A Day in Lugano

 (A multi-part recap of my recent September trip to Switzerland.)

The bed was comfy in my Lugano hotel room and I was hoping for a good night's sleep.  However it was anything but.  Worries about my infected facial blemish kept me up half the night.  That and I didn't feel very good.  But I did finally nod off and get a few hours of rest and awoke feeling a tiny bit better.

Pretty skies outside our hotel

Today our tour had scheduled a free day in Lugano.  Good timing as not only did Kim and I need to do laundry, I also wanted to see another doctor and get some oral antibiotics.  After rising and showering, I peeled off the band-aid covering my infected zit, and to my dismay it looked worse than ever.  The blemish was still red and angry but now several whitish heads had formed in the middle.  It looked positively horrid.  I was definitely seeking medical help today!

Lake glimpses from our hotel 

But first breakfast.  Our hotel laid out a sumptuous spread - meat, cheeses, bread, yogurt, fruit, cereal and lots more.  And of course our favorites - cappuccinos and croissants, which Kim and I had been consuming every morning.  I was sure gonna miss these tasty treats when our tour was over!

 

Exploring the hotel grounds

Seeing our assistant tour leader Lisa in the breakfast room, we both pumped her for information on laundromat and urgent care facility locations.  Lisa had dirty clothes too, and offered to take us with her to the local laundromat.  She also volunteered to accompany me in search of a doctor while our clothes were washing.  I can't begin to tell you how grateful I was for her help!

Laundry ladies

Karen and Cindy also had laundry to do, and hearing our conversation with Lisa, asked to tag along.  So it was a merry band of five ladies carrying laundry sacks that left the hotel that morning.  It took rides on two different buses to reach the only laundromat in town.  (I was very surprised this large city had just one!)  After deciphering the instructions, and digging out the proper change, all five of us had washing machines spinning.

Bonding with our tour-mates over laundry

Now it was time for Lisa and I to find some medical help.  Lisa noticed a pharmacy about a block from the laundromat, so we headed for it.  The pharmacist there directed us to an urgent care office on the second floor of the same building.  I took the elevator upstairs and checked in with their receptionist.  The lady at the desk said normally the office was booked with appointments, but they happened to have a last-minute cancellation and could see me in 10 minutes.  I took that as a good sign.

Waiting for the bus

When my name was called, I asked Lisa to accompany me into the exam room.  Lisa had lived in Italy for nearly 30 years, and spoke the language fluently.  It was a good decision, as the young woman doctor who saw me didn't speak English very well.  So Lisa acted as interpreter between the two of us.  After taking my vitals, the doctor examined my nasty pimple.  She agreed that oral antibiotics were needed, and also that the infection should be lanced.  This doctor seemed very competent (way better than the doc I saw in St. Gallen) so I told her to do whatever she thought necessary.  I just wanted to this thing to heal!

Lake Lugano views

Luckily needles don't bother me and I'm not very squeamish, so I laid down on the exam table and let the doc do her thing.  When she was finished, the blemish felt much better with the pressure relieved.  The doctor sent me on my way with a box of large band-aids, an antibiotic prescription to fill downstairs, and detailed care instructions.

Mt. San Salvatore

The entire medical affair had taken about an hour.  Because we'd been gone for awhile, Lisa and I expected our laundry to be done.  But when we returned to the laundromat, our clothes were still in the dryer.  Kim said hardly any of the dryers were working, and they ended up cramming everyone's laundry into the one functioning dryer.  Happily not long after Lisa and I's return, the clothes were finally dry enough.  Now we had to sort through the huge laundry pile and each claim our own articles of clothing.  Good thing everyone wore a different brand of underwear!  And luckily, most of the socks were recognizable by their owners.  With our group of ladies, sorting and folding became a merry task, producing lots of laughs.  Someone joked about us bonding over laundry.  

Paddle boats shaped as race cars

Clothes folded, it was time to board one bus, and then a second, on a return trip to the hotel.  By the time Kim and I finally got back to our room, I was tired and hungry.  The morning's activities had zapped my energy, and all I wanted to do was lay down.  Cindy and Karen planned to visit Mt. San Salvatore next, and I encouraged Kim to join them.  My body was telling me I needed some downtime.  So while Kim played tourist, I spent the afternoon resting in the hotel room.

