The Lion of Lucerne

A day around Lucerne.  This morning we had a wander around the old town which was fairly quiet as, unlike the UK, the shops are all closed on Sundays.  We then headed up to the lion monument.  This was completed in 1821 by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen and was designed as a memorial to the '760' Swiss guards protecting the King of France who were killed in Paris in 1792 at the start of the French Revolution.  I put 760 in inverted commas as later thinking is that only around 350 were killed, but still a large number.  The monument shows a dead lion killed by a spear through the heart, with the broken spear still in its back.  The lion has its paw over a shield with the lily coat of arms, emblem of the Bourbon kings.  A beautiful sculpture carved out of a cliff face in a lovely setting.

We then moved next door to a 'Glacial Park'; an area with some fantastic rock formations carved out by glacial streams.  An additional attraction there was a labyrinth which I've added as an extra.  A fun and fascinating place made up of passages through mirrors set in triangles.  It was incredibly hard to tell which way to go and the only thing to do was take it slowly and feel your way to see if you were facing an opening or a mirror.  I think if you look closely you can see me twice taking the shot, and W twice trying to avoid being taken!

This afternoon we went to the Rosengart Collection, an amazing private collection with numerous works by Picasso and Paul Klee as well as other artists.  A fascinating gallery and not at all busy, so good to be able to spend time appreciating the works on display.  Another busy day; we're looking forward to relaxing this evening.