After reaching Luzern we again looked for tourist information center. At counter we enquired about the locations that we could visit in and around the Luzern city and as expected we got the full information with city map. The lady informed us about a sightseeing boat which is free for Swiss pass holder and we could take a ride for 1 or 2 hours in that boat. We also enquired about Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlus. At this we were told that the weather was not very good and it was snowing that day. These places are at central Switzerland and are famous for 360 degree view of Switzerland. We were also told that the visibility would also not be clear. We were little disappointed by this. But at least this made our option clear as we were not able to decide between Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlus and there was no way we could cover both the locations in our trip. The thing that was exciting us for Mt Titlus was open cableway and since the weather was bad, there was no point in going by open cableway. So, we finally decided to go to Mt Pilatus and got the complete details of the location.
We then took the sightseeing boat from outside the Hauptbahnhof. We opted to sit in the open at the front of the boat to have a good view of nature. We started taking snaps of each other and of nature as soon as the boat started. We were thrilled to see the amazing Alpine panorama with white peak unfolding in the distance. I wanted to capture each and every scene in my camera. It was very relaxing to be on board while passing through pretty lakeside towns, picturesque villages at the foot of hills and large green mountains. We were enjoying the cold breeze and the gorgeous views of the city in one direction and the snow-covered mountains in the other. We both were too excited to sit at one place and we were continuously taking photographs. We enjoyed boat ride for 1 hr.
Now it was time for us to go to our Hotel. We had a reservation in a hotel that was previously a jail. They still maintained the same ambience as per the website. So, we thought that this might be a new experience for us to spend a night in a jail. We then followed the route map for hotel from there.
We completed the formalities at counter and got the keys of our room. That was not actually a key but a code that was given to us. The lady at counter explained us that we need to punch the code in a machine at our room’s door to get into the room. Our room was at second floor. When we asked for lift she simply smiled. It was a jail was her standard answer. We started walking towards stairs. The corridor was divided into different partitions. Each partition was having multiple rooms (I would better call that as cells only) and in every floor at the end of stairs there was a gate of iron bars. As we reached our cell we examined the door. There was a small window in the middle of the door, which must have been used to slip food materials into the cell for prisoners, but was sealed now. The door was decorated with iron bars and a small machine with number pad was installed on it. We punched the code given to us in the machine and the door opened. The door must have been designed like this keeping security in mind. The look and feel of the jail, the empty corridor and the night time contributed to a scary atmosphere.
The room was very small and was actually a size of a cell with two separate small beds and no other furniture. Two beds and a small hanging carrier with 2 hangers were all the room had. The room didn’t even have a heater. In the front wall above there was a small window with bars that made the room look even more horrible. At a corner there was a small square partition separated by plastic walls and they had installed WC and bathing equipments there. Since there was no phone and we had to arrange for our dinner PP suggested me to stay back while he arranged for dinner. But I was too terrified to stay there alone. At that time I didn’t even want to imagine that what would happen if the door wouldn’t open. So, I decided to go with PP. We both locked the door (closing the door is locking) and went to receptionist. We then enquired whether they have kitchen. No surprise, they didn’t have kitchen. So, we simply asked about some utensils and decided to boil our food at our room. We collected the utensils that we needed for our dinner and then again went to our room. Thankfully at room we had supply for both hot and cold water. We kept the packets of Rajma Chawal in hot water for 20 mins and our dinner was ready.
We left the utensils in floor after dinner (as there was no place we could have used as a table), merged the two beds and then tried to sleep in that cell. As we were lying in the bed many negative thoughts started coming in my mind. I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if we both remain locked in that cell for the remaining of our lives, what would happen if the light went off suddenly and that what all depressing things that room might have seen as a jail. I wanted that night to be over as soon as possible and was waiting for the next day to come so that we could leave the cell. I was praying desperately that I should not wake up in the middle of the night in that cell to find something horrible. I don’t know when in the middle of all these thoughts I drifted away in sleep. That was the end of my first day in Switzerland.
We got up at around 7:30AM. We got ready and had our breakfast of cornflakes, bread and juice. We then roamed a little through another parts of the hotel. There was a bar and a disco-theque on one side of the reception and cyber cafe and locker room on the other side. In first floor they had kept a small showcase displaying prisoner’s dress, telephone instrument, typewriter and keys of old age.
We took around 2-3 snaps of the jail to preserve this unique experience of our life and then checked out at around 8:55AM. It was drizzling when we came out to city. So, we were sure of the bad weather ahead at Mt Pilatus. The place where we were staying was old city area having unique road style of bricks and small fountain. The shopkeepers were opening their shops as that was the opening time for them. We strolled through the old city doing window shopping and reached by the side of Luzern lake near Chapel Bridge.
Chapel bridge was a wooden bridge beautifully decorated by flowers. In between the bridge there stood a tower called water tower. That octagonal tower was around 34 meters high and was used as archives, treasury, prison, and torture chamber. That place was Luzern’s trademark and the most photographed monument in Switzerland. As we were walking inside the Chapel Bridge we found that many paintings were put there for public display showing history of old battles. We were little upset to see that the water tower was closed for public. We wanted to see the torture chamber from inside. We stood at the end of the bridge for some time enjoying the view of old city and beauty of Luzern’s lake with so many ducks swimming around, took 2-3 snaps there and then left the place for Hauptbahnhof.