Boarding our boat

Although I didn't sleep much, it was nice to have a few hours of inactivity.  That and the oral antibiotic seemed to recharge my batteries.  By the time Kim returned from her afternoon adventure, I was feeling much better.

All boats have the Swiss flag on back

Although we'd had the entire day free, one evening activity was scheduled.  In late afternoon, our tour group was to board a boat for a cruise across Lake Lugano.  A cooking class and dinner at a local restaurant were on tonight's agenda. 

Lugano shoreline

It was a beautiful evening as we met our ferry boat on Lugano's waterfront.  The town had a wide pedestrian walkway hugging the lakeshore, making for a delightful stroll.  All types of tourist businesses were situated here.  I was especially amused to see a group of paddleboats that looked like racecars. 

 

Buildings crammed on the hillside

Sunlight illuminated the adjacent buildings and green hills.  The lake's waters were calm and blue.  Several mountains rose steeply from the shoreline.  As we motored out of the harbor, I tried to photograph the spectacular city views.  Buildings hugged the adjacent hillsides, climbing high up their slopes.  They seemed to defy gravity.  A tall, green Mt. San Salvatore loomed prominently over the southern shore - rising 912 meters (nearly 3000 feet) above Lake Lugano.  This was the mountain where Kim had spent her afternoon.

The daily selfie!

Like most of Switzerland's lakes, Lake Lugano was a long, narrow glacial water body.  The border between Switzerland and Italy was very close - crossing the lake's eastern finger a mere three miles east of Lugano.  I also learned the Italian city of Milan was about an hour's drive south.  No wonder everyone spoke Italian here!

Church tower

As our boat motored along and the urban congestion faded away, smaller villages began to line the water's edge.  Lofty mountains rose abruptly from the shore. There didn't appear to be much flat ground anywhere.  Picturesque stone buildings climbed steep hillsides.  I marveled at the roads zig-zagging up these slopes.  Boats were docked beside every home, with several featuring garages for their watercraft.  And because we were still in Switzerland, every town had a tall clock tower.

Kim is enjoying the scenery

What a visual feast for the eyes! (And my camera.)

Buildings right on the water

Lakeside village

Interesting buildings

Pastel colored homes

As the boat traveled eastward, I began to notice dark clouds ahead.  It looked like a big rainstorm was brewing.  Hopefully we'd arrive at our destination before any precipitation began to fall.

Rain coming in

After a lovely, relaxing hour spent cruising the lake, our boat headed towards a brightly-colored burnt orange building along the shore.  Festive lights hung from a covered deck.  This delightful place would be our evening's destination.  

Our destination

Skies remained dry as our group deboarded and walked along a stone path towards the restaurant.  A sign proclaimed we were at the "Grotto Teresa."  Ancient-looking stone walls held back the steep hillside and tall trees framed the buildings.  A most enchanting place!

Pretty little restaurant

Path to the restaurant

After gathering at the restaurant's ground level, our host explained a bit about the region's wines.  This area of Switzerland produced a unique variety of wine called white merlot.  The restaurant had its own wine cellar, and after her initial talk our host led us inside to have a look around.

Getting directions from our host

After exploring the wine cellar, we climbed upstairs to the deck area.  It had a great view overlooking the lake.  A spread of hors d'eouvres was laid out across several tables.  At one end, someone was filling wine glasses.  Everyone could drink as much wine as they wanted (or could handle!)

Exploring the wine cellar

Sadly, the antibiotics I was taking forbid the consumption of alcohol.  So there would be no wine for me tonight.  (Although I now regret not trying a small taste of the white merlot.)  Due to dietary restrictions, Kim couldn't drink the wine either (but she could, and did, have beer).  It was hard to sip water and watch my tour-mates enjoy the local vino.  

Happy hour!

