To start off, my suitcase handle snapped off when I was getting on the bus at Bern. Lucky my dad gave me straps to bind my suitcase which now acted as substitute handles. The train trip from Bern to Luzern (pronounced Lutzen - cute French man) was smooth and incident free. At Luzern Train Station, I got on another bus that took me to my accommodation. That was when things went downhill.
I get off the bus, and I see across the street a sign post that corresponds with the street name I'm searching for. It points to a large flight of stairs. Before I continue, I should point out that my suitcase is 30kg and I also have a 10kg backpack on my shoulders. With the dark memory of getting my suitcase through the Paris Metro still clear in my head, I refuse to carry my suitcase up or down any flight of stairs. Back to scenario: thinking there must be a mistake, although the sight of the stairs did stir some memory of hotel reviews which referred to a large set of stairs, I walked up and down the street I was on. But in the end, I was resigned to accept my destination laid at the end of those stairs.
Around about that point, a lady walks by me and offers her help (oh kind Swiss people). She directs me to a drive way a little further down the road, which will also lead to my accommodation. So I dragged my suitcase up that driveway - it was uphill and even without stairs, it was very tiring! But it was a dead end road! There was a path at the end, which does in fact lead to my accommodation, but the gate to it was locked!! So it was back to square one.
I remember from the website, it said they can come pick guests up from the train station if we called them. So I called them. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. No one picks up. By this point, I had been offered help by another lady (oh kind Swiss people) who directed me to the same driveway. I was on some isolated little road with not a lot of passer-bys (the two ladies being the only ones) so there was no random man I can ask to carry my suitcase for me. I was also without a lift. So I did what every damsel in distress would do, I relied on my own two hands and dragged my 40kgs up a giant flight of stairs.
It was not as bad as I expected. Each step was not too high, and the entire flight of stairs was broken up into a series of smaller ones, so I could rest in between. At the end of the stairs, of course was Pension Panorama (which btw one of the ladies had said was a "fine place with a beautiful view"), but the damn entrance wasn't anywhere in sight!! There was only another small path of more stairs (the same path that was rendered inacessible from the driveway). I asked some people who were seated on a bench at the end of the stairs if they knew where the entrance would be, they didn't know but guessed that path. Hot, tired and stressed, I was choking back tears when I asked them to look after my suitcase while I looked for an entrance
Interestingly, the pension owner had left a note for me on his letter box and the key to my room in the letter box (it was not even locked). The fact the note was printed but the room number written in suggests this is the common procedure for this establishment.
Finally I got to my room. I had booked a single room with shared bathroom. But I got a double bed with ensuite (somehow the toilet is still outside, but whatever) for the first two nights (I think they overbooked). I get my own shower, a balcony with a full-frontal view of Mt Pilatus and the Luzern town, a plate of fruit, a fridge, tea and kettle, something to dry my clothes on, sofas... This must be God's reward or compensation for the ordeal I had to go through in reaching here.
(the flight of the stairs that lead to my accommodation. This was not the flight I carried my suitcase up - thank God for that! But it gives a good indication of how high I live)
The view from my balcony - Mt Pilatus
Despite the room, this Pension is hardly the best I've stayed at. That honourable position is currently held by Pension Marthahaus in Bern. I've had a poke around, and the shared facilities here doesn't look too optimistic. I also read on a notice outside the breakfast room that they don't have a reception (WTF?!?) and the only time they can be seen is at breakfast. Otherwise you have to ring the doorbell outside to talk to them via intercome! The breakfast this morning was lackluster, including stale bread and what I believe to be powdered milk.
The owner is...nice? He offered to put out Vegemite tomorrow morning cos I "fancied" it. He let me have most of the fruit platter even though it wasn't meant for me. He also let me have this big room for an extra night - on the note it said this is my room for the first night only and then I have to change. That said, he did do what I consider to be totally inappropriate for any hotel operator. He
came into my room uninvited to take TWO NECTURINES from my fruit platter (cos he said "Just have half the plate, and leave the rest for the other people" and later, "I'll come get the fruit"). 这种行为太小气了吧？
Is it right for a hotel operator or worker to walk into someone's room like this?
I found it to absolutely usurp my privacy. I was given prior notice of 30secs of his arrival, and I even went to get the plate and bring it to him, so he wouldn't have to come in. But NO! He still ENTERED my room. Why can't he just wait at the door? It would mean a whole world of difference even though he would still see that my suitcase was lying in the middle of the room, my stuff was just lying around, and most embarrassingly, my washing (ie my undies and socks) were just on the clothes dryer right next to the door. Then I thought he would go, but no, he walked on to my balcony and to look at whether it was raining. It was a really uncomfortable exprience and I feel he should just give me this room for the entirety of my stay without any extra charge.
Also adding negative points, he asked for upfront payment and charges 4% surcharge on credit cards.
the lakes, towns and other mountains below
If you imagine the fence out, I'm flying!!
After the first viewing platform, the old ladies and I parted ways. I went on a rather perilous journey to the highest point on Pilatus. Along the way I met two Indo boys - Al and Chris (Boom) - what is it with meeting two boys on Swiss mountains, eh?
On the way down, I walked again, trying to relive the glory of Jungfau. But I was quite disappointed by the view. The trek was so steep too, even though in the map it said the path was easy.
