Last weekend I left cold and gloomy Zürich behind to chase the sun, and ended up, again, in Ticino. It was raining so hard on my train ride south that I couldn't even see out the window! And, just like magic, it was clear and sunny on the other side of the Gotthard. It never ceases to amaze me how stark of a change it always is: pouring on one side, then 10 minutes in a tunnel in the dark, and sun on the other (or vice versa).
I arrived late on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning, Stef (who is always so gracious to host me!) and I took a boat ride from Locarno down to Cannobio, a town just on the other side of the border with Italy. This town is famous for its lakeside market on Sundays, so we thought we would check it out. The market was huge and crowded, but, despite the crowds, it was really fun to stroll in the sun, soaking up the sights and sounds and seeing what the vendors had to offer. We got some little gifts, I found a wallet (after searching for one that I liked the past 6 months), and we got some amazing cheese and fresh pasta. We spent the whole morning at the market, and then were picked up by Stef's mom when we were done, since we had just missed our bus.
We spent the afternoon at Stef's family's house, having gelato on the terrasse and playing with the dog, Cali. I had borrowed a guidebook on Normandy from the Kuchlers, and we compared notes on traveling.
Stef and I caught a bus back to her place, and had an early dinner (of fresh pasta that we had picked up from the market, yum!) before I had to catch my train. And then, back again, to the cold and foggy north.
It was a really enjoyable 24-hour trip into Ticino. Every time I visit, I love it!
I arrived late on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning, Stef (who is always so gracious to host me!) and I took a boat ride from Locarno down to Cannobio, a town just on the other side of the border with Italy. This town is famous for its lakeside market on Sundays, so we thought we would check it out. The market was huge and crowded, but, despite the crowds, it was really fun to stroll in the sun, soaking up the sights and sounds and seeing what the vendors had to offer. We got some little gifts, I found a wallet (after searching for one that I liked the past 6 months), and we got some amazing cheese and fresh pasta. We spent the whole morning at the market, and then were picked up by Stef's mom when we were done, since we had just missed our bus.
We spent the afternoon at Stef's family's house, having gelato on the terrasse and playing with the dog, Cali. I had borrowed a guidebook on Normandy from the Kuchlers, and we compared notes on traveling.
Stef and I caught a bus back to her place, and had an early dinner (of fresh pasta that we had picked up from the market, yum!) before I had to catch my train. And then, back again, to the cold and foggy north.
It was a really enjoyable 24-hour trip into Ticino. Every time I visit, I love it!
