Mama Mia!

Everyone is gathered around luggage in the foyer of the hotel. Today, the duck is leading us across the top of the boot of Italy and there is no time to carry baggage with us, save for backpacks and personal items. After considering the physics of cramming all our bags into one van, our luggage is being transported by vehicle across the land route to our destination: Locarno, the Italian part of Switzerland. As was often the case when it came time for "luggage loading," David was front in center to help with the organizing!

David considers which bag should go in next

The journey from Brig takes us through the Simplon Pass tunnel (quite long and steep) to Domodossola, Italy. It's raining off and on which seems to fit the countryside. Gone are the bright colors of tidy houses, castles and streets, replaced with green vines, chipped ceramic tiles, and heavy vegetation.

Descending stairs to the tunnel for the connecting Centovalli train to Locarno, a cold wind greets us along with two cog train cars with seating arranged as if the design came after a motor and wheels were laid down first - almost an afterthought. Some seats were low; some high on a platform; and then low again further into the car. Even the horn, when sounded, didn't seem to have the deep, bass-throated tone of Swiss engines.

Santa Maria Maggiore is in the heart of the Italian portion of today's journey

Centovalli means "Hundred Valleys," and although we had seen so much gorgeous scenery already, the lush valleys with their steep drop offs and the rail bridges that helped us navigate these valleys still took our breath away.

We also noticed that in populated areas, every square meter of land was cultivated, often with neat rows of grapes. The Centovalli is the breadbasket of this part of Switzerland, and there were crops growing in even the smallest, steepest fields.

Image from myswitzerland.com

Climbing through the valley towards Locarno,  the landscape seemed somehow misplaced. Tight curves and steep drop-offs were the order of the day. At the top of the valley was the divide between countries. Here we exchanged our Italian crew for a Swiss one. The overcast skies brightened and even the trees seemed to sing out "alles in ordnung" as we descended into Switzerland once again. As David noted to everyone's amusement, even nature was a little more orderly once we left Italy.

With its lush palm trees and flowers, it seemed far from what we thought Switzerland would be.

At noon, after a "brief 10 minute walk, slightly uphill" and including a stop under a church portico because of a rain shower, we arrived at the Hotel Camelia. Here, pale yellow stucco walls, gardens with roses and pergolas with flowering vines, rooms with balconies and potted plants gave off an air of relaxation and welcome. Checking in and lunch in a bright, airy dining room gave way to free time to explore the sights and shopping in Locarno.

Our first rain!

By now, the walk down to the heart of town and the subsequent return back uphill seemed commonplace, as if we were Swiss ourselves and this was the normal progression of things. So too, was the interaction with shopkeepers; a combination of German, Italian, French and sign-language once again resulted in both happy customers and happy salespersons. 

Downtown Locarno

We had been looking throughout our trip for the Swiss equivalent of a thrift shop or flea market, and we were almost successful this day. Sadly, Edith's was closed.

Conveniently, half-way uphill was a small bistro with indoor (out of the weather) and outdoor (pleasant and sunny) tables where a liquid libation made the journey back and forth most pleasurable.

The afternoon lecture by Julie Guidotti covered everything you wanted to know about Tocino - the Italian part of Switzerland. This was in preparation for tours the duck would lead us on the next dayto the old part of town and a quaint village of Sogogno,  with its Museum of Valle Verzasca.

The evening meal took on a slight Italian flair, without the spaghetti and meatballs often envisioned by Americans. A tasty salat, zuppa, and pesce with root vegetables graced our tables along with a light white vino. Bon Appetite!

Heartier souls could descend the hillside once again to enjoy a walk around the lake before retiring. Tomorrow's tours would include an "E Ticket" bus ride on narrow mountain roads.

Today's trip:

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This short video gives you some idea of the scenery as we made our way across Italy and back into Switzerland again.