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Oct 9 -
With the morning brought a fight with the Nespresso machine, which would only dispense hot water, not coffee. So, another note to the owner. And then a fight with the stove. Grumble, grumble. We were not off to a good start, in this, our most expensive accommodation of our month long trip. Note: Unlike some hotels, youth hostels and campsites, evidently apartment rentals don’t include the Ticino Ticket, unfortunately. https://www.ticino.ch/en/ticket.html The apartment…modern, fresh, comfortable, spacious, and dare I say it, stylish. It was decently equipped, but was missing a few basics like a spatula/egg turner/pancake turner. We were now in a city, so the apartment was quite noisy with the windows open, relatively quiet with them closed. When someone walked by the front gate, it sounded as if they were in the living room. We began our day trying to sort out the various and sundry attractions and transport options in the area, which proved a bit of a challenge for us Ticino newbies. It’s interesting how such a small country can have four national languages and feel so different from one corner to the next. French speaking Switzerland had put us through our paces and I had a feeling that Italian speaking Switzerland was about to do the same. After a good deal of pre-dawn research, we walked to the Minusio Piazza bus stop and took a bus (which Bill referred to as the COVID bus since it was standing room only on this Saturday morning; fortunately everyone was masked as required in Switzerland) to Brione Paese in the Valle Verzasca (4.70 chf each, just over an hour) in search of the Sentierone (Long Trail), and unbeknownst to us at the time, one of the most popular treks in the Ticino. https://www.ticinotopten.ch/en/trekk...erzasca-valley The drive was beautiful and gave us a glimpse of what we’d be walking back to later in the day. My first stop of course was the nearby cemetery. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d951d8163f.jpg Brione https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...66ea6de900.jpg Brione Then, unable to decipher the limited signage at the bus stop, we mistakenly followed three other hikers, thinking they’d lead us to the trail, but ending up, well, we’re not sure where exactly. I asked a man tending a field if he spoke English (that would be no) and then showed him my hastily written notes, pointing to the name Corippo, and a trail up a hill. He looked alarmed and said “no, no, no!” and pointed in the opposite direction. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ada8ff2b3a.jpg Brione https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f375ffab1.jpg Brione We headed in that direction, but soon came to an unmarked fork in the trail and decided to go up, which led to a steep Bergweg, but of course. It didn’t feel right; the trail we were looking for was supposed to follow the river, not go up a mountain. A young couple carrying large plastic covered things that looked vaguely like cot mattresses (we learned later it was bouldering equipment) crossed our path; I asked if we were on the right trail; nope. So we turned around, walked down the mountain and through a campground - with two of the most disgusting porta loos we’ve encountered since Iceland in 2017, not what we’ve come to expect in Switzerland - and eventually found the right path after crossing a bridge, which of course wasn’t far from the bus stop where we had started 1:45 before, as well as very helpful signage. Argh. The trail led us through forests, past ancient stone villages and alongside the clear, emerald green Verzasca River. Beautiful. There’s also a marble run made of chestnut wood (Boccia al bosco) that kids were rolling their wooden marbles down, obviously having a blast. https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/co...l-bosco/148251 https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4c6a8a2a0d.jpg Sentierone https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...03286bbed1.jpg Sentierone https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e913d93ed4.jpg Sentierone https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5bce49f6b1.jpg Sentierone https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...63a7fb465f.jpg Sentierone https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f94cf69326.jpg Sentierone As is usual in Switzerland, the trail was longer and more difficult than advertised, and was an obstacle course of my favorite things – gnarly wet roots, moss covered rocks, wet wood and stone steps; you know, bone breakers. The Valle Verzasca has been described as “the Maldives of Switzerland” presumably due to the color of the water. Having been to the Maldives neither of us would describe it as such; we both felt it was more like the New Zealand of Switzerland. Call it what you will, the Valle Verzasca is absolutely beautiful. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8cedc5e8c6.jpg After 6.5 miles we called it a day, stopping for lunch at the Grotto al Ponte - Lavertezzo near the highlight of the walk, the Roman Bridge, aka the "Ponte dei salti" (jump bridge). We sat at a stone table outside, thankful for the cushions that kept our butts warm and entertained by the house cats. The proprietor told us they make their own wine, and offered us soup or a meat and cheese platter. We ordered the meat and cheese platter, but were brought two bowls of minestrone soup, bread and the meat and cheese platter. We didn’t point out the mistake, we just tucked in and enjoyed it (61 chf with wine and beer). https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ce75f1ea0f.jpg Grotto al Ponte https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b3b2e41145.jpg Grotto al Ponte After lunch we walked the short distance to the Roman Bridge, where several teenage boys were entertaining the crowd by lifting large rocks over the bridge and dropping them into the water. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9f65fd2cd3.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...48f41587fe.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b97982499a.jpg Ponte dei salti Then it was up to the Lavertezzo Paese bus stop with a gazillion other people to wait for the return bus. Make that busses; they brought in an extra bus to accommodation the crowd. We got off the bus at Tenero Stazione and eventually connected to a second bus to Minusco Piazza (4.70 chf each) and once again climbed the steep hill back to our apartment. To be continued… |
Oh, I see I missed a post, maybe you were in limbo /moderation for awhile...
