickly for two reasons: A) My hands were to cold to stay of gloves for that long. B) Seagulls were practically attacking us and I had to fend for myself. But it meant I had plenty of time to gaze at the mountains trying to sneak through the thick clouds. We never did see the tops of the mountains, but it was enough to make me marvel. It also made me think of how some of my best friends would have sat there and scouted perfect lines on the mountain. Man, between eddylines and lines up mountains, I must be hanging around climbers and rafters to much...
It was time to see the other church, The Church of St. Leodegar. The rivalry must have been intense because this church was just as beautiful. It was about as big and open, but due to the darker walls appeared smaller and quieter. But the craftmanship was still greatly visible. Each pews' edge was a different design. The pews had family crests on them. Alters lined the sides, like the last church, for different saints. These were a bit more detailed and allowed me to sit in the silence of the church, staring at the intricate pictures and designs. Afterwards, Tom and I walked around the outside of the church which was a cemetery. These weren't as old as some cemeteries I've been seeing, but still quite amazing. Holy water lined the walkway in basins. One had roses in it! Practically every stone had been recently visited by loved ones and shown off their love with flowers or such. "You shall love your crooked neighbor with your crooked heart..." The words echoed through my mind as I read names.
(Side note: super proud of this last picture!! Holy water and graves with the reminder of love, given by roses.)
Our next stop was the Panoramic Muesum. Yes, I too was confused. But we went inside and smiled at the warmth the building offered. The muesum was centered a 360 degree panoramic painting about the Swiss involvement in a war. It took the artist 5 years to complete. The room before the painting gave a history about it. But the best description I will be able to give you comes from a website called "MySwitzerland." I am going to quickly excerpt from there, as to not misquote Swiss history.
"The German-French war of 1870-1871 was the subject of intense public scrutiny and emotions at the time. Newspapers published reports about it, painters depicted the events in images. In the winter of 1871 General Bourbaki's Eastern French Army crossed the border into Switzerland. The Bourbaki-Panorama in Lucerne is a humanistic portrayal of this event and a critique of war."
The idea of a 360* panoramic painting is to give the viewer a sense of actual presence in the scene. Since the artist was actually in that moment in real life as a member of the Red Cross, he was the perfect man to recreate the scene. It was the pre-movie involvement in pictures. I had never heard of this, but thought it was a great idea. They also had mannequines outside the painting. So as you looked at the painting it really created that 3-D view. The speakers next to certain sections actually made it seem that the women were crying, that a cough came from the small boy, and so forth. The detail allowed you to stare potentially for hours. It is a highlight of Lucerne as far as I'm concerned. If you are ever there, it is worth the trip.
However, it was time to head home. We got on the train to head back. But, as the conductor announced the stop for Zug, I pulled Tom to the door. The sun was trying to come out and the scenery was desperate for attention. We went to the lake where the mountains soar above the lapping of the water.
Tom wanted to play Ingress for a bit. Which worked out nicely because I wanted to sit, think of my newfound poems, and be awe-struck at the scenery. So he left and I found a good rock to sit on. Here's the thing... Maybe it was reading the same poems over and over lately. Maybe it's the heart ache that hit me in Dublin. Maybe it was just the pure beauty before me. But I found the sun shone just long enough to wipe away a glistening tear. I chuckled at how cliched I am. Seriously Rebecca? One tear, on the waterside, as the sun just starts to shine? So unoriginal. But, the verse of poetry quoted at the beginning was stuck in my head like a song. I sat and stared. As those words danced off my tongue, I took a few deep breathes. Then finally, Tom and I headed home. Home to a snowy Adliswil, warm dinner, and a loving family. That's better than any sunny picture.
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