Sursee and Willisau (3/13/1983)

Sunday, March 13, 1983

Train day pass

I walked to the train station through the empty streets. I had gotten used to leaving later when the town was already awake! Caught the 8:23 train to Olten, arriving at 9:11 and changing to the 9:35 train towards Luzern, getting off at Sursee about 10:00. I thought the town was to the east, but saw a sign for Zentrum/city center pointing the other way. I crossed the tracks and followed the road which took me up and around back over the tracks, now heading east! Next followed a sign to the Altstadt/old town, and saw a sign that Untertor/Lower Gate was closed. However, I saw that pedestrians could still go through. The Untertor or Baseltor was newly restored, but still had a lot of scaffolding. Walking straight into town on an inclined cobblestone street, I came to the Rathaus/City Hall (1539-1546) with a plain façade of white with a clock and a stepped gable. All around were mullioned (like glass bottle bottoms) windows. To the right was the octagonal Schneggturm/tower with a domed belfry. You had to walk around the building to see the second tower with the pointed roof where the tiles were laid so that they seemed to twist upward. Behind city hall I walked up the steps to the terrace of the Stadtkirche St Georg/City Church of St George (1638-1641). Behind the church was the small Beinhauskapelle St Martin/Ossuary Chapel of St Martin (1495-1497). I walked back down Oberstadt, keeping an eye out for the Schnyder von Wartensee house. Found myself outside of the old town. I followed the ramparts to Diebenturm/Thieves Tower (rebuilt 16-17C). I saw several large cages of colorful birds in someone’s backyard. I  entered the old town through Thieves Tower, where right inside was the remains of a mill and a millstream that ran down the street. No guard rails, just the street and a few cement planks to cross the stream. The houses were all old and shuttered. I walked along Altstadtgasse looking for this Schnyder house, and found myself outside the old town again, at the other end of the ramparts. On the other side of Baseltor I noticed an old timberwork house under scaffolding and screening. It is now a dirty white house with dirty brown rather than red timbers, supported on stone columns. Walked through Baseltor to see the other side of this building (under scaffolding). returned into the old town to go behind city hall and follow the ramparts on the far side. Came in through an interesting gateway with a statue of St George, the town’s patron saint. Again passed the Chapel of St Martin where people were coming out from a service. Saw a marching band go up top the Church of St George. I found a map of Sursee and noted the Kapelle Mariazell/Chapel of Mariazell (1658) was outside the town. Walked along Oberstadt again, leaving the old town and passing a tiny roadside chapel before turning uphill to Mariazell. From the hilltop you could look down on the hazy Sempachersee/lake. Inside the chapel, the area behind the altar was surprisingly ornate for such a small church, with lots of painted carvings and gold work. The ceiling was painted, divided into many squares, each with a simple naïve-art paintings of scenes from the Old Testament, such as Noah’s Ark and the Tower of Babel. I returned to the old town for a last look down Oberstadt for the Schnyder von Wartensee house. Across from city hall, I found a house with an overhanging roof and a row of mullioned windows. All of the windows had intricately carved stone frames, so I am guessing this was the Schnyder house (1631)! Went to the train station to catch the 11:56 (came at 12:05) train to Luzern, arriving at 12:25, changing to the 13:03 train towards Bern. Got off at about 13:30 in Wolhusen and hopped on the red train to Willisau, arriving at 13:40. I walked the several blocks to the old town and entered through Untertor/Lower Gate (1768) to find myself on a street similar to Murten. There were several fountains, buildings with shuttered windows, and awnings rather than arcades. Some of the buildings had some painting on the façades, and there were a few overhanging roofs. At the other end at Obertor/Upper Gate (1550), there was a motorcycle gang. I crossed the street to avoid them, and later learned I also avoided the Heiligblut Kapelle/Chapel of Precious Blood (1497, redesigned in Renaissance style in 1674. I went past the Pfarrkirche/Parish Church, and up to a gateway in a stepped wall to view a farmhouse and a building with painted façades. I caught the 14:40 train, thinking I was headed to Langnau and might stop in Sumiswald. However, the train was actually headed to Langenthal, arriving at 15:20, so I changed to the 15:24 train to Olten, then to the 15:42 train to Biel, arriving at 16:30. Along Nidaugasse I saw a fife and drum band, but they were not in costume.

Monday, March 14, 1983

Went home with Mathieu S on the kindergarten bus. Had Rösti and Nüsslissalat for dinner. During the French lesson I had ice cream with strawberries and currants.