May 24-28 Visitors, Lakers, Bre & Porlezza

Well, I know it's been a long time getting this next post up. The reason being either rain, rain, rain, visits from friends, or bad internet. Mostly bad internet.

On May 24 and 25 our friends Dani and Carmen came down from Zurich to visit us. We walked the train path hike with them because the weather was cold and windy and the mountain woods were wet. We thought this would be the best route. So we went almost as far as Rick and I went a few days earlier - only uphill!

Then on Sunday the Lugano Lakers were to play two different teams here in Lugano - Lausanne for the junior team and St. Gallen for the senior team. St. Gallen canceled because they didn't have enough players, but the junior team won, so both teams are still undefeated!!!! Go Lakers!

May 27 - I went out for my own adventure. I took the bus part way up Monte Brè where I met the funicular and took that to the top of the mountain. It happened to be quite clear - I need to take advantage of that because more rain was coming in for the week. There is a restaurant up there with a great terrace and view, which I enjoyed thoroughly while sipping a glass of rosé.

On the back side of the mountain lower down, there is the town of Brè, which is a very old, quaint town. It took me 30 minutes to hike down to the town. It's always interesting to see how things have changed in the last 8 years. I then took the bus back down to town - it is always a fun bus ride - such a narrow road with so many switchbacks - and a bit scary! But I know those bus drivers do this route all day long. What is amazing is that when they have to pass a car coming the other way, it's a slow process because the road is so narrow. It takes your breath away because I am SURE that bus is going to take off the side view mirror of the car. But I have yet to see that happen. It's great excitement!

May 28 - eat eat eat. We had lunch at the Hotel Ceresio in Lugano where our former neighbor from Comano is the director. We ate with him and his wife and had a delicious meal! Then at 5pm another couple we know came to our house for an aperativo. The husband is flying to Chicago on May 29 - too bad we are not there, we are here! And then at 7:30 our friend Berny took us to Porlezza, across the border in Italy and at the end of Lake Lugano, to have a pizza and pasta dinner - at much lower prices than in Switzerland! We figured out the the prices were 50% less.

We had forgotten how narrow the road between Lugano and Porlezza is. It is so narrow that in many places only one car can fit, but not only that, there are houses right along the road in which the front door opens up directly on to the road! I think it would be impossible to live there - very dangerous! Although now a new tunnel has opened up underneath them which bypasses this area. I enjoy the local road because it is so charming.

Once again, I'll give more detail in my picture descriptions. I really struggle to put the pictures in order (even just to upload them! Blogger wants to choose where things go - it's aggravating).

From Monte Bre, looking across Lake Lugano to Mt San Salvatore

Looking more west - snow covered Alps in the distance. This would be where the Matterhorn is.

A zoomed in view of the Alps in the distance. Matterhorn somewhere in there, and no, even if you know which one it is, it doesn't look like the normal Matterhorn from this angle!

View looking south over Lake Lugano from Monte Bre

At the top of Monte Bre, a school field trip to learn about the surrounding mountains and geography. I wish I had field trips like this!

Coming down the back side of Monte Bre, looking east along this arm of Lake Lugano. Just about everything in the picture is Italy, other than the town of Bre in the foreground. The town of Porlezza is at the far end of the lake. These mountains in the distance are normally not snow covered in May. Shows you how much rain and cold weather we have had!

Cow grazing along the path down to the town of Bre. They put cows (or sheep or goats) in fields here and there to eat the grass instead of mowing. They put a temporary "fence" consisting of a couple of strings. Swiss farm animals just don't cross that string!   Now, a funny thing happened right after this picture..... one of the cows jumped on the back of another - it was the perfect angle, but I missed the shot of the year for "Switzerland Is For Lovers"!

Coming down closer to Bre

Within the old nucleus of Bre. More wisteria. Love these old towns - so full of interesting little passageways.

More of the old center of Bre. It's a very "artsy" town and there is public art everywhere.

This picture belongs at the end of this page, but blogger refuses to leave it there. It keeps changing it to this position. Anyway, this is a view from Porlezza in the evening when we went for pizza

Back down from Bre, Rick met me along the lake where we enjoyed gelato. I opted for the big 3 scooper!!!