Day Eight...

From Bern to Lucerne, and back: We are in one of the loveliest of cities, Bern, and we decide to do some touring around Bern, including a side trip to Lucerne, where everyone poses on the picturesque covered bridge that was rebuilt about 5 years ago after burning down. (OK, so the color matching is not so hot on the panoramic shot, but that's the best that John could do.)

Then we take a ride on the steamer DS Schiller, a beautiful boat built in 1906 and completely refurbished in 1997-2000. That's the boat engine above. All along the way, we see scenic villages with unique buildings.

In the evening, we meet up with our good friends Jean-Pierre and Elsbeth Steger and have dinner in a restaurant that was formerly a tram house at the city's famous bear pit, the Barengraben. The kids act like kids again and ride a little carousel outside the restaurant -- luckily no one was around to see but us!! The last photo shows the river Aare which flows through Bern.