Lugano: A Piece of Italian Heaven in Switzerland
by Joy Cagil
Switzerland is a multi-language country. While we were there, we
found French to be the main language in Geneva and Neuchatel.
Later, we encountered German as the most used language; however,
in the south, some very warm-blooded Italians surprised us by
talking in Italian inside the pleasant coolness of the Swiss
canton Ticino situated at the Italian border.
We first witnessed Lugano in Ticino from Monte Lema, a southern
Alp with a modern cable lift. You didn't think I would hike up
there, did you?
Sitting inside a cable lift is almost like flying, although I am
not into flying unless inside an airplane. I am not into
paragliding either. Yet, we enjoyed the sight of numerous
paragliders in most places over the Alps especially around Ticino
Monte Lema has the most splendid view of Lake Lugano, Lake
Maggiore, and southern Ticino. The terraced restaurant on Monte
Lema, which was like a self-service take-out, offered us a
variety of simple lunches. The terrace had a wood planked
deck-like floor and long picnic tables with benches where we
perched to eat our lunch, watching the magnificence of the view
with mountains, lakes, and in the distance, cities glowing in
glorious colors.
While admiring Lake Lugano from the top of Monte Lema, we met a
couple from New Jersey who told us that they went on a
magnificent day cruise on the lake. Anyway, if there is water
with a sightseeing cruise on it, be it a lake, river, or an arm
of the ocean, something forces me to it. My husband has lasting
memories of a few hilarious and difficult boat and water related
adventures I pushed him into, but our boat trip on Lake Lugano
was pleasant and calm.
Cruises sailed off almost every hour or several times during the
day. At about lunchtime one day, we boarded a white and
turquoise boat with "Navigazione Lugano" written on the side of
it.
On the boat, we went up to the top deck, and as we sailed, the
cool lake breeze, the beautiful dark blue lake surrounded by
lush, green covered Alps that looked like moss hills, and the
lakeside towns and villages boasting of colorful flowery patches
made us forget about the lunch served on board. Such extravagant
richness of nature and beauty of the sights humbles a person and
makes him think how lucky he is to be there to witness it all.
Alps around Lugano, though quite high, seem more rounded at the
peaks than those in mid to northern Europe, as were the people
who seemed to be smoother, friendlier, and more open in their
ways, for Lugano offered us the warmest human contact.
"Benvenuti, benvenuti!" Everywhere we went, we were welcomed
with open arms.
In Europe, one thing different from the US is that Europeans do
not drink tap water, except maybe in a couple of places in
France. If one asks for water, one has to be ready to pay for
it. Also, each locality has a special way and means of imbibing
its favorite drinks. In Lugano, they drink wine from small bowls
called boccalinos and their after dinner drink is a walnut
liqeur Ratafia.
The food, too, tasted excellent, but that may be because I am
partial to Italian cooking. In the northern Swiss cities, the
food is delicious in a local sense, but extremely pricey,
especially if one ate all his meals in a restaurant.
English is rarely spoken in Lugano, and if spoken, it is very
difficult to understand. Something similar happens with my
Italian. I can somewhat understand Italian if I force myself,
but if I try to talk it, what comes out of my mouth is a
distorted Spanish. Despite the language barrier, I met the
nicest, warmest people in Lugano and if I dare study Italian
again, it will be because of the people of Lugano and my wish to
visit this fantastic town and to hear, one more time, a
sweet-voiced tenor's singing just for me.
Lugano is a great city for walking tours, for there are many
things to see and experience. Besides the Via Nassa and the
Swiss Banks, there are the lakeside promenade, narrow streets of
the old town, St. Mary's Church, parks, flowers, the sweet
smells of oleander, lemon, and magnolia, museums, outdoor cafes,
lake breezes, and the strong cappucino that is served at almost
any place, and of course, that divine food: polenta, ossobucco,
pastas galore and my favorite crusty bread and formaggini, which
is goat cheese topped with olive oil and coarse pepper. I can
safely say that the best food I ever ate was the Italian food in
Lugano.
Shopping in Lugano is an adventure. Unless you've hit the lotto,
it is better to stay away from shopping on the cobbled Via
Nassa. Rolex, Gucci, Versace, and many other too hot to touch
stores are on this pedestrian-only street where it is great to
walk up and down if only to dream Cinderella dreams.
Several years have passed since I've been to Lugano but the
memory stands shadowless, still delicately injecting its
splendor into my life, making me hope--in my next vacation--to
visit Lugano again.
About the author:
Joy Cagil is an author on a site for Writers
(http://www.Writing.Com/) Her education is in foreign languages
and linguistics. In her background are varied subjects such as
psychology, mental health, and visual arts, and she loves to
travel. Her portfolio can be found at
http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag
by Joy Cagil
Switzerland is a multi-language country. While we were there, we
found French to be the main language in Geneva and Neuchatel.
