More than 7th Heaven: Mt. Titlis, Switzerland

/ Karina Pinella / 2 Comments

Home base: Lucerne

From Lucerne to Engelberg by train,
Seeking the heavens once again.
Xpress cable car carried us part of the way,
To board the Titlis Rotair gondola for a panoramic display
Of the grandness of Mt. Titlis,
Leaving us breathless.

Once reaching Mt. Titlis summit at 10,000 feet,
We can see how the sky’s the limit, a visual treat.
Next challenge was the Cliff Walk
On a suspended bridge that made us almost balk.
But we braved through the span in spite of the cold wave,
Leading us to Titlis Glacier cave.

Before going all the way back down,
We stopped at a lake a few levels above town
To see more of the mountain and glacial lake views,
And took a rowboat for a short scenic cruise.
Then to Engelberg base village we finally went,
To visit a historical museum, witnessing a mountain bovine event.
On to get snacks in a local cheese factory,
Just before going to a Benedictine monastery.
Alas, the day soon ended,
So back to Lucerne we returned, feeling splendid.

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Above Cloud 9 on Mt. Rigi, Switzerland

/ Karina Pinella / Leave a comment

Home base: Lucerne


Traveled by boat from Lake Lucerne to Weggis,
By aerial cable cars to Rigi Kaltbad,
Rode the cogwheel railway to Rigi Staffel,
Hiked up to the summit of Rigi Kulm —
The highest peak of Mount Rigi (1,797 m, or 5,748 ft above sea level) —
Hiked to a dairy farm,
Snacked on cheese made from the farm’s cows,
Trekked on various trails,
Took the cogwheel railway back down to Vitznau,
Cruised on Lake Lucerne back to home base.

Sights of St. Gallen and Zurich

/ Karina Pinella / 5 Comments

Home base: Zurich

Image: Google Maps

St. Gallen is another town near Zurich easily traveled by train. One of the world’s oldest libraries, containing unique, early medieval writings, is located in St. Gallen.  With a collection of 170,000 books from a period of over 1,000 years, the Abbey Library was named a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1983. Built between 1755 and 1767, the library had belonged at one time to an abbey founded in 719. A few years later, the Benedictine order of monks became residents in 747. The monastery flourished from the 9th to 11th centuries, as an influential cultural and scientific center of the West. Today, the Benedictines are gone, and the monastery has long since been dissolved. Yet the Abbey Library remains as a significant educational institution from the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, no picture-taking was allowed inside the library.

The abbey complex

Other sights in St. Gallen

After spending the morning at St. Gallen, we returned to Zurich to enjoy more sights.

We began the evening with a cruise. This time from Bürkliplatz, located on the other end the city, on Lake Zurich.

Winterthur Wonder in Switzerland

/ Karina Pinella / 7 Comments

Home base: Zurich

Image: Google Maps

About a half hour away via train from Zurich, Winterthur is known for its numerous world-class museums and large pedestrian-zoned Old Town. As we went through Old Town, we went inside some churches and visited selected museums. Another wondrous day of art appreciation, as we drank in impressive and rare collections of paintings, sculpted works, and photos from the likes of The Kunst Museum Winterthur; the Oskar Reinhart Collection, displayed in his residence ‘Am Römerholz’; and Fotomusem Winterthur.

Oskar Reinhart (1885-1965) came from a long line of traders from Winterthur. His father, Theodor Reinhart, had built the family business, which was one of the first trading houses in Switzerland, or in Europe, for that matter. Both father and son had an interest in art, with Oskar eventually becoming a full-time art collector after leaving the family business at the age of 39.



After spending a good part of the day at Winterthur, we headed back to Zurich to enjoy a cruise on the Limmat River followed by a hearty meal of schnitzel and rosti at a beer hall.

Spellbound in Switzerland

/ Karina Pinella / 10 Comments

I recently returned from a wonderful vacation in Switzerland, where I was spellbound at every turn. Traveling by high-speed rail, I used three beautiful cities as my home base, often exploring other sights and stops nearby.  This is the beginning of a series of selected locales I had the pleasure of enjoying during my stay there.

First Stop: Zurich

Image: Google Maps

We hit the ground running, so many sights/sites to see. Started at the Kunsthaus, Zurich’s world-class art museum, which houses the largest collection of Swiss-born Alberto Giacometti’s work, among so many other well-renowned artists/sculptors:

Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Oskar Kokoschka, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, Marc Chagall, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Franz Marc, Francesco Napoletano, Jacopo Palma Vecchio, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Jan Roos, Ferdinand Hodler, Johan Christian Dahl, to name a few!

We ended our day at a lovely restaurant called Raclette Stube in Old Town. The restaurant is known for its cheese fondues. I had the Fondue Fribourgeoise, which is half Gruyère, half Vacherin cheese with wine and Kirsch, served with bread and potatoes, along with a side order of cold, sliced sausage from Vaud.  And, the evening just began . . .

Six Haiku Poems: Thou Shalt Not Steal

/ Karina Pinella / 9 Comments

Another fine collaboration with my blogger friend, Rose, the Poet Rummager. This is a reminder of what not to do when you see a neighbor’s fruitful tree.

Poet Rummager

Enlight87.JPG Illustration by Poet Rummager

I grabbed the apple.
From the neighbor’s tree, it hung-
too ripe to ignore.

I see you there, thief.
Mr. Jones’ silhouette flinched.
He grasped his cane tight.

En av brødrene til Miguel Nuñez slapper av hjemme hos seg selvPhotograph by Otto von Münchow

Oh, this juicy treat!
Where can I conceal my sin?
My mouth whispered, Here.

Parted my mouth wide
with tongue wrapped around the orb.
The snake in me cheered.

Enlight88 (1)

Slid down my throat whole –
enlarged my Adams Apple.
Damn that Granny Smith.

I heard my skull crack.
Mr. Jones wiped his cane clean.
No more stealing fruits!

Haiku poems by Karina Pinella and Poet Rummager

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Karina Pinella has an extraordinary short story published in this anthology…

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