Day 2- Of Strongholds and Sundaes.

Today started late, about 11am. I was quite tired from my trip, but I am well rested now. After a breakfast of Kellogs Smacks (about the same as here, if somewhat less sweet) and Bergmilch (mountain milk). We then traveled through the gorgeous Swiss countryside, and came to a castle at the top of a small mountain. Schloss Lenzburg has been guarding that part of the country for nigh on a thousand years.

It was a steep hike from where we parked to the castle, but well worth it. One can imagine marching all the way up the hill and then trying to fight through defended gateways such as this one
This gate was only one of several, and one had to dogleg back and up and over a drawbridge to gain entrance to the castle's courtyard. Clearly the Swiss take their castle building seriously.

Once inside we saw several different centuries worth of room layouts and furniture, the castle being a home to counts, knights, bailiffs, and collectors over the years. There was also a room devoted to weaponry, showing the swords and daggers, halberds and pikes, muskets and pistols the castle had been defended with over its millennium of existence.

In the castle's garden you could look over the battlements and see this.
I felt like a Swiss lord looking out over his fiefdom from his mountain stronghold.

But that was not the only castle I saw today. The second was some distance from the first, situation near a large lake. Well, technically it was IN the lake, or a portion of it. Schlass Hallwyl is a water castle. It completely encompasses two small islands in a river coming from the lake. You cannot get in without crossing water and tall walls. Well, you can, but they've since built a permanent bridge.
As you can see, the castle rises dramatically out of the water, or, it would be dramatic if the water were deeper than four feet. Still, it was very cool. Another interesting feature was that each island actually was a separate smaller castle, and they were joined by a drawbridge, as seen below.
Two castles for the price of one! Plus you have to get wet to get in. A castle in a lake and a castle on a hill, these Swiss must not like their neighbors.

It wasn't all forts and swords, however. This second castle was very near a restaurant on the lake, one with exceptionally good ice cream. So we went there, sat by the large and beautiful lake, and saw this!

Swan! And ducks, but mostly swans. This picture is almost entirely for my mother. To make it fair, here's a picture for my father.

This boat looks like something he would make, mostly because the trim is a halved log, and its a paddlewheel. And of course, I got an ice cream! This was no Dairy Queen Blizzard, no Mcflurry, this was a fancy, delicious ice cream. It was called the Romanoff for reasons that aren't clear to me. It looked something like this.
So there you have it. A half day well spent, I am thinking. Now that I'm fully recovered from my flight, the coolness begins in earnest. Tomorrow I'll need to find my long pants, my jacket, and my alp horn, cause we're going to the mountains!