After my brief morning excursion to the 'ramas, I set off for Luzern, pictured here. Leaving Einsiedeln I bought a picnic lunch and then promptly missed my turnoff, which simply added a few km of downhill to the day's ride. I'm starting to doubt this map, even though it has more detail than the one I used in Austria. Actually, I'm really starting to doubt whether the small roads described by the book have signs marking them. Anyway, rode downhill for many kilometers on a fairly crowded road through the usual cornfields and wooded hillsides. Not really in the Alps now, though it's certainly not flat.

About noon got to the beautiful Zuger See, the lake with the city of Zug on it. About 1 km along the southern shore, I was lured by a shaded bench overlooking the lake, with a small beach beside. I sat and looked and read and wrote and ate and looked; waterskiing, sailing, swimming, uncrowded shores, even nicer than yesterday's little lake. Finally went for a swim, then lay out in the sun a while.

Then followed main roads into Luzern. Arrived about 3 pm. Information said that the cheapest pension was 40 SF, hostel was 16, so the hostel it was. It really is better anyway. Besides, since Derrick has no youth hostel card I am less likely to run into them in hostels. Checked in @ 4, dinner @ 6, to town @ 7 with a 19 year old Canadian who just wanted to party, and a Japanese guy who was an exchange student in Sweden. (He knew Swedish and English.) Looked around town until dark, was quite nice, but not one of my favorites: too much new mixed in with the old, not enough old, not concentrated enough. But pretty. Probably be nicer if I spent more than an evening there.

In the evening those of us who were huddled under the only remaining light were accosted by a very smart Arab, a Tunisian, who entertained us with his philosophies until 1 AM. [He wrote down his name and address for me: Hello Bahri Lofti, whereever you may be!]

Then sleep, sleep, about 5 hours of sleep.

Also, I met more people today than so far in the trip. Benefit of travelling alone, staying in hostel, getting lots of sleep yesterday? Now onward.