Thursday, October 19th 1854 ~ Meiringen

Postcard of Meiringen, Switzerland, ca. 1900.

Hotel du Sauvage ~ We breakfasted as usual this morning on mutton chops, cream, honey, bread, butter, etc. It was rainy but the clouds were broken and at all heights, as that we could sometimes see the tops of the hills which surrounded the little vale, in which the cottages of Lungern are scattered. Mountain rills come tumbling down the hillsides with a rushing sound. It partially cleared off at noon and we started then for Meyringen over the Brunig pass. The ladies each had a horse and a man to lead him while I brought up the train on foot. Our baggage was carried over the mountain with us on the shoulders of a fine looking Swiss. It weighed seventy pounds! Our party looked picturesque enough winding up the narrow path, in single file (large trees on either side) accompanied by their guides carrying long staves. At short intervals the men sang Tyrolean songs, which the echo returned seven fold. The view from the highest point of the pass must be very pretty but as we saw it (in the rain) it was not remarkably so. We arrived at Meyringen at four o’clock, and found a marriage feast in progress at the hotel. We were the only travelers in the house and were invited to join in the festivities. The young couple had been married at two o’clock and even now dancing with their guests, one hundred and fifty or two hundred in number, to the music of an orchestra of five pieces. The dresses were very peculiar; the man wearing very short tailed frock coats and the women in short skirts, velvet vests, without sleeves, displaying a long shirt sleeve (white). We found that they were the sons and daughters of Swiss farmers living in the neighborhood. They were having a real merry time; we joined the company and after a few moments I asked mine host to introduce me to one of the fair dames and was soon engaged in the mazes of the polka and schottische with a native of the land in which they originated. I was unable to say a word to my partner for she could speak no French, and I could speak no German. At eight o’clock dinner was served; the company were seated around three long tables. At the head of the middle one the bride and groom were placed under a canopy made of green leaves. He was a fine looking fellow speaking French, German and English. The bride fine looking but not pretty. Seats were allotted us at their left hands. Near them were the respective families and the Lutheran clergyman who tied the knot. He was a jolly looking German with a cigar in his mouth. The dinner was a very good but a plain one consisting of soup, several courses of meats, dessert and wine of the country. After it had been discussed the clergy man made a congratulatory address, ending with the song (joined in by all) “Sie Leben Hoch.” This was followed by some toasts and then young men went out of the room and returned with little presents (mostly articles of dress) which they presented to their respective favorites of the other sex. They were given with many jokes, holdings of mock auctions over them etc. After this everyone made some present to the bride or groom in the same gay style. Generally articles of household use, and in several instances money. One of these was an apple with gold pieces stuck in it. There were several baskets of chinaware etc. etc. It was a scene of great festivity without ceremony or restraint and we enjoyed it vastly. After dinner the company assembled again in the ball room where they danced until two in the morning. Very beautiful chessmen of carved wood are made here, but there are so many custom houses still before us that I do not dare to purchase.

Wednesday, October 18th 1854 ~ Lungern

Hotel du Lion d’Or. ~ The fine weather lasted but a single day. This morning it rained quite hard again. We breakfasted early at Lucerne, packed our trunks and forwarded them by poste to Berne and at nine o’clock we took a boat with two rowers for Fahr. It is only a trip of two hours and a half and our boat was covered by an awning which kept off the rain nicely. At Fahr we took a carriage for Lungern, through Sarnen, Sachseln and over the mountain called the Kaiser Stuhl. The road conducts along the borders of the little lakes Sarnen and Lung, which lie cradled among high hills and much above the level of Lake Lucerne. It is a highly picturesque road. The hills above it and among which it winds are as high as to be (many of them) covered with snow. The Swiss valleys along it are beautiful. In them we saw more of the real Swiss cottages than we have seen elsewhere, with their covered balconies, one above the other. We arrived here at four o’clock and find our hotel very comfortable. Lungern is a peasants’ village, surrounded on all sides but one by hills and here the carriage road ceases. Two men followed our carriage for some distance, to be engaged for tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 17th 1854 ~ Lucerne

View from Mt. Rigi (Photo: P.R. Lloyd)

Hotel du Cygne ~ I awoke at four o’clock this morning and sprang out of bed with delight at the sight of the moonbeams on the floor; the stars were out and not a cloud in the sky. I could not get asleep again and at five the porter knocked at my door and announced the hour, with the cheering words “il fait bien tempis monsieur.” [“it’s about time sir.”] To us who had waited so long for this sound, that we might see one of the finest views of Switzerland, it was welcome indeed. At six o’clock, we were on our way to “Weggis”, in the little “beautean a vapiur,” from thence to ascend the Rigi. The morning was charming; the tops of the mountains were covered with freshly fallen snow, which was silvered by the rising beams of the sun. The mists of the Lake curled up from the water and hung in the fleecy clouds below the mountain summits, dyed by the sun in rainbow hues. The lake is very narrow and makes very picturesque windings between its high and verdant banks. I shall never forget this scene, the rainbow mist, the shadows of the clouds on lake and mountain, the verdure below and the snow above! One hours steaming brought us to Weggis, where we breakfasted and took horses for the ascent of the mountain. Each horse accompanied by a man to lead him. The path up was conducted along the side of the mountain and gave splendid views of the lake and adjoining mountains at every step. The soil was very fine and vegetation abounded, but as we advanced, it gradually became less fourishing until at the summit we rode through snow six inches deep. The Rigi is only 5600 feet high and therefore never takes snow in the summer. Still the change of temperature is very marked between it and the valley. Below we had summer weather (too warm for overcoats), above they were greatly needed. The view from the Rigi-kulen was magnificent beyond description. Looking Southward a mass of snow covered peaks met our gaze, rising into the air like waves of some polar sea charmed by the cold while in full careen. Among them our guides pointed out the Jung Frau, the Silberhorn, the Bright-horn, the Monk etc., some of the highest mountains in Europe. Looking north a great extent of level country is visible extending as far as the Lake of Zurich, whose waters we saw a shining surface set in green. There is a good hotel on the top of the Rigi, when we took a lunch of petit pains and butter with hot milk punch, a beverage our landlord had never heard of before. We rested there an hour, had a polka in the drawing room and then took up our winding way downwards. We often see clouds below us. The lake of Zug lies on the opposite side of the Rigi from Lake Lucerne, and from the summit both are distinctly seen [louing?] either base. There are half a dozen smaller lakes quite near and within sight. From here a steamer is scarcely seen on Lake Lucerne just at our feet. It is but a mooring spot on the waters and looks like a duck on a mill pond. The ascent of the Rigi requires about two hours and the decent about the same time. We got back to Weggis at four o’clock and there took a row boat back to Lucerne propelled by two strong men. We past in skirting the shore several small islands on one of which was a little chapel dedicated to the patron saint of row boats. A man has been perfectly haunting us this afternoon to allow him to travel with us as a servant and will not take no for an answer, but we do not want him. One great nuisance in traveling on the Continent is to have to wade the importunities of guides, servants, couriers etc. that one does not want…and such importunities!