Appenzell, Switzerland - A Small Swiss Town

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When Catherine and I left Lucerne, we drove to Appenzell had dinner and rented a room for the night.

Appenzell is both a canton and a town of 5,000 in Eastern Switzerland. It is most famous for its annual Landesgemeinde, an open-air parliament where citizens vote directly on major issues instead of trusting elected officials to make decisions for them. Only men were allowed to vote until 1991, when the Swiss Supreme Court ruled that excluding women was unconstitutional.

On special occasions, you'll see Appenzellers decked out in regional costume, and Appenzell has long been one of Switzerland's most active centers for yodeling, alphorn playing, and other expressions of Swiss musical tradition. The local houses are also distinctive, with their painted facades and attached barns.

I never understood the Swiss affection for gnomes.

We rented a room (zimmer) in a house in Appenzell. The rooms were basic but clean and comfortable.


Appenzell is alsp known for Appenzeller cheese, a hard cow's-milk cheese produced in this region.

The outside of the house where we rented a room.

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Lucerne, Switzerland

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.Lucerne is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne within sight of Mounts Pilatus and Rigi.

After Catherine and I left Lauterbrunnen, we drove to Lucerne, Switzerland.

Catherine in front of the train station at Lucerne.

It looks like Catherine is trying to pick out some entertainment for the night.

The telephone booths are much nicer than what we have at home, they even have Internet access.

Some sort of water fowl on Lake Lucerne.

One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th Century.

A view from Chapel Bridge.

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Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland - The Alps Part II

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.From the balcony of our room at the Hotel Staubbach.

On the way to the Schilthorn, Catherine and I stayed at the Hotel Staubbach in Lauterbrunnen near the Staubbach Falls waterfall.

The rooms were basic but comfortable.

The Staubbach Falls were visible from the balcony of our room.

The breakfast room at the Hotel Staubbach.

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.

Cows were brought from the pastures through the main street of Lauterbrunnen.

We has a nice lunch at a pizzeria in town.

This way to the mountain Schilthorn!

A peaceful cemetery outside of Lauterbrunnen.

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