sundriedpachino

Let me say about this trip: I wish I had planned less and seen more. Rather than try to squeeze in both Umbria and Puglia in the middle of our 5 week trip, I wish we had left Puglia for next time, and explored Umbria in more depth.

However, this was still the opening act. We landed in Zurich Sept. 9, travelled to Lugano on Sept. 12, and a few days later, on to the western shore of Lake Como.
We found both lakes very slow, maybe because we usually like to hit the ground running, in a large city like Rome or Paris. Relaxing at the lakes would probably have been more enjoyable after a busy segment of our trip, rather than at the beginning.

From there, we trained to Verona, where we stayed for 4 nights, before heading for Venice on Sept. 20. Second act still to come.

(Re-posting this section with its own title, separate from my Zurich report)
Our train ride from Zurich to Bellinzona was underwhelming. I had imagined green valleys with high mountain peaks visible as we were whisked along Lake Zurich and through the Alps, maybe even some dizzying heights at some point. I was hoping for Julie Andrews singing "The hills are alive...."
As it was, it was raining, the valley was a beautiful photoshop enhanced green, only naturally so, but we didn't see many mountain peaks as we rocketed through the middle of the mountain in the Gotthard tunnel.
It's a different world on the other side. It's Italy in Switzerland, a different language and different landscape. Palm trees grow here.

Arriving in Lugano by train, we just step off the train and onto the funiculare. It blessedly saves us a long walk down the hill with luggage.
At the bottom, 10 steps away is our hotel, Dante Center Swiss Quality Hotel. Nice, clean, quiet, a/c, every amenity, and Italian hospitality in abundance.

Anyone shopping for a new Swiss wrist watch will be happy in Lugano. There are many expensive shops, BMWs and Mercedes Benz, men in business suits, banks on every corner, and women dressed smartly and wearing those stiletto heels on cobblestones.
Swiss banking in Italian language.

We find an outside patio that is open, and relax with a glass of red wine. People watching is an important pastime in a new destination; theme for the day, footwear. Shoes tell a lot about a soul....

The wine has our appetites going and we try a R. Steves' (OMGosh) recommended restaurant, Il Tinero. It serves local dishes in a rustic atmosphere. Risotto with porcini, and Osso Bucco with same, followed by zabaglione for dessert. Predictable but delicious.

In the morning, we decide to hike up the stairs to the top of the town, for the view, which is charming.

A busy main street follows the edge of the lake through town. Here are situated the grand old hotels, palazzos from the late 1800's, and the parks and gardens, backed by beautiful green foothills of the Alps.

In contrast to the business suits are docks, pedal boats, and ferries loaded with tourists bound for the small towns edging the lake.

It's very windy today, but clear skies, so we take the ferry to picturesque Gandria, where we climb to the top of town for the view, then have lunch on a patio overhanging the water.

It must be difficult owning a restaurant where mealtimes are planned around ferry arrivals and departures, but we have a decent lunch, served courteously and in time to catch our return boat.
A pleasant afternoon is finished off with a stroll along the waterfront down to the grand old hotels. We were looking for a nice spot to enjoy a glass of wine while overlooking the lake, but by this time, the wind had really picked up, and it was cold.

So, we walked back to town to reserve at the ultramodern restaurant that our hotel recommended, but alas, there was a Mercedes-Benz unveiling and reception there that evening, so we had to be content with ogling the super fresh looking 'crudo' crudités (and the new Mercedes!) that were ready and waiting for the crowd.

We slipped into a little hole in the wall local place a few steps off the tourist plaza,
Harry's Bar, where we had due bicchieri of vino rosso. Mama brought a plate of fresh bread sticks wrapped in prosciutto. Total cost 5 Swiss francs. A little Italian goes a long way in Switzerland!

La Cucina di Alice: Recommended by our hotel, it was our new choice for supper. Service was superb, presentation was good, but the food was so-so. Il Conto: Swiss francs 193. Not worth it.
Exhausted from all the walking, and the carbs, we settle into our comfy bed for a good sleep.
A new day dawns. Back up the funiculare, good-bye to lazy Lugano, hello Postale bus to Lake Coma (still fighting jet lag).

adrienne

I've not been to Lugano so it's interesting to read about it.

For first-time visits (other than major cities) I find it difficult to assess the right amount of time in each place. That's what return visits are for.

I hope your trip report will state what you missed seeing and how much more time you wish you had had in each place. You're off to a good start with this report.

sundriedpachino

Thanks, Adrienne. Of course, there is never enough time, no matter how long one has. i think I could easily immerse myself in the Italian lifestyle long term if our friends and family weren't so far away.