The program for tonight was a lesson on how to cook risotto, an Italian dish of rice cooked in broth.  The area was set up in cooking stations, with several small camp stoves and a large cooking pot on top of each.  After everyone had sufficiently stuffed themselves with appetizers and wine, Tony asked us to split up into groups of 3 or 4.

Time to chat

Kim had been chatting with a man named Allen.  His wife had decided to skip tonight's dinner, so he was on his own.  Kim suggested buddying up with Allen for our cooking lesson.  So we became a team of three.  Allen loved to cook, which was a good thing, as I wasn't the best chef, and Kim declared she was on vacation and no way was she cooking on vacation.  So Allen and I took turns stirring the risotto.  I learned it takes a long time to cook this particular dish - slowly adding broth to rice for at least 30 minutes and stirring the entire time.  No wonder I'd never made this before!  I didn't have the patience to hover over a hot stove for that long.

Time to make risotto! 

At some point into our cooking lesson, the skies opened up and it poured.  Luckily we were mostly under cover, so everyone escaped a soaking.  Kim and I had fun chatting with Allen.  He was from Texas and had traveled quite a bit, so he entertained us with interesting stories.

Group dinner

Slowly, each group's risotto was deemed ready.  Our group's, however, was one of the last pots to finish.  When everyone was finally done, we all took seats at a long table, and bowls of risotto were passed around, family style.  Each group had made a different flavor - some with herbs, others with mushrooms, and others with cheese.  The risotto was supplemented with stewed beef and roasted vegetables.  And of course, more wine!  As the dinner wore on, several of my tour-mates got louder and louder.  Some folks appeared to have taken full advantage of the unlimited supply of vino.  Sensing the need to cut people off, Tony declared to was time to return to Lugano.

The wine was flowing!

The return trip was much faster, or so it seemed.  By now it was dark, so there was no scenery to gawk at anymore.  Allen had told us of a gelato shop in Lugano that was rumored to be very good.  Upon our return to Lugano, he was going to fetch his wife and check it out.  It sounded delicious, so Kim and I decided to get ourselves some gelato too.  When our boat docked back at the harbor, we consulted Google maps and went off to find the place.  We arrived just minutes before closing time, but the nice young lady behind the counter was happy to serve us.  And, oh that gelato was worth the extra walk!  Heading back to our hotel, we ran into Allen and his wife hurrying to get some gelato of their own.  (Spoiler alert - they made it in time!)

Night lights on Mt. San Salvatore

Lugano ended up being my least favorite of the cities we visited in Switzerland.  I'm sure part of it had to do with the fact that I wasn't feeling well the entire time I was there.  Tomorrow our tour would leave this laid back Swiss-Italian community for a stop at the ski town of Zermatt, before ending up at Lake Geneva and the French-speaking corner of Switzerland.

Full details (and photos) in my next post!

Ebenalp Mountain, Castle Grande, and a Fuzzy New Friend

 (A multi-part recap of my recent September trip to Switzerland.)

On the third full day of my Switzerland tour, Kim and I awoke early in our charming Appenzell guesthouse.  After breakfast, we both packed up once again.  Our tour had scheduled only a short evening in this lovely, authentic Swiss town and by morning we were already moving on.

Morning in Appenzell

After slathering antibiotic cream on my infected facial pimple before bedtime, by morning it appeared to have calmed down a bit.  So I was feeling quite a bit better when I emerged from the hotel with my suitcase.

Such pretty buildings!

Oh how I wished for more time to spend in Appenzell!  The car-free downtown core was full of adorable building facades with colorful patterns painted on some.  Flower boxes filled the spaces below the second story windows.  None of the shops were open at this early hour, but I gazed longingly at some of the more interesting storefronts.  There was a chocolate shop, an outdoor store catering to hikers, another with traditional Swiss items in the windows.  This town definitely went on my "visit again in the future" list.

Clock tower of the local Catholic church

As our tour group gathered outside our hotel, we watched the town slowly come to life.  A group of young children on bicycles zipped by, on their way to school.  They were followed by another band of kids on foot, huge backpacks sagging from their shoulders.  After encountering lots of touristy stuff in the past two days, it was fun to observe the normal life of the locals.

