Stans (3/20/1983)

Sunday, March 20, 1983

Train day pass

I slept in this morning until 9:00, cleaned and caught up in the journal before setting off to catch the 11:23 train to Olten, arriving at 12:11 and getting the 12:32 train to Luzern. It was an Intercity train from Germany, the Metropolitano headed for Milano, so I had a seat in a coach rather than a compartment. It was a beautiful sunny day. Arrived in Luzern at 13:10 and changed to the 13:17 train towards Engelberg. Above Luzern you could see the snow-covered Alps with the clouds appearing to rise up from them. Pilatus was crowned with clouds, but the lake wasn’t even hazy. Truly a beautiful day! I got off at Stans about 13:40 and followed the signs for the Stanserhornbahn. Once outside of the station, I lost the signs. I headed straight into town to the large Dorfplatz/Village Square dominated by Pfarrkirche St Peter u Paul/Parish Church of Sts Peter & Paul (1641-1647).

Pfarrkirche Sts Peter & Paul bell tower

Behind the church was its Romanesque bell tower with four tiers of arcades Lombardian style (the spire was added later). Inside the huge church was a giant organ in the back and a monstrous black marble altar in the front, with perhaps not dazzling white statues on it. Next to the church was a fair-sized chapel. Around the other side I found a free-standing ivy-covered niche, the Winkelried Denkmal/Winkelried Monument.

Winkelried Denkmal

This had the dazzling white statuary, carved in Rome of Carrara marble, and shopped by boat to Stans in 1865, depicting a soldier being killed. It commemorates the sacrifice of Swiss hero Arnold von Winkelried at the Battle of Sempach, where he ran at the closed ranks of the Austrian pikemen, taking as many of the pikes as he could so that the Swiss could finally break through. I began climbing the hill beyond the church towards the mountain of Stanserhorn, hoping to run into the funicular.

Stans panorama

As I came out of the town into the fields, I found the funicular track and I was already halfway up. I continued uphill, and even though the road zigzagged, it was a strenuous hike. The whole time there was nothing happening around me. I arrived at the Chialti station at 14:20. Out of service! I was at the top of the funicular and the foot of the aerial cable car run.

Stanserhorn aerial cable car

I saw a weed-and-brush-covered section of rusty track where apparently the funicular once went farther uphill. I started hiking back downhill. I could hear a motorcyclist climbing the hill on another route. Then he came down past me, silently! At least there was someone else on the mountain! Back at the church I turned left to find the bottom station of the funicular. Service would begin in mid-April.
Caught the 15:17 train to Luzern, arriving at 15:40 and changing to the 15:44 train towards Basel. It was the returning version of the Metropolitano! Arrived in Olten about 16:30 and took the 16:42 train to Biel, arriving at 17:30. Walking up Nidaugasse, a few guys were having a ball roller skating around. One guy pushed another in a wheelchair.

Back at the Personalhaus/staff residence, I saw Marsha saying goodbye to Urs. After I showered, Marsha and I walked up the hill behind the Personalhaus to the Beaumont station of the Evilard funicular. Paid 80 Rappen/40 cents to go up to Evilard. We walked to Fr Dr Jo D’s apartment in a chalet, where Marsha was house-sitting. She unlocked the front door, then locked us in. Went upstairs to the nice huge apartment, although sparsely furnished. There were balconies off the bedroom, living room, and kitchen. A bathtub was built into the pantry and the toilet was out in the hall. Marsha made a dinner of veal schnitzel and green beans in cream of mushroom sauce. There was a piano that Marsha played for a bit. After washing the dishes, we looked at photos, and tried the TV. I left to catch the funicular, but decided to walk down. At first it was okay as I followed the street with street lights. But then the hiking sign pointed into the woods! Figuring there was enough light from the street lights above and the quarter moon, I plunged ahead. But then I came to a fork in the path and it was too dark to read the hiking sign! I looked down and saw the Beaumont hospital was right below me, so chose the fork in that direction. Once I reached the hospital, the rest was easy. It took me the 15 minutes I would have waited for the next funicular!

Monday, March 21, 1983

Happy Spring! Went home with Mathieu S on the kindergarten bus for my French lesson. We had a variety of salads: Nüssli, grated carrot, and cold rice, each in the same dressing.