Starting our last bus tour

We left Munich with high expectations. Well, this was easily actually because as we walked down the street to catch the train, we ran into a dead rat just laying on the sidewalk waiting to say goodbye to us. Poor fella.
Our first trip on the tour was to a castle called Linderhof - built by crazy King Ludwig II. That's not most important thing that happened to us though because as we were walking around waiting for our times entry into the castle, a bigger Russian man fell to the ground and had a heart attack. The ambulance and doctor was called and they worked on him - out in the open where we all watched - for over 30 minutes until they pronounced him gone. His poor wife was there the whole time as she wouldn't leave but it was terrible to see. This was only the first day of our bus tour - it had to get better after this.
Lucky for us, it did. We've been to see some marvelous scenery all through the Austrian Alps and today we continued through the Swiss Alps. I know, I know what you're all thinking. JoAnne, again, in the Alps. What gives. Let's say it's my huge present to my husband - who is enjoying it immensely. We have been to some beautiful cities in the middle of a ring of mountains. We've been through, literally, hundreds of tunnels and bridges in order to get to some of them. Today, G took a funicular and then a gondola up to the Stanserhorn mountain to get to its summit. I've been before so I stayed on the ground and visited the town and had several espresso coffees while waiting for him. He had a really great time even though it was pretty foggy and cloudy and really cold and snowy. Many women held onto his arms, rather tightly, as they climbed to the summit. Anyway, on my own, I journeyed up into the trail a bit up the mountain and came upon, what else would you come upon up the mountain in Switzerland - a whole herd of cows, each wearing a cow bell. I stood there and closed my eyes and just listened to the sound which was so melodic that I felt as if I were far removed from Earth. Each cow moved at a different time so the bells were creating music. How wonderful it was - and magical. G would have loved it. Well, one can only sit with cows for so long so I descended to the valley and went for another coffee. Just like the good ole' days in Lahr. We used to call them a "European Day." We spent the rest of the day in Berne and are now in Lausanne for the night. We are in a brand new hotel and I am sitting here with a wine in the front bar while G is in the room writing in his journal. Just like a 4-star hotel, I got a huge plate of free cheese, meat and crackers with the wine.
Tomorrow, we are heading for the number 2 rated event of this trip. Our train ride straight up the cog-wheel train mountain to reach the carless Zermatt to spend two nights. We are staying in an actual Swiss Chalet. We will then, the next day, take the next cog-wheel train higher up to visit the Matterhorn Mountain.
Gotta finish my wine - and, free stuff.
J