Local kids walking to school

I had about 10 minutes before our group would walk to the bus, just enough time to get a few more photos of this charming little village.  My urgent care appointment the previous afternoon had caused me to miss the group's scheduled walking tour of Appenzell, so I was trying to make up for the lost opportunity.  The town's large Catholic church happened to be right across the street from our hotel, so it was easy for me to run over and get photos of its lovely clock tower and the colorful cemetery.

Appenzell cemetery

When I saw our guide Tony emerge from the hotel lobby, I rushed back to the group.  Suitcases in tow, we followed him five blocks along the cobblestone streets to our waiting bus.

Our tour group, waiting outside the hotel

At the beginning of our tour, Tony mentioned that there would be no assigned seats on the bus - people were free to sit wherever they wished.  The only exception was the coveted seat directly behind the driver.  Due to its popularity, this seat could not be occupied by the same person for multiple days.  Today it surprisingly sat empty.  After Tony expressed his disbelief, Kim hustled up the aisle to claim it, beckoning me to follow.

Ebenalp gondola building

So Kim and I had front row seats to all the amazing Switzerland scenery for an entire day.  The huge front bus window made a perfect viewing portal.  At first seeing the roadway come at us at highway speed took a bit of getting used to.  But after adjusting to that, we got out our cell phones and begin snapping photos.

Mountains starting to come out of the fog

First stop on today's agenda was a gondola ride up Ebenalp Mountain.  A popular tourist attraction, this mountain, at 1,640 meters in height, was the northernmost summit of the Appenzell Alps.  Accessible by a large gondola, hiking trails radiated out in all directions from the upper lift station.  In winter months, the area reverted to a ski resort.

Cliff face - can you spot the buildings?

Today's overcast weather didn't bode well for spectacular scenery viewing on Ebenalp's summit.  However arriving at the gondola base area, I noticed a bit of clearing above a few neighboring peaks.  Maybe the mountain was having an inversion?

Time for a hike!

Clouds or not, our group was going up.  We crammed into the crowded gondola cab and the sturdy cables whisked us steeply up the side of Ebenalp Mountain.  About halfway on our journey, I noticed a near-vertical cliff face with two small buildings precariously perched on a narrow shelf.  I didn't know it at the time, but later I'd be hiking along a narrow trail to see those buildings.  To my delight, about a third of the way up our gondola broke through the cloud layer into blue skies and bright sunshine.

Cloud layer in the valley below

At the summit lift station, everyone deboarded and took in the stunning views.  A thick layer of clouds covered the valleys below, while snowy summits peeped above the fog.  A steep trail led downhill to the area's main attractions - the Wildkirchli Cave and church, and the Aescher Guesthouse.

Traversing the steep, rocky trail

A few of our group, seeing the rocky trail that led steeply downhill to the attractions, decided to pass.  But there was no way I was!  It was a mere 1.5 km (.9 miles) in distance and 180 meters (600 feet) of descent to the guesthouse, so a fairly easy hike for me.  I rallied a hiking party, including Kim and our new friends Cindy and Karen.  

There goes the gondola!

The initial half mile was fairly steep, which persuaded a couple folks in our group to turn around.  But the rest of us kept going, following the trail under the lift cables.   Approaching the cliff face, our path seemed to flatten a tiny bit.

Hermit hut

The trail then snaked along the cliff, becoming a narrow shelf that appeared to have been blasted into the rock.  The views here were first-rate - tall, snowy mountains rising from the meadows far below.

Wildkirchli Cave

Then our group arrived at the entrance to Wildkerchli Cave.  Water forced through the rocks for millions of years created this huge underground cavern.  Scientists found evidence that Neanderthals used the Wildkerchli cave as hunting quarters.  Prehistoric stone tools as well as the remains of cave bears have been discovered here.

Another view of the cave

Our trail turned away from the cliff face and led straight into the cave.  Although a bit dark and musty, occasional lights and a continuous handrail help guide everyone through.  After walking steeply downhill, the path took a hairpin turn and then headed towards an opening. 

