March 29 - Easter weekend in Lugano

In downtown Lugano they have an Easter market going on until Monday. In the main piazza they had all types of old fashioned activities for the kids. By old fashioned I mean, wooden stilts to play on, big puzzles out of wood, and other types of hands-on things. We enjoyed walking around looking at all the items being sold by the vendors. It was still quite cold today, but it slowly warmed up.

In the afternoon I took a walk by myself, heading north up the main road from our town. I found a path in the woods running along a stream, and then I found another narrow walkway that led to the L’oratorio dei santi Pietro e Paolo (Oratory of Saints Peter and Paul)

. A tiny church that began in the 13th century!

There are always surprises to discover around every corner - that's why I love hiking in Switzerland!

March 28 - Rain, rain go away...

Fortunately it didn't rain this morning - Rick and I took a walk down the mountainside into downtown Lugano. I'm estimating it's probably about a 40 minute walk, but since we were discovering new things and stopping here and there, it took us an hour.

There is actually a 2 Franc store - like our dollar stores. They come in so handy for those little things. Rick needed some cheap reading glasses. This is the first time he's ever coached and needed glasses! Especially for those evening practices when the lighting isn't so good. Last night he dropped the pair he had and lost them. Later he found them in the mud, missing a lens. Time for the 2 Franc store!

And here is a funny coincidence. One of the players on the team was actually born in Elk Grove, Illinois! He lived there until age 5 and then his family eventually moved back to Switzerland. Rick discovered another player originally from the Chicago south suburbs. Small world.

Here are some observations I've made since arriving: We have had cold weather here, and it's extremely rare to see a woman wearing a hat, and I NEVER see anyone wearing gloves. And even my friend who I met the other day for lunch complained her hands were freezing. I just don't understand. Of course I look like a foreigner. I'm wearing a hat and gloves.

March 27 - Cool Fog

We have had some rainy weather recently, and quite cold temperatures. The sky has been heavy with clouds and fog, but at least yesterday and today there was no rain. Rick and I have been busy the last few days with lunch and dinner invitations with friends we made during our year here 8 years ago.

Today we had a chance to discover new hiking paths and passages through the woods on the edge of our town and through some of the other towns that are on this mountainside. It was a great walk and a great route we found! In one picture this is the old section of the town of Albonago, which is on the side of Mt. Bré. Then we continued to Aldesago where I took this foggy picture of the view over Lake Lugano.

To come home we walked down a steep path to the area of Lugano called Viganello, where we stopped at the local Manor grocery store. It's hard to tell from the picture, but these were the largest peppers I've ever seen! Then we  took the bus back home!
      You can click on the pictures to see them larger....

March 23 - Pig Tails, Chocolate, Mountain paths

Rick and I went to the largest grocery store in Lugano, where we can find things not found in other stores. It's a COOP store but like a super Walmart. In the packaged meat section we found pig tails, yes, really... pig tails. See photo. Ugh! Then, every grocery store in Switzerland has an entire aisle dedicated to ..... CHOCOLATE! Yeah! That makes up for the pig tails.

In the afternoon I took a hike on the mountainside near the house. I love my new hiking shoes and it was my first time using my new hiking poles - I LOVE them! Here are a couple pictures of the lovely mountain flowers we are seeing everywhere, and the typical Swiss mountain trails which are maintained quite well. And it's so nice to come across those Swiss red benches for a rest. So quiet, so still. No wind.

Rick left in the evening with the Lugano Lakers team where they are spending the night in Fribourg before their game in Lausanne on Sunday. I didn't go to the game because I'd would have had to take the train early this morning and it's a 5 hour train ride one way. It was just too far to go for the day.

March 22 - Bunny Cars!

This afternoon I met a former neighbor, Veronique, in downtown Lugano where we enjoyed catching up with our lives over some coffee in a sunny piazza. She now lives in Lausanne, and happened to be back in Lugano for a wedding. In another piazza, Lindt bunny cars were set up in a row and they were handing out free Lindt chocolate! Can't refuse that!

March 21 - Bright and sunny!

