Turckheim and Lurcerne

Here is a catch-up from the last two days as there was no wifi at the Lucerne campsite either.


Friday 11th April

..... after catching up on emails, blog and geocaching outside the TI in Turckheim, we went across the square for a coffee/hot chocolate in the sunshine, then wandered around the small market.  Behind the little town is a steep hillside covered in vines.  After lunch we decided we needed some exercise, so put on the boots and set off up the steep steps and joined the network of paths between the vines. The plants are just sprouting some new shoots, and workers were busy strimming the grass between the lines .  There are a series of geocaches up there, and we followed a path into the woods, steadily climbing all the time (about 600ft), to find 3 of them and another when nearly back down in Turckheim.  We thought we were a little bit crazy going uphill on a hot day, but at least we weren't quite as sweaty as some of the joggers we met up there!  All that effort was rewarded by a lovely meal out at local hostelry.  For all its smartness, we didn't go a bundle on their lampshades of dangling material offcuts (see photo)!

AboveTurckheim

Hotel des Voges on left

Cheap lampshades!!

Saturday 12th April

We sadly said goodbye to the very friendly lady in the office (not only wifi not working today, but her computer, printer and card reader, so cash only) and 'George', our stork, for our next stage of the journey.  We entered Switzerland by the St. Johann Tunnel and this involved being issued with our vignette for vehicles over 3.5T and means that for 32.50 Swiss Francs, we can spend up to 10 days in the country - not necessarily consecutive.  We have to produce our duplicate forms when driving in and we expect, on the way out.  So we signed up for today and tomorrow and continued on our way to Lucerne.  Very soon we could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance and around lunch-time we were on our pitch beside an inlet of Lake Lucerne.