Walking on a narrow ledge above the cliff

We all burst out onto another cliffside walkway.  This one was very narrow, probably about 3-4 feet in width.  A sheer cliff face rose vertically on one side, while a hefty guardrail anchored the other, protecting visitors from a steep drop-off below.  Anyone uncomfortable with heights probably had a tough time walking here.  Thankfully that didn't apply to me!  I sauntered along, gaping at the incredible views while snapping copious images.

 

Aescher guesthouse

After traveling a short distance along the walkway we turned a corner, and there up ahead was the famous Aescher guesthouse.  This wooden building appeared to melt into the steep mountainside.

A closer view of Aescher guesthouse

This rustic alpine guesthouse, built in 1800, has the distinction of being one of the oldest inns in Switzerland.  Originally built to house farmers, goats and cows, Aescher evolved to into a lodge for pilgrims visiting the nearby monks.  Today, this guesthouse still welcomes overnight visitors and its restaurant is kept busy feeding hungry hikers that venture over the mountain's trails.

We made it!

Everyone in our hiker group was happy to reach the guesthouse.  Someone found a table and many folks sat down to take in the spectacular scenery around.  I, however was all about exploring the place.  I went inside the restaurant to check it out, but not needing any food or drink, went back outside.

The place was quite busy!

Cindy carried a small Elmo doll and posed it for photos at points of interest to send to her granddaughter.  Early on in the trip Kim and I talked about finding some type of little gnome, or other small stuffed animal, to do the same thing.  Problem was neither of us had found anything we liked yet.  That is, until I went into the guesthouse's small gift shop.

Time for a break

Poking around the sparse collection of souvenir items, I came upon a small stuffed cow.  With big eyes, a charming smile, and a red Swiss kerchief around its neck, the cute little bovine won me over.  This was the furry friend I'd been seeking!  I had to have it!  Of course, the isolated location of this gift shop meant an expensive price, but I didn't care.

My new fuzzy friend

So that's how I acquired my first Swiss souvenir.  I showed my new fuzzy friend to Kim and she loved the cow too.  Now we just had to give her a name.  Something Swiss, of course.

Time to hike back uphill

I'd ponder a cow name while hiking back to the top.  After hanging out at Aescher guesthouse for a good long break, it was time to head back to the lift.  Since our return trip would be all uphill (and steeply at that!) Kim and I wanted to allow enough time - we didn't want to be the ones holding up our group.

So many photo ops!

In our haste to get to the guesthouse, Kim and I bypassed a few points of interest on the way down.  On our return trip, we stopped first at the Wildkirchli Chapel, a tiny church nestled in one of the caves.  Built by the hermit monks that used to live on this precipitous cliff, a wooden bell tower and fence framed this unique place of worship.

The tiny mountain chapel

Kim and I also passed by a tiny wooden cabin that housed the hermit monks who lived on this mountain from 1658 to 1853.

The monk's hut

As the path veered away from the cliff face, our real climbing began!  Kim and I huffed and puffed as we crawled uphill.  Thinking it would be chilly on the mountaintop, we'd both donned our heavy jackets and knit hats.  But the sun's solar energy had warmed things up considerably.  That combined with our uphill exertions had Kim and I peeling off our layers.  

Kim takes a breather

Of course, the scenery continued to impress and I took several photography (aka "rest") breaks along the way.  Kim didn't complain!

Dramatic scenery

When Kim and I finally made it back to the upper lift station, there was still a bit of time left before our group was to gather for the downhill ride.  Seeing a trail wandering above the lift, I decided to trek up to the top for hopefully more views.  Kim, who'd had enough hiking for the day, decided to stay put.

I hiked a little higher above the gondola station

I walked about a half mile uphill through a lovely green meadow.  I was told that farmers graze their cows in these alpine meadows during summer months.  However, it appeared by mid-September they'd already moved their livestock to lower elevations, because there were no cows to be seen.

Steep cliffs

The scenery was gorgeous though.  Many snow-marbled peaks, rocky cliff faces, and green vegetation everywhere.  I soaked in the views, snapped a few images, and then headed back down.

