I had been considering staying at the Jail Hotel when first planning the trip, so I ventured over for a look. Up until a few years ago, it really was a jail. It’s on a quiet street about a block from shops and restaurants. The young woman at the desk was kind enough to take me on a tour. They have some rooms they call suites, although that’s pushing the description. She also showed me rooms with original cell doors (bathrooms en suite). I was impressed with the cleanliness of the hotel. For someone on a budget, this could be a good option; just don’t expect a river view. http://jailhotellowengraben.hotelswhiz.info
As the sky turned menacing, I surrendered to jetlag and napped for a few hours. We dined close to the hotel at Pizza and Pasta. We shared a starter of mozzarella and tomatoes. Maritza had a margherita pizza...I had risotto with saffron. With two large waters (no gas), the bill came to 60 francs. The meal was more than satisfactory, and the restaurant is prettier than the name implies.
We both bought ipods for the trip. I loaded lots of music, a CD of “Learning Italian,” and a CD book. While experimenting with the options I found that the ipod has an alarm clock. That led to the discovery that we could both listen (somewhat) to music through the earbuds if the volume is turned all the way up. Of course, travel speakers are the way to go, and I will definitely take them on the next trip. The ipod alarm clock came in handy more than once.
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Sunday, May 7
Lucerne
It was a pretty day so we took a ride on Lake Lucerne. Our roundtrip tickets in first class cost 66 francs each. Once more our timing was perfect. We didn't know the boat schedule, but as soon as we arrived they lifted the plank and off we went. We sat outside at the front of the boat for a lovely two-hour ride, stopped at Brunnen long enough for ice cream (everything else was closed), and relaxed in the dining room of another boat for the two-hour ride back. Unfortunately, the weather was too hazy for decent photographs—this was to persist for the entire two weeks.
