Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Watery Wednesday - Bridges, Mountain Dogs and Lion of Lucerne

This week I'm scrolling back though some travel photos for Watery Wednesday posts. Hope you enjoy these water scenes from a September 2008 tour of Switzerland. This is the Chapel Bridge which spans the Reuss River in the center of Lucerne. Built in 1333, it is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe and the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world.



When you walk across the bridge you can enjoy paintings from the 17th century on the bridge gables. At this time of the year the bridge was decked out with blooming annual flowers. I can just imagine that it is a magical place in the winter when the river is frozen. This area was quite lively with tourists and city residents enjoying the open air cafes along the river, Lake Lucerne, and the distant mountains. The Swiss flag is proudly flown over many buildings.
I took many photos on this trip but--no surprise--this beautiful Bernese Mountain dog in one of the riverfront cafes was a favorite. The only thing that would have been better would be to see a whole litter of puppies like this one!

The most profound experience in Lucerne was seeing the Lion of Lucerne Monument. This stone sculpture was carved in a former sandstone quarry on the city's outskirts in the 1820s. The dying lion honors the Swiss Guards who perished defending King Louis XVI in 1792 in the French Revolution.




Mark Twain's words on seeing this sculpture: "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

If you have time, come back tomorrow and I'll take you on a hair raising trip by ski lift and cable car up to the top of Mt. Pilatus, in the clouds overlooking some of Europe's highest mountain peaks.


Want to see some more "watery" photography? Click here for the players.


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10 comments:

  1. FayeOctober 26, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    To Watery Wednesday Visitors - thanks for stopping by. I'm having trouble leaving comments on your WW posts. Enjoying your photos though and will keep trying. Blogger is testing all our patience today!

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  2. TexWisGirlOctober 26, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    lovely shots. the dog, of course, is GORGEOUS! wish i lived in a cooler climate to have a big furry mess like him. and the lion sculpture is indeed touching...

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  3. dianaOctober 26, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    Ben and I visited Lucerne when we traveled with his high school German Club. What a beautiful city! We also rode up Mt. Pilatus on a really foggy day. Have you ever seen frozen fog? I hope I can go back again some day.

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  4. Tina´s PicStoryOctober 26, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    lovely shots! - did you have problem to link up?

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  5. Jan n JerOctober 26, 2011 at 10:39 AM

    Gorgeous shots Faye...the lion sculpture is so very touching! Love the covered brige..so old but looks well maintained. What a beautiful magical place to visit!

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  6. Kim, USAOctober 26, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    I could imagine it when everything is white and only the flicker of lights at dawn or dusk is what you can see it moving. That would be great to photograph ^_^ Happy Wednesday!
    The Wedding

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  7. EbieOctober 26, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    This is amazing, for this wooden bridge to stand and survived this length of time.

    Faye, thanks for your comments. Glad you enjoyed my road trips and photos.

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  8. NatureFootstepOctober 26, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    interesting bridge. Thanks for sharing it. :)

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  9. JudyOctober 26, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Okay, now I am going to have to look up what a truss bridge is...
    Lovely shots, though!! And I agree about Bernese mountain dog!!

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  10. Deborah Carr (Debs)October 28, 2011 at 4:01 AM

    That is a sad, but beautiful monument. Gorgeous photos, as usual.

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