The valley is still socked in

The cloud-shrouded valley also made for some dramatic scenery. 

Taking my new pal for a hike

Soon it was time to ride the gondola back down through the clouds.  I'd enjoyed my morning up on Ebenalp.  This was another place I would've loved to spend more time exploring.

Views on the gondola ride down

Our tour group crammed into the gondola cab along with a fair number of other tourists, including two very large dogs.  Cindy and Karen had scored spots in the very front of the cab, and beckoned me to join them.  I was grateful for their invitation - this was the best spot to get photographs of our descent.

Gloomy weather at the base

Back at the gondola base, the weather was overcast and gloomy once again.  Everyone filed back into the bus for the ride to our next destination.  Tony had planned our lunch stop in the nearby tiny country of Liechtenstein.  

Scenery out the bus window

Now acclimated to our seats behind the driver, Kim and I began to enjoy the heck out of our lofty perch.  The views were so much better through the wide front window!

A cute village

We passed through several adorable villages, each surrounded by green hills. 

Starting our descent

Our route took us out of the mountains, driving steeply downhill through several sharp highway curves.  

Lots of hairpin switchbacks - glad I wasn't driving!

The road also had lots of gnarly hairpin switchbacks, which our driver Eric had to navigate.  The seat directly behind him gave us an excellent vantage of the twisty road.  I was duly impressed with Eric's driving skills.  (And grateful it was him driving and not me!)

Approaching Liechtenstein

After at least an hour spent winding downhill, our road flattened out into a valley ringed by tall mountains.  A river flowed on one side of the road.  Tony said this was Rhine River, and it formed the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Getting our passports stamped at the tourist office

After traveling through the valley for awhile, our bus made a turn, and crossing the Rhine, we entered into Liechtenstein and it's capitol city of Vaduz.  There was no official border crossing and no stopping for customs.  Liechtenstein and Switzerland have a close working relationship, and in some ways Liechtenstein functions like another Swiss canton (state.)  The currency here is Swiss Francs, and the official language Swiss German.

Proof we were there!

This tiny country, only 62 square miles in size, is sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria.  Ruled by a billionaire prince, it is a semi-constitutional monarchy.  A few other interesting facts:  Liechtenstein is predominantly Catholic, very conservative, has the distinction of being one of the few countries with no debt, and didn't grant women the right to vote until 1984.

The prince's castle, high on a hillside

The bus let us out at the tourist information office, where Tony said for a small fee you could get your passport stamped.  There were a few restaurants nearby, but since our group was only allotted 45 minutes for lunch, most of us grabbed sandwiches at the nearby Coop grocery store.

More fantastic mountain scenery

After paying 3.50 Francs to get our passports stamped, Kim and I took a few selfies at the large Liechtenstein sign (to prove we were there!) and also snapped some images of the Prince's fabulous castle, perched high above the city.  That's about all there was to do in Liechtenstein.

Lotti, our new bus buddy

After our short visit to Liechtenstein, it was back on the bus once again.  Our next destination would be the town of Bellinzona for a tour of Castle Grande.

Scenes from the bus

With a bit of time on our hands, Kim and I agreed it was time to pick a name for my new little cow.  I thought about "Heidi" but it didn't seem Swiss enough.  I asked Tony if he knew a good Swiss cow name, and he deferred to our driver Eric.  Eric suggested the name "Lotti" (loh-tee).  Apparently a lot of good Swiss cows bear this name.  So Lotti it was!

Another storybook village

Driving back in Switzerland towards our next stop took us through more amazing mountain scenery.  I tried my darndest to capture pictures with my phone, but not many were keepers (bus window glare ruined quite a few).  Kim and I kept exclaiming how beautiful everything was.  I'm sure Eric got tired of hearing our commentary!