I remember your apartment ‘up the hill’ in Scuol, so we were very careful to book ours on the main road. Going to make sure I do the same in Locarno, lol. |
Yes, went into moderation for a few hours. And here I was just thinking how lucky I'd been that it hadn't happened yet.
Those hills. We had some doozies this year. No matter how well we vet the apartments, there always seems to be a mountain or two to climb before we even go hiking. We immediately came home and took another long look at the apartments we've booked for our upcoming trip to Austria and Italy, just to make sure we hadn't overlooked anything. Time will tell. Part of the problem of course is our dislike of noise; we try to avoid those main roads. Always a challenge one way or another. |
It looks gorgeous.
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Oct 10 –
We woke to a beautiful sunny day, all the brighter since our internet and Nespresso woes had been sorted and my hand was finally returning to normal, post wasp. ***Ticino has been on our radar for years, but because we usually visit Switzerland in the winter months - and because lake towns often mean fog in the winter - it was shelved several times. October however, seemed like the perfect time. Then came the question of which town to base in – Lugano, Locarno or Ascona? We prefer smaller and quieter so were leaning towards Ascona, but Locarno seemed a good compromise between it and the big smoke of Lugano*** It was time to check out the competition. We walked down the mountain to the train station and purchased a seven zone train and bus pass valid until 5 am the following day (16.60 chf each). As far as we could tell, the ticket machines took coins and tap credit cards only. We caught a train to Lugano’s main railway station (Stazione di Lugano) and then located the Città–Stazione funicular (included with our train/bus pass) which took us down into the historic city center below. I’ve since read that this funicular is one of the busiest funicular lines in Switzerland, and I believe it. It runs about every 5-10 minutes and links the old center of town on the lake shore to the railway station up on the hill. The first thing I noticed when we stepped out of the funicular was the abundance of shops and restaurants selling salami and various other Italian meats. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...166391c92b.jpg Lugano https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...076a1e8c23.jpg Lugano We wandered aimlessly, stumbling upon a food market set up in the pedestrian zone in front of the Manor department store, which we perused for a bit, Bill spotting a kiosk selling locally crafted beers (Birrificio Sottobisio located in Balerna, Ticino). He tasted the Barley wine and was sold, telling the vendors we’d be back in a few hours. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...15dac4a343.jpg Lugano https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a1f98ac2d4.jpg Lugano https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...999dbbfd06.jpg Lugano https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb80573286.jpg Lugano We eventually walked down to the waterfront for our first glimpse of beautiful Lake Lugano, where we strolled the promenade with a gazillion other people, all out enjoying this beautiful Sunday. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this; I instantly liked Lugano, and I was surprised by how much I liked it, as it’s a bit big and busy for my tastes. That gorgeous lake surrounded by towering mountains, men in boats fishing near the shore, kids playing with the swans, vendors selling gelato alongside the lake; the entire city seemed to be out today…just being. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af5123a67c.jpg Lugano https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...574b001519.jpg Lugano https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c3a68e4bd5.jpg Lugano https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a376143fd1.jpg Lugano https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c612ec2bbc.jpg Lugano https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ceebf3800b.jpg Lugano https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e72790f6c1.jpg Lugano https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eeb64504c3.jpg Lugano We poked around for a while, just soaking up the sun and the vibe, then had a nice alfresco lunch at Mary Ristorante-Pizzeria. We shared a good salami pizza, Bill had his usual wheat beer and I tried my first Campari spritz, not liking it as much as Aperol (39 chf). https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...604007da46.jpg Lugano We wandered the cobblestone alleyways and then returned to the kiosk selling the beer to purchase three bottles, which Bill carried in his backpack for the rest of the day. We eventually took the funicular back up to the railway station, where I couldn’t resist popping into Läderach for a small box of truffles. Bill decided to try the pistachio almond bark, and a monster was born. