Archeology Touring

We're touring the old city of Locarno at the top of Lago Maggiore briefly this morning on foot. Locarno, famous for the treaty that let Germany join the League of Nations in 1925, is filled with clusters of shops, churches and plazas replete with market stalls selling everything from flowers to food to "box lots" of goods. It was hard to pull Peggy away from vendors just setting up and unpacking treasures to be had.

The Duck, however, had other ideas and we boarded the Postal Bus for the Verzasca Valley leading high into the surrounding mountain and our destination for the day - Sonogno. Population 85, Sonogno is a relatively short distance, but is a world away.

Fed by glaciers, the water is clear and cold

Leaving behind city streets, we began our journey up the valley road which was just wide enough for two small cars to pass if they met going in opposite directions. Coupled with switchbacks, hairpin turns and hundred year old buildings right up against the road, our twenty foot bus somehow managed to negotiate the fifteen foot hairpin turns and even survived passing an oncoming car towing a travel trailer. It is believed that sucking in our collective breaths made the bus narrow enough to squeeze past on the lane-and-a-half road.

The Postal Bus lines travel to the most remote parts of Switzerland

Passing the wild hay making slopes of Vogorno, the Postal Bus followed the Efra mountain stream from the lower dam past a number of small villages clinging to the hillsides. 

There was Brione Verzasca, dependent on livestock farming and famous for wolf traps used to control the wild predators; Frasco, with its water mill and power plant; Vogorno, Odro with its Alpine pastures; Lavertezzo's monolithic basins for collecting water to make up for the lack of surface and ground waters along the Fopia slopes; and the oldest town in the valley with a population of only 16 and accessible via a cable across the deep ravine carved out by the stream below.

And along the way, a charming double arch stone bridge near Ponte dei Salti where it's said lovers demonstrate their courage by jumping into the icy waters below.

Sonogno is a step back in time. In addition, it is as far as the bus goes, and in Switzerland where the busses and trains go everywhere, that's saying a lot.  Here, signposts to destinations beyond are given in hours and minutes instead of kilometers. Here, the most ancient form of transportation is used as vehicles are not permitted in most of the town.

Walkers Only--No Cars!

The buildings are almost completely made of stone, including the "shingles" that form the roofs, the stairs, and the decoration.

A fountain in the square provides ice cold drinking water should you have a structure without modern plumbing. 

The 18th century buildings center around a magnificent church and the Casa Genardini, home of the local museum.

The museum tells the heart wrenching story of the children of the valley so poor they were sent away to become chimney sweeps in order to bring some small income back to their villages.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Ristorante Alpino and had ample time to visit several shops offering hand made items for sale knitted or woven or carved throughout the winter months. 

We wandered the narrow streets and marveled at Sonogno's peaceful beauty, almost as if we had stepped into Brigadoon.

This little fellow came out to sit in the sunshine

Sonogno is home to a number of artists and craftspersons

Behind us stood snow covered peaks as a reminder that this area is akin to "The Road Less Traveled" during the better part of the year. 

The last bus of the day arrived, and we boarded for our trip back down the valley. Rushing waters, deep gorges, lush vegetation and a myriad of small waterfalls provide ample subject matter for clicking cameras. On the last hairpin turn, a momentary stop gave a breathtaking view of Locarno and Lago Maggiore stretched out before us.

This short video shows Sonogno and the nearby waterfall at Froda:

From the city transportation center, a "short walk, slightly uphill" led us to dinner and a free evening where we bid goodbye to a member of our tour guide staff off on a personal errand. Pictures and warm hugs prevailed as only several days remained on this magnificent journey, FOLLOWING THE DUCK.