Funny sign at the rest area

About halfway to our next town, we made a pit stop at a roadside rest area.  Everyone filed out to use the facilities - which were a line of individual steel sided port-a-potties.  The toilet inside had a spring-loaded lid.  You had to pull it down and quick sit on it, or the lid would pop back up.  Not my favorite restroom!  However, outside my tour-mates had a good giggle at a prominent sign that said "ausfahrt."  A lot of folks took turns posing for photos by that sign with the funny name.  Back on the bus, Tony explained that "ausfahrt" meant "vehicle exit," not something restroom-related.  

The Swiss love their tunnels!

On the road again!  Back down more windy mountain roads, through lots of tunnels.  After driving in Switzerland for three days, tunnels were becoming commonplace.  With so many rocky obstacles in this country, the industrious Swiss decided in some cases it was easier to go through the mountain than up and over it.

Castle Grande in Bellinzona

Switzerland is an unusual country in that it has four official languages.  Depending upon where in the country you live, one might speak German, French, or Italian.  (The fourth language, Romansch, is spoken in a very small area of Switzerland.)  Our next destination would be in the Italian area of the country.

Welcome sign

Finally our bus pulled into the Italian-speaking town of Bellinzona, our third stop of the day.  Our group was scheduled to tour the nearby Castle Grande.

This castle was amazing from the very start

After piling out of the bus once again, Tony introduced us to our local guide, an American woman who had come to Switzerland for college, fell in love with a local man, and now lived in Bellinzona. 

Our guide led us through the city to a large plaza below the famous castle.  Castle Grande loomed high above atop a rocky promontory.

View through a narrow window

It was fun to watch the people in the plaza interact.  As opposed to the straight-laced, stern atmosphere in the German speaking part of the country, the mood in the Italian region was more relaxed.  Couples strolled together, people sat and conversed, and children rode bicycles through the large open area.  Everyone seemed friendlier.

 

Colorful buildings below

Thinking we'd have to hoof it up the steep hill to reach the castle, our guide surprised the group by leading us toward the elevators.  Due to limited space, it took a few trips to get everyone to the top.  However once our group was reunited, she led us up an inclined cobblestone street, surrounded on both sides by tall castle walls.

Tall tower

Through time the town of Bellinzona was an important geographic location in the Swiss Alps.  Several key Alpine pass routes, connecting Northern and Southern Europe, all converged here.  The tall rocky hill overlooking Bellinzona has always had some sort of watchtower or fortification built upon it.  Castle Grande's fortified complex can be traced back to the middle 14th century.

Looking down into the courtyard

My tour-mates and I slowly walked up the inclined roadway, marveling at the rockwork, and peeking through narrow slits in the walls.

Walkway between two towers

Our path leveled out into a large, grassy open area.  Walls rose on one side, with two tall towers anchoring one end.  From on top of this high hill one got great views of the city below.  I also noticed another castle perched on a hill across the valley.  I later read that two other castles were constructed atop other hills in Bellinzona, to protect this city's strategic location.

Exit view

Our guide said we could climb up to the top of one tower, traverse a walkway to the other tower, and go inside the second tower.  Of course, I wanted to do this, and eagerly followed my tour group up the stairs.

Grand views from on high

Since I was taking photos as I went, I naturally gravitated to the end of the line.  But once I finally got on top of the second tower, nearly everyone had already left, so I had the place to myself.  

Every Swiss town must have a clock tower

Oh the views were grand here!  I looked down on the colorful pastel buildings and orange tile roofs of Bellinzona.  I spotted the green mountains surrounding the town.  And I got some great views of the neighboring castle across the valley.

Neighboring castle

But seeing as I was the only one in the tower, I hurried back down to the plaza, not wanting to be left behind.

Walking back to rejoin the group

Rockwork detail

Back with the group, the guide was starting to lead us to another part of the castle grounds.  But someone asked me where Kim was.  She'd been far ahead of me when everyone had climbed up the tower, and I'd lost track of her.  Tony and the others started panicking because she wasn't with the group.  I was just about to call her call phone, when we heard a voice calling "I'm over here!"  There was Kim, perched atop a wall across from where our group stood.  Whew!

We found Kim!

Since the castle grounds were expansive, there was much more to see.  (It certainly lived up to it's "Castle Grande" name.)  I peered over another wall section and discovered a large vineyard below.