Later, we encountered German as the most used language; however,
in the south, some very warm-blooded Italians surprised us by
talking in Italian inside the pleasant coolness of the Swiss
canton Ticino situated at the Italian border.
We first witnessed Lugano in Ticino from Monte Lema, a southern
Alp with a modern cable lift. You didn't think I would hike up
there, did you?
Sitting inside a cable lift is almost like flying, although I am
not into flying unless inside an airplane. I am not into
paragliding either. Yet, we enjoyed the sight of numerous
paragliders in most places over the Alps especially around Ticino
Monte Lema has the most splendid view of Lake Lugano, Lake
Maggiore, and southern Ticino. The terraced restaurant on Monte
Lema, which was like a self-service take-out, offered us a
variety of simple lunches. The terrace had a wood planked
deck-like floor and long picnic tables with benches where we
perched to eat our lunch, watching the magnificence of the view
with mountains, lakes, and in the distance, cities glowing in
glorious colors.
While admiring Lake Lugano from the top of Monte Lema, we met a
couple from New Jersey who told us that they went on a
magnificent day cruise on the lake. Anyway, if there is water
with a sightseeing cruise on it, be it a lake, river, or an arm
of the ocean, something forces me to it. My husband has lasting
memories of a few hilarious and difficult boat and water related
adventures I pushed him into, but our boat trip on Lake Lugano
was pleasant and calm.
Cruises sailed off almost every hour or several times during the
day. At about lunchtime one day, we boarded a white and
turquoise boat with "Navigazione Lugano" written on the side of
it.
On the boat, we went up to the top deck, and as we sailed, the
cool lake breeze, the beautiful dark blue lake surrounded by
lush, green covered Alps that looked like moss hills, and the
lakeside towns and villages boasting of colorful flowery patches
made us forget about the lunch served on board. Such extravagant
richness of nature and beauty of the sights humbles a person and
makes him think how lucky he is to be there to witness it all.
Alps around Lugano, though quite high, seem more rounded at the
peaks than those in mid to northern Europe, as were the people
who seemed to be smoother, friendlier, and more open in their
ways, for Lugano offered us the warmest human contact.
"Benvenuti, benvenuti!" Everywhere we went, we were welcomed
with open arms.
In Europe, one thing different from the US is that Europeans do
not drink tap water, except maybe in a couple of places in
France. If one asks for water, one has to be ready to pay for
it. Also, each locality has a special way and means of imbibing
its favorite drinks. In Lugano, they drink wine from small bowls
called boccalinos and their after dinner drink is a walnut
liqeur Ratafia.
The food, too, tasted excellent, but that may be because I am
partial to Italian cooking. In the northern Swiss cities, the
food is delicious in a local sense, but extremely pricey,
especially if one ate all his meals in a restaurant.
English is rarely spoken in Lugano, and if spoken, it is very
difficult to understand. Something similar happens with my
Italian. I can somewhat understand Italian if I force myself,
but if I try to talk it, what comes out of my mouth is a
distorted Spanish. Despite the language barrier, I met the
nicest, warmest people in Lugano and if I dare study Italian
again, it will be because of the people of Lugano and my wish to
visit this fantastic town and to hear, one more time, a
sweet-voiced tenor's singing just for me.
Lugano is a great city for walking tours, for there are many
things to see and experience. Besides the Via Nassa and the
Swiss Banks, there are the lakeside promenade, narrow streets of
the old town, St. Mary's Church, parks, flowers, the sweet
smells of oleander, lemon, and magnolia, museums, outdoor cafes,
lake breezes, and the strong cappucino that is served at almost
any place, and of course, that divine food: polenta, ossobucco,
pastas galore and my favorite crusty bread and formaggini, which
is goat cheese topped with olive oil and coarse pepper. I can
safely say that the best food I ever ate was the Italian food in
Lugano.
Shopping in Lugano is an adventure. Unless you've hit the lotto,
it is better to stay away from shopping on the cobbled Via
Nassa. Rolex, Gucci, Versace, and many other too hot to touch
stores are on this pedestrian-only street where it is great to
walk up and down if only to dream Cinderella dreams.
Several years have passed since I've been to Lugano but the
memory stands shadowless, still delicately injecting its
splendor into my life, making me hope--in my next vacation--to
visit Lugano again.
About the author:
Joy Cagil is an author on a site for Writers
(http://www.Writing.Com/) Her education is in foreign languages
and linguistics. In her background are varied subjects such as
psychology, mental health, and visual arts, and she loves to
travel. Her portfolio can be found at
http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag
LUGANO HOTELS
LUGANO HOLIDAYS
LUGANO SWITZERLAND HOTELS
LUGANO HOLIDAYS
LUGANO SWITZERLAND HOTELS
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