Sunday, July 20, 2008

Lucerne

The morning started with a bus trip to Mount Pilatus, one of the many in the area within the Alps. We got up to the top of the mountain to find a lodge, as well as many black birds flying around. The four girls wanted me to take a picture of them sitting on a wall with the mountains in the background. As I was getting ready, Mr. Vivian told me that he wanted two other women in our tour to be in the picture too. He said we had been ignoring them. Yeah, so? We reluctantly let them in the picture, but it was not a pleasant shot. I was glad I had my jacket, because it was pretty cold up there. We took a ski lift back down the mountain and then headed back to Lucerne. The afternoon was free. I saw swans in a lake, eating whole apples, and watching the apples go down the swans' necks. The four girls and I went shopping that afternoon in the old city of Lucerne. We came upon a crystal shop. When we went in, we got roses from the shopkeeper. Very nice touch, even if we didn't buy anything. Sandra wanted an Omega watch and saw how cheap they were being sold. We had gone to a diamond factory in Israel days before, and they had a one-carat diamond in a necklace for $150. I wanted to buy it for her, but I couldn't afford it. So, now that we were in Switzerland, I wanted to do something nice for her. As we headed back to the hotel, we saw the movie theatre in the next block. I told her that we should go to the movies. We looked into it and found that the film was in French. She said she wouldn't understand it, but I was fluent in French, so I told her that I could translate it for her. She said okay, as we wanted to have some time alone together. After supper in the hotel, Judy, Sha and Talula said they wanted to go out walking around the old part of the city. Sandra said she wasn't feeling too well and looked at me, and I said I wasn't feeling too well either. We were trying to stay out of the walk, so we could go to the movies. But, Mr. Vivian said that if the other three wanted to go for a walk, then I had to go with them to protect them. Sandra decided to go with them. So much for us trying to be together. We had walked a couple of blocks and came upon five Swiss soldiers. They were drunk. They tried to grab the girls, but they got away, or at least I thought so. I had a habit of counting to four to account for all the girls, but all I got to was three. I looked back and saw the soldiers with Sandra. They had made a circle and were passing her around the circle. She called out my name. I ran over, and grabbed one soldier by the shoulder. As I spun the guy around, her hair was on his shoulder, and some of it were pulled in the process. The only time I had used my knowledge of karate, I put the soldier on the ground. It was enough of a shock to the other four soldiers that I could get Sandra away, and we ran down a foot bridge along with the other three girls. We were afraid that the soldiers would come after us, so we ran a few blocks before heading back to the hotel. I am not a typically violent person, in fact I am a rather peaceful person. But, Sandra needed me, and I rescued her. I asked if her head hurt from my pulling her hair. She said yes, but it was worth it to get away from them, because there was no telling what would have happened to her, if I had not been there. It was nice being needed. Mr. Vivian asked us how our walk had been. "Fine". No need to tell him what happened. Sandra thanked me, but said that had we gone to the movies, none of this would have happened. I knew that, but the majority ruled. A rule that we had to do since being in Israel. What if...?

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