At Hauptbahnhof station we locked our luggage in a locker and then went to the place from where he had to take the steamer for Alpnachstad. The steamer left the place at 10:15 AM.
We then took the sightseeing boat from outside the Hauptbahnhof. We opted to sit in the open at the front of the boat to have a good view of nature. We started taking snaps of each other and of nature as soon as the boat started. We were thrilled to see the amazing Alpine panorama with white peak unfolding in the distance. I wanted to capture each and every scene in my camera. It was very relaxing to be on board while passing through pretty lakeside towns, picturesque villages at the foot of hills and large green mountains. We were enjoying the cold breeze and the gorgeous views of the city in one direction and the snow-covered mountains in the other. We both were too excited to sit at one place and we were continuously taking photographs. We enjoyed boat ride for 1 hr.
Now it was time for us to go to our Hotel. We had a reservation in a hotel that was previously a jail. They still maintained the same ambience as per the website. So, we thought that this might be a new experience for us to spend a night in a jail. We then followed the route map for hotel from there.
A night in Jail
We completed the formalities at counter and got the keys of our room. That was not actually a key but a code that was given to us. The lady at counter explained us that we need to punch the code in a machine at our room’s door to get into the room. Our room was at second floor. When we asked for lift she simply smiled. It was a jail was her standard answer. We started walking towards stairs. The corridor was divided into different partitions. Each partition was having multiple rooms (I would better call that as cells only) and in every floor at the end of stairs there was a gate of iron bars. As we reached our cell we examined the door. There was a small window in the middle of the door, which must have been used to slip food materials into the cell for prisoners, but was sealed now. The door was decorated with iron bars and a small machine with number pad was installed on it. We punched the code given to us in the machine and the door opened. The door must have been designed like this keeping security in mind. The look and feel of the jail, the empty corridor and the night time contributed to a scary atmosphere.
The room was very small and was actually a size of a cell with two separate small beds and no other furniture. Two beds and a small hanging carrier with 2 hangers were all the room had. The room didn’t even have a heater. In the front wall above there was a small window with bars that made the room look even more horrible. At a corner there was a small square partition separated by plastic walls and they had installed WC and bathing equipments there. Since there was no phone and we had to arrange for our dinner PP suggested me to stay back while he arranged for dinner. But I was too terrified to stay there alone. At that time I didn’t even want to imagine that what would happen if the door wouldn’t open. So, I decided to go with PP. We both locked the door (closing the door is locking) and went to receptionist. We then enquired whether they have kitchen. No surprise, they didn’t have kitchen. So, we simply asked about some utensils and decided to boil our food at our room. We collected the utensils that we needed for our dinner and then again went to our room. Thankfully at room we had supply for both hot and cold water. We kept the packets of Rajma Chawal in hot water for 20 mins and our dinner was ready.
We left the utensils in floor after dinner (as there was no place we could have used as a table), merged the two beds and then tried to sleep in that cell. As we were lying in the bed many negative thoughts started coming in my mind. I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if we both remain locked in that cell for the remaining of our lives, what would happen if the light went off suddenly and that what all depressing things that room might have seen as a jail. I wanted that night to be over as soon as possible and was waiting for the next day to come so that we could leave the cell. I was praying desperately that I should not wake up in the middle of the night in that cell to find something horrible. I don’t know when in the middle of all these thoughts I drifted away in sleep. That was the end of my first day in Switzerland.
Sunday Aug 13, 2006
We got up at around 7:30AM. We got ready and had our breakfast of cornflakes, bread and juice. We then roamed a little through another parts of the hotel. There was a bar and a disco-theque on one side of the reception and cyber cafe and locker room on the other side. In first floor they had kept a small showcase displaying prisoner’s dress, telephone instrument, typewriter and keys of old age.
We took around 2-3 snaps of the jail to preserve this unique experience of our life and then checked out at around 8:55AM. It was drizzling when we came out to city. So, we were sure of the bad weather ahead at Mt Pilatus. The place where we were staying was old city area having unique road style of bricks and small fountain. The shopkeepers were opening their shops as that was the opening time for them. We strolled through the old city doing window shopping and reached by the side of Luzern lake near Chapel Bridge.
Chapel bridge was a wooden bridge beautifully decorated by flowers. In between the bridge there stood a tower called water tower. That octagonal tower was around 34 meters high and was used as archives, treasury, prison, and torture chamber. That place was Luzern’s trademark and the most photographed monument in Switzerland. As we were walking inside the Chapel Bridge we found that many paintings were put there for public display showing history of old battles. We were little upset to see that the water tower was closed for public. We wanted to see the torture chamber from inside. We stood at the end of the bridge for some time enjoying the view of old city and beauty of Luzern’s lake with so many ducks swimming around, took 2-3 snaps there and then left the place for Hauptbahnhof.
At Hauptbahnhof station we locked our luggage in a locker and then went to the place from where he had to take the steamer for Alpnachstad. The steamer left the place at 10:15 AM.
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