But I will answer the Umbria Puglia question as I go along, at least our experience.
Not that we don't love Puglia, but there were a few factors at play that we didn't count on.

Next post will be our experiences in Lake Como and getting there!
Meanwhile, here are a few photos of Lugano.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zt9trmkre26xy1k/nyVPwFPqOw

adrienne

Lugano looks beautiful. I'd better add it to my very long list of places I want to visit!

sundriedpachino

Lake Como -— Getting There

My plans for an early start to Lake Como were thwarted when we found that the one Swiss Postale bus per day that runs between Lugano and Menaggio leaves at 11:55 a.m.
So we took advantage of the relaxed schedule to work off a little more of the jetlag we were still feeling by sleeping in, and enjoying the ample breakfast at the Dante Center Hotel. This included large pots of your choice of white or milk thick hot chocolate.

The Postale bus, otherwise known as the "Palm Express", follows a windy and narrow but picturesque road along Lake Lugano to Menaggio, where we got off, and continues on into the mountains. We thanked the driver for a fun ride, and looked around for the local bus that would take us to Cadenabbia, and our hotel.
We got the ubiquitous Italian instruction, Go straight ahead, then turn left, a sinistra.

Finding the bus stop, a sign beside the narrow sidewalk, we discovered the bus had just left and the next one was due in about an hour and a half.
Pretty much everything was closed for the afternoon, and it was Very Warm out, so we asked the concierge at the Grand Hotel Menaggio, across the street, where we could get a taxi.

"No, no....no taxi, just take the bus," he ordered us. But we really want a taxi.
"No, no, not possible! There is a bus coming soon. Wait for the bus!"
Okay, I guess we're waiting for the bus. (And waiting...)
Finally, the bus, with no air conditioning, arrives. We climb on board, and ask the driver to let us off in Cadenabbia.
I see the Villa Carlotta sign flash by, and see Tremezzo on the "next stop" sign. We knew we were past our stop, but didn't know how far. By this time being hot, tired, and hungry, we try again to get a taxi.

"No, no....no taxi, you don't want a taxi, you can just walk there. It's only a few metres."
Okay, I guess we're walking, along this Formula 1 racetrack, with cars and motorbikes vying for position with bicyclists in their colourful Spandex outfits, and the bits of sidewalk varying from one side of the road to the other.

I was praying we wouldn't blow out a tire on our luggage as we bumped along the cobblestones. After all, we didn't have a high-speed crew to change it for us, and we still had a lot of ground to cover in the next month.
About a thousand metres along, we came to the very welcome sign of Villa La Mirabella.
Our host took one look at our hot, flushed faces, and gave a laugh. "Let me show you your room."
Welcome to the land of no taxis, otherwise known as Lake Como.

adrienne

I find that many times locals discourage the use of taxis, forgetting that you're on vacation and so splurge a bit more than you would at home, i.e., taxis rather than buses.

My next big question - you're on Lake Como - why take a bus rather than a boat, especially from Menaggio to Cadenabbia?

I loved my time on Lake Como and would love to return but this time include Lugano.

sundriedpachino

I certainly would recommend the boats to anyone doing that same route as we did.
This was our first trip to Lake Como, and the research I did beforehand all recommended the bus.
We were not even aware that there was a ferry from Menaggio to Cadenabbia.

Perhaps the cost of the fare is the big reason the bus gets recommended so much, because again, when we were leaving, our hotel host told us his family always uses the bus as it is so much easier, and cheaper than the ferry.

It's possible, too, that the bus schedule gets cut back after the middle of September or so, since I had read that they run every half hour.

Of course at the time, it was frustrating, but in retrospect, these incidents often turn into funny stories of one's trip, don't they?

sundriedpachino

Respecting Creation

Just a "few meters" down the street, Villa Carlotta was almost deserted by the hour we arrived. I believe that every garden must be taken in context, and not in comparison to others, like a child, for in truth, it is created in love.
Carlotta died young, but her husband Georg loved botany, and transformed the garden into a calm, intimate, special garden. The sum of its distinctly different parts, the fern garden, the bamboo garden, the Italian formal gardens, blends harmoniously.

Our next destination was Hotel Florence, in Bellagio, for dinner. A romantic outdoor terrace, attentive, (but not too much) service, and good food. September is the season for porcini mushrooms. Perfect evening.