Rick and I are using just public transportation and this morning we went to Grancia, where there is a shopping center and an IKEA. We found our 7th season of Desperate Housewives, which we will bring back home to continue the series - we like to watch it in Italian! We also bought some maps of Ticino and of all of Switzerland ..... because I FORGOT to bring the maps I already had at home - darn! But we really love to have a map of the country in front of us - then we dream of where we want to go. :-)

This afternoon Rick had a coaches meeting and then we took another hike around Pregassona. Still exploring this town! For dinner we had duck - something that is difficult for me to find in Illinois - delicious!

Here is a picture of our view from the kitchen. The sky was so clear today - it's a shame you can't see the clarity and 3-dimensional depth of our view, but it's spectacular. When the weather is so clear like this, the mountains seem so much closer.
I also took a picture inside the bus - notice the Mercedes-Benz. We're riding a Mercedes-Benz bus!!

March 20 - Laundry and hikes

After Rick spent 4 days coaching the Lugano Lakers team in Cervia, Italy, today was a day to do laundry. As usual, European washers and dryers are not easy to figure out! I think we succeeded with the washer, but not with the dryer. First of all, washing 1 load of clothes takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I don't know what that front loader is doing during all that time. Then, the dryer has a little window stating how many minutes are left in the cycle I chose. But when those minutes are finished, it goes into a different cycle with more minutes added. So I really had no idea  how long this drying cycle would be. 

So Rick and I went for a hike during this machine confusion. Here are a couple sites we saw. A picturesque church bell tower with the mountains as a backdrop, and then, from one house to the next, you can stumble on a farm setting. Here are chickens practicing on the balance beam. I think these are happy chickens living here!!

When we returned home, the dryer had finished...... the clothes still very damp. Hmmmm Need to still figure this one out. Time for hanging clothes on the radiators!
Footnote: a repairman came out because the dryer in only 1 month old and we realized it never "tumbled" since it was installed! It will be fixed on Tuesday. Yeah!

Tonight Rick has football practice indoors in the gym at TASIS - The American School in Switzerland, located in Montagnola.

March 19 - Spring has arrived!

Today is a holiday in Switzerland - everything is closed except for some restaurants and cafes. It is Father's Day! I took a walk along the lakefront today, to Paradiso and back - and of course stopping for a Tiramisu gelato! Looking forward to Rick's return from Italy this evening. :-)

The bus when it snows

Ever wonder how Swiss buses make it up the steep slopes when it snows? Chains, of course!

Our apartment in Pregassona, Switzerland

This is our apartment building in Pregassona. We are on the top floor. As you can see, there is a Panetteria on the ground level. That is a bakery (mostly breads). Every time we walk into our building it smells WONDERFUL!!!!

March 18 Beautiful Lake Lugano

Today I went to downtown Lugano to do some shopping. Tomorrow is a holiday here - I hear it is Father's Day - and everything is closed! That is typical here in Switzerland. All stores are closed on Sunday also. So I had to make sure I shopped today for our meals tomorrow.
I also bought a pair of hiking shoes! I am determined to hike everyday and get back in shape!

When I was downtown, I took these pictures of Lake Lugano. I think it looks beautiful with the clouds and snow.

March 18 - blanket of snow

Lugano is blanketed with snow this morning. I love the snow here. It falls softly with no wind. In this picture the garbage truck was here, using it's arm to pull out the huge garbage tank that is hidden underground.

Evening of March 17 - Pregassona, Lugano

It's one of those special nights in the canton of Ticino, with fluffy snow flakes falling and wind at 0 miles per hour. Have we ever seen 0 mph in Chicago? It's so peaceful - I love the snow in Ticino!!! This is a view from our balcony - Piazza San Giuseppe. There is the bus below - we live right at the end of the #7 line.

Rick is still in Cervia, Italy, with the Lugano Lakers football team at a football camp. It's warmer there. He's missing this beautiful snowfall.

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!

It's snowing today in Lugano! Nice big, fluffy flakes. Here it is melting as it hits the ground, but behind us, just a few hundred feet up the mountain, it's being blanketed!

March 16, 2013. I took a short hike up from our town of Pregassona and saw this beautiful view! It was a very cool, but sunny day.