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7284b3d9a7.jpg Lugano https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5fed8db3d7.jpg Lugano We caught a train to Bellinzona, which is known for its three medieval castles; Castelgrande, Sasso Corbaro and Montebello. https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...ns/bellinzona/ A cultural festival was being held in the pedestrian area; vendors selling their goods, people dining in the square, live music and a guy playing the alphorn; the atmosphere was lively, the town beautiful. And much more to see and do than we had time. We wandered, admired the historic buildings, and explored a church. I purchased a Nusstorte made in Val Mustair to take home for Thanksgiving and couldn’t resist popping into a gelato shop for a scoop. The shop was busy, I felt rushed so just pointed at something white. It was good, but I have no idea what it was. I really, really liked Bellinzona. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...800798bdbb.jpg Bellinzona https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...42baa8cedf.jpg Bellinzona https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...61e4a50787.jpg Bellinzona https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7158e5d162.jpg Bellinzona The afternoon was disappearing and we still had one more stop to make; we caught a train back to Locarno and connected with a very busy bus to Ascona. When we arrived, we had no idea where to go, so we did the next best thing; we followed the crowd, which led us through the winding alleyways and down to the café-lined promenade on Lake Maggiore. Wow. Talk about lively. And like Lugano, completely different from what we’ve come to associate with Switzerland. So...Mediterranean. The lakefront was teeming with humanity; families out for a day in the sun, boats on the lake, kids jumping on a huge trampoline, having a ball (where were those when I was a kid?), couples strolling hand-in-hand, people cooling their heels over alfresco food and drinks, a vendor selling roasted chestnuts. Beauty. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ada460bb06.jpg Ascona https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e9b73d7324.jpg Ascona https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5edb31028e.jpg Ascona https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4880526f06.jpg Ascona https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2aa0ff8cf0.jpg Ascona We settled in at a table on the patio of Ristorate Easy Metditerraneo, ordered a drink and people watched as the sun went down (Weissbier and Aperol Spritz, 19 chf); when in Rome... Then we retraced our steps to Locarno. To be continued… |
Ascona is one of the prettiest and most elegant small towns in Switzerland (IMO) even though we still prefer the "real city" buzz of Lugano. Seems to be more of a Swiss (and maybe German) secret, it's not that well known to international visitors.
Apparently Lugano had a bit of snow today -- my husband's main client is based in Lugano, they were surprised to see snowflakes this morning. We have three nights booked in December at the Hotel Dante Lugano (right by the place where the funicular from the train station stops), their holiday ambience is very different from Basel, Bern, Luzern etc. . |
That surprises me WeisserTee. I figured Ascona was pretty well known internationally based on the many discussions I ran across debating on which area in Ticino to stay in.
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Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17302401)
That surprises me WeisserTee. I figured Ascona was pretty well known internationally based on the many discussions I ran across debating on which area in Ticino to stay in.
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Now that you mention it, we encountered very few international tourists anywhere in Switzerland this year, and only one that we assumed was an American (a loud annoying woman from a southern state). I assumed it was due to COVID, but maybe location played a part as well.
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Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17302412)
Now that you mention it, we encountered very few international tourists anywhere in Switzerland this year, and only one that we assumed was an American (a loud annoying woman from a southern state). I assumed it was due to COVID, but maybe location played a part as well.