If one tires of riding boats, and shopping, and eating and drinking, there is a little church that can be seen high up the mountain behind our hotel. Of course the curious among us want to know the answer to the question: How does anyone get up there?!!
Two hours later, I knew the answer. I'm just thankful that the pilgrims who carved out that trail made stopping places at the top of each set of stairs, both to catch one's breath, and to look around at the view.

That workout makes our feast at La Darsena entirely guilt free. We were seated on the deck in a quiet corner, perfect for the lovingly created dinner we enjoyed.

sundriedpachino

Some pics of our bus ride

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/skpgtc9u1k15ys0/uPFFgZ5I5F

And a few of Lake Como, Villa Carlotta, and fresh fig creme brûlée.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ldoqx476zz9842e/gfuY84C2cQ

sundriedpachino

A discussion with our host at the hotel leads us to believe the best way to get to Como in the morning is to take the bus, which stops just a "few meters" away.

We have found the lady who sells bus tickets, and she looks at her schedule and tells us we can catch the bus to Como in the morning at 9:30.
So, we awake early, pack up, and check out. Our host asks why we are going so early to catch the bus.

It's because we have a long trek to Verona today, and we want to arrive in time to do some exploring.

The nice lady at the hotel beside the bus stop in Cadenabbia says, "The bus doesn't come until 10:45, it's Sunday."
We settle in under the canopy of a little restaurant which is open early, and the little Italian gentleman brings us really good espresso for €.80 each and under a clear blue sky, we watch the parade of cars, motorbikes, bicycles and boats, and wait for the bus.

Ahhh...I love Italy.......
------------------—–—

Dukey1

Great report and trip which you'll never forget. I love Lake Como and even Menaggio. Now that you actually did "meet the locals" do you think it's all people crack that up to be???

sundriedpachino

Thanks, Dukey, I think I've learned to quit hyper planning my trips, and learn to go with the flow a little more. You know, when in Rome...
I have also learned that staying in one place for a night or two can be just long enough to learn to hate a place, whereas going a little slower, one can get more of a flavour for the place, and meet some people, find out what their lives are like, etc.

So hopefully, one day we'll return and spend more time exploring, and just relaxing.

In the meantime, here's the LAST GLIMPSE OF LAKE COMO ......

The espressos have prepared us for the bus trip to Como. When it arrives, the midsection is so full of luggage and bodies there is hardly any space to add more of anything.
And some tourists are quite indignant that they have to stand, even though there are 2 empty seats at the back, but no-one can get to them.
So, we all tip this way and that, clenching thigh and glut muscles on alternate legs so we won't end up in a pile as the bus careens along the windy road.
For an hour, we listen to the mobile phone conversation of an oblivious Australian girl describing her life in detail to some-one on the other end.
It all seems very intimate, these disparate lives thrown together with all the worldly belongings we have at this point, so close to each other we can tell who hasn't had a shower for a few days.
My husband is stuck in the rear stairwell, with a clear view of a lot of armpits. Usually not one to suffer from motion sickness, he is looking a little pale. Just a few more turns, I can see the town! I see the Villa d'Este flash by, and wish I had scheduled at least one more day at Lake Como.
We arrive just in time to avoid any unfortunate incidents, but the Aussie phone talker is now asleep on her luggage, which happens to be on top of ours. I struggle to get the luggage off while my husband holds the door open so the bus can't leave.

Moral of the story: Consider taking the boat!

Next adventure, train to Verona, with a change in Milan. No problems, mate!

caroline_edinburgh

Fantastic! Thank you for taking the trouble to share all this with us - you tell a story brilliantly. And it's very instructive for me to hear how calmly you deal with all the little hiccups

sundriedpachino

Thank you, Caroline. I thought I would try something different this time, other than photo albums or slide shows. It's easy to forget the names of places you've been after a few years have gone by, so this journal should help!

caroline_edinburgh

You are a very good writer.

flygirl

Why wouldn't you have taken a ferry from Menaggio to Cadenabbia? It may have been a bit roundabout if it crossed the lake first, but it would be an enjoyable excursion even if it took as long.

flygirl

ps. four visits to Lake Como and I still haven't made it up to the little church (San Martino) although I did hike up to yet another little church above Ossuccio - bonus, a UNESCO World Heritage site, too.

sundriedpachino

Hi fly girl, see my explanation above. I did actually research the Menaggio to Cadenabbia question, and got the bus answer. I guess the concierge at the Grand Hotel Menaggio never thought to mention there was a ferry nearby either.
In any case, we'll know better for next time. This was our first visit to Lake Como.

It is a nice hike up to San Martino, thanks to all the stairs provided in the steep parts!