Today the weather cooled down considerably, which was a great relief from the heat and humidity we have endured over the last week. The morning was quite pleasantly cool, but the rest of the day was rainy and cold, and for once I’m glad I brought my microfleece jacket.

Today on our GoAhead tour, we traveled by five modes of transportation —all in one day — in our trip to Mount Pilatus, a mountain named for Pontius Pilate, blown here by the devil after the crucifixion. First, we took a bus to the ferry, where we cruised on Lake Lucerne in first class, no less.

Then we boarded the world’s steepest cogwheel railway (48% grade) up to the summit, 7000 feet above sea level.

However, when we finally reached the top, I’m disappointed that the view was mostly obscured by fog, although we got a few minutes when the fog cleared.

On the descent, we first boarded a cable car, in which 55 people could fit in one car. But then we had to transfer to 4-person gondolas, which took us back to our bus.

In the morning we had a walking tour of the old town. Our first stop was at the Lion Monument, a tribute to the Swiss Guards who sacrificed their lives in Paris during the French Revolution.

Our guide, Monica, pointed out the many buildings which were decorated with exterior paintings.

Tomorrow we’ll travel through four different countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany) and will check into our hotel in Munich.