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Oct 11 –
Another beautiful day. We walked down the mountain into town, amused to see that McDonalds was heaving again, as it had been every time we walked by. We took the funicular up to Orselina (7.20 chf return, no discount for half fare card), and then took the cable car to Cardada - some 1,340 meters above sea level - where we admired the fabulous views over Lake Maggiore and the surrounding mountains from the hanging observation platform. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e6b0648475.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c97115897.jpg View from Cardada https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...59da773eb1.jpg View from Cardada There was a large group of rambunctious schoolkids hot on our heels; we were trying to stay ahead of them. We walked through the playground and picnic area to the chairlift and took it up to Cimetta at 1,670 meters above sea level; I’d never been on a perpendicular chairlift before, it felt sort of weird to go up the mountain sideways (14 chf each for both cable car and chairlift, half fare). After walking up to the geological observatory to take in the 360 degree views, we tried to find the panorama trail, but to no avail (unless the panorama trail and the geological observatory were one in the same, we never did figure that out). https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...71fedbb028.jpg Walk to Cimetta chairlift https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b9373b6cd5.jpg Views from Cimetta https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0c583c004d.jpg Views from Cimetta https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...367131ccd8.jpg Views from Cimetta https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ab7cd0ee7c.jpg Geological observatory, Cimetta Our search for the panorama trail led us along an assortment of paths, one of which looked rather steep and was evidently a popular option given the number of hikers headed up that way, but I was unwilling to commit not knowing how long or how difficult it was, let alone where it went. As in Grimentz, we were finding Locarno a bit short on details. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c818cbf3cb.jpg Views from Cimetta https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b37b4fe7f3.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa98c1bc45.jpg Views from Cimetta https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d30c7f8128.jpg Exploring a trail, Cimetta After exploring a few sections of various trails, we returned to Capanna Cimetta de Vito near the chairlift station for lunch on the terrace of their self-service restaurant (pizza for me, salametto tici plate for Bill, 23 chf, good food, great views, but the smokers were a PITA). https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b87e6905ea.jpg Capanna Cimetta de Vito, Cimetta Then it was back on the sideways chairlift down to the Cardada cable station for a drink on the very busy patio of Ristorante-Albergo Calmanicchio, where we soaked up the sunshine and the views while people and dog watching (18 chf). https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04e274a53a.jpg Ristorante-Albergo Calmanicchio, Cardada We took the cable car back down to the funicular station in Orselina, where my curiosity led us some distance uphill for more views from an upscale neighborhood. Then it was back down to the funicular station, where that curiosity kicked in again and led us down to the terrace of Ristorante Bar Funicolare overlooking the sanctuary and pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso, which I’ve read is one of the most important religious and historical sites in Ticino. We ordered a local merlot, expecting red, but receiving rose, probably our mistake. No matter, we drank it anyway and found it good and dry, just the way we like it (18 chf for ½ liter). It was enjoyed all that much more thanks to the beautiful day and those wonderful views. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0f02568838.jpg Cardada cable car back down to Orselina https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bbccb7d7b8.jpg Madonna del Sasso from above https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e44d5c24e4.jpg Madonna del Sasso https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...70d73ea5f3.jpg Madonna del Sasso https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1bdeb82461.jpg Ristorante Bar Funicolare https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6b65c09c83.jpg View from Ristorante Bar Funicolare We eventually tore ourselves away and got in the long line for the funicular down to Locarno. When it came our turn to board, we decided not to, thinking it way too crowded (COVID). We hesitated, a worker motioned for us to board, we shook our heads no; he nodded in understanding. He had cordoned off the line behind us, so we were the only people waiting on the steps near the funicular. The jam-packed funicular sat there for ages waiting to leave. Bill pointed out that the next funicular would probably be just as crowded given the line behind us, so we decided to board at the last minute. We stepped onto the end with a man and a stroller, the doors closed. The man and the kid in the stroller immediately began hacking, we tried not to breathe, Bill later calling it the COVID funicular. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0042104e8c.jpg COVID funicular Once in Locarno we sought out a grocery store, passing another Läderach. Resistance was futile; we popped in to pick up a few champagne truffles and a big slab of that seriously-addictive-too-expensive pistachio almond and white chocolate bark for Bill. After a stop in an Aldi, we worked our way back to the apartment – which turned out to be some distance – we were in an area of Locarno we’d not yet seen. We picked up a kabab and a falafel at a shop across from the train station (20 chf) and dined on our apartment terrace. Locarno was proving too busy for us – too noisy, too many people packed on trails, packed on to funiculars and buses, etc. It felt very Italian to me, right down the café culture and the crazy drivers. To be continued… |
Your pictures are so enticing, Mel, I really want to visit...
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Thanks for that Adelaidean and for continuing to read. I hope you do get to visit...and soon.
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Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17302854)
Thanks for that Adelaidean and for continuing to read. I hope you do get to visit...and soon.
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Stunning views.
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still following, Mel; I feel for you in the "covid funicular". lovely photos - not an area of Switzerland that I know but it looks very enticing in your pictures.
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Love your trip report and photos. We fell in love with Locarno and Ascona, just wished we had allowed more time there, but that's the story of many travels - always wishing we had more time.
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There's never enough time marg.
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I appreciate you not glossing over the things that you don’t love, Mel, and I’ve noted a few walks to shorten to get the highlights rather than the slog. :cool:
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Adelaidean, the older I get the more slogs there seem to be:)
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