Vineyard between the castle walls

What I really enjoyed about Castle Grande - it wasn't something you could look at but not touch.  Visitors were allowed to scramble up the towers and walk atop the rock walls.  Made me feel like I was one of the soldiers stationed here.  I really liked being able to interact with this historic structure.

We could walk all over the castle

One section of the walled fortress sloped down a ridge to a lower portion of the hill.  The path was lined by more tall rock walls.  A most unusual part of the castle grounds!  

A long, steep descent but oh the views!

Despite navigating a steep descent, I couldn't resist walking down to explore this unique area of the castle.

Vineyard area

Kim and I walked down the grassy path to another small tower on the opposite end.  Looking back, this vantage point gave one a great overview of the entire castle spread out over the hilltop.  It occupied quite a large area!

There must be a selfie!

After lots and lots of photographs, it was time for Kim and I to brave the steep uphill climb back to where the rest of our group was waiting.

The steep climb back up

I survived the strenuous climb, mostly because I kept stopping and taking photos, providing a few de facto rest breaks.

Walking across a wall

For the final portion of the tour, our guide led us to a parklike area below the castle walls and towers.  While she was giving us more history, a few young men on bikes came hurtling by our group, and one nearly hit my buddy Tad!

Below the castle walls

Time to get outta there!  Instead of taking the elevators, our guide led us down a long sloping path that circled the castle walls.

Taking the road back to town

I found the rock detail on the castle walls to be fascinating.

Wall details

As we descended, the views of Bellinzona were really great too.  More photographs may have been taken......

Town views

It was interesting seeing the back patios of the residences.

Back patio views

Vegetation covered walls

Our walkway ended at a staircase.  Everyone climbed down the stairs to another narrow sidewalk that snaked between the buildings.

Down the stairs

Interesting graffiti

Eventually we all ended up at the city hall building.  It was interesting as it had an open-air plaza in the middle.

Lots of staircases

Then it was back to bus for a short ride to our final destination of the day - the Italian speaking city of Lugano.  While on the bus, Lisa, our assistant tour guide gave us a quick Italian language lesson.  She taught us the numbers 1 through 500, and then announced everyone's hotel room numbers in Italian.  I was surprised how easy counting in Italian was - some of it actually made sense.  When Kim and I's room number was read off, I almost got it right.

The town flag

Being on the go all day didn't provide me any time to tend to my infected facial blemish.  I hadn't been able to apply any of the antibiotic cream since early morning.  By late afternoon that side of my face was beginning to feel hot and swollen.  I wasn't feeling very good either.

City hall

Our bus entered the busy city of Lugano and wound through heavy traffic to our downtown hotel.  After unloading our luggage and finding our room, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and rest.  But Tony had scheduled a quick orientation walk through the immediate area before setting us free to find dinner. I didn't want to miss that.  Besides, both Kim and I were starving.  I hoped maybe some food would help me feel better.

Smallest car ever!

Lugano was situated on the shores of another lovely lake.  (Lake Lugano, of course.)  It appeared there was a lot of money in this town.  Many high-end businesses dominated the storefronts.  The downtown pedestrian mall was having an exhibition of luxury vehicles and there were all kinds of fancy (and expensive!) autos on display.

It was hard to appreciate much as I was feeling truly awful and just wanted to go back to the hotel.  After the quick walkabout Kim and I went in search of dinner.  We spotted Cindy and Karen sitting outside a restaurant specializing in spaghetti and they invited us to join them.  The food was good, but the entire dining experience took an extremely long time.  The waitress didn't understand English very well, and was super slow in bringing our check. 

Lugano waterfront

Finally returning to the hotel, I took my band aid off and gasped at my angry zit.  It had swollen to the size of a nickel and was ringed in red.  It was apparent to both Kim and I that I needed to see another doctor and get some oral antibiotics.  Luckily, tomorrow was a free day in Lugano, so I'd have an opportunity to get medical help.  But first I had to get through the night.

Would I be able to find a doctor and get some relief?  To be continued in my next post....