67 Europe Part VII

Well, I'm on top of Mt. Rigi in Switzerland, and looking off and down, I see what you see in these 2 pictures:

                         

Of course at left, you can see we're WELL above the clouds, and the right picture, shows Lake Lucerne.

Of all the pictures I took, this one is the most interesting:

This picture, when clicked on, is fully 1600X1200, so that you could possibly read it. If you can't, the right side says:

"The national survey dating from 1903 (LV03) serves as the official base for all surveying work done in Switzerland. The method used for determining the points is called triangulation, whereby the horizontal and vertigle angles and later on the distances between neighboring points. The pyramide stands centrally over the actual survey marker (center of the stone) and serves as a reference for trigonometric positioning."

Speaking of the 'pyramide', here's a picture of it next to my wonderful wife:

I'm still, today, mesmerized at the incredible views. Just look behind my wife. Wow.

Ok, so remember... I'm so very afraid of heights. Right? The Cog-Wheeled train wasn't so bad! I could handle a ride back down.

Umm.. someone mentions we don't take the train down, we take a tram! I could feel my butt cheeks tighten just thinking of the heights (sorry for the poor visual!)

How bad can it be? We all got on, most people were genuinely excited about this way down. Oh, did I mention, we were seated directly in the very front of the tram, my white knuckles on the steel bar, nose just inches from the front window.

Well, looking at the picture at right, it looked relatively harmless... but

looks can be deceiving.....

 

 

I was ready to breathe into a paper bag at the sight at left. My wife (thank God) was constantly telling me not to worry (she was having a BALL!).

Yes, that's MY white knuckled hand on the bar as I take a picture with my other hand (it kept my mind off of certain death when the cable would break).

 

Just when I thought it was safe.. because I see the next tower, I try to look in front of it to see where the cable goes from there. I'm hoping a little shack right in front of it or something.. but then I see the car in front of us drop like straight down.

I'm hyperventilating now.

We get to the next tower, and see the picture below.

 

 

As we passed over the tower, my hear was beating so hard, I thought it would explode out of my chest. Keep in mind, I'm pointing my camera down. Straight down it seems.

After what seemed like hours (it was more like 15-20 minutes), we were stopped, and I was getting off, ready to kiss the ground (but not).

It was worth every bit of my anxiety to go up there, but I'm glad I didn't know before hand that I'd have to go down that way! *LOL*

Well, enough pictures for today.. Friday, I'll post my last post on Switzerland, then it's off to Paris.

Have a great Hump-Day all...!