We had a very relaxing bus trip through Luxembourg and Switzerland today.  We stopped at several little towns and got out to tour. 
The highlight of the trip was a large cable car trip up a mountain.  Apparently if your dog was a ‘lap dog’ you could take them on the cable car for free otherwise they were 9 Euros, so of course Rio got to be an oversized lap dog.  At the top of the mountain the sun was shining and it was quite warm.  Cathy, Carol and I had a drink at an outdoor restaurant at the top.  I think I could have stayed there all day!!  Unfortunately, Rio didn’t quite get the exercise I thought she might as there were no safe for dog walking trails at the top.  It was very rocky with sharp cliffs everywhere!   The tour guide and the cable car operator both told us that it is quite common for hikers that are tired of climbing to go up the cable car’s support tower ladders and be let into the cable car for the rest of the trip up or down!  How crazy is that?  I don’t think you’d catch me dead on one of those incredibly tall towers!!!!


Werdenberg - The Smallest City in Switzerland
Note the colour of the building town hall behind.  Originally the wood was preserved with a mixture of cow blood.


Werdenberg:  Population 99


All the houses in the city were very well kept and there were tons of flowers.
Left to Right:  Flip, Rio, Zoom, Briggs


My "lap dog" in the cable car

The scenery here is just gorgeous.  We have been so lucky with the weather too.  Its been rainy pretty much every morning, but then it turns nice later on and the sun has been shining brightly.

Rio at the top of the mountain


Beautiful restaurant at the top.  Nothing like warm, expensive beer with a great view!


Spot the real dog?  Also check out the giant poster behind the cart.  Yes, that is a rear end of a cow......


Rio and I did one last walk around Feldkirch.  We discovered some great little hiking paths that I would have loved to have followed if I'd just had more time (and if it wasn't getting dark!).  Actually, all over Austria I've been seeing signs to hiking trails.  I think I'll need to come back some day on a hiking vacation!  Especially since they really know how to do it here—there seem to be restaurants on every little mountain pass.


Had to take a picture of the beer—it was called "Hell Beer".  I wonder if its a comment about what the hike up would be like?

I’ve been trying to pack up a bit as it’s a bit of an early morning departure tomorrow for the Zurich airport.  The Toronto & Montreal bound folks will head out around the same time as me but the Calgary group won’t be heading out until the following day (Wednesday) as Lufthansa flies only every second day out of Zurich.  Rio and I will be travelling by ourselves again due to the one dog per flight regulation on Air Canada.  We will be flying Zurich-Toronto and then Toronto-Ottawa.  

       
Briggs couldn't figure out if this wooden dog was a boy or a girl and then couldn't figure out why it wouldn't play!