It’s Always Sunny in Lugano (except when #iconinterns go there)
Clasped between luscious mountains and the lively boarder of Italy, Lake Lugano was a great spot to hang out for the weekend. I was surprised to find Lugano’s climate was oddly warm and sunny (unlike the rest of Schweiz) and it supported the growth of pine trees next to cacti, bamboo and palm trees…what a cluster of ecosystems in one!
I was able to share this weekend with other icon interns Abby, Carla, Chris, and Lauren, which made the experience even more fun. We ate fresh street-market fruits and pizza, strolled in the park, walked up windy streets, and we found a path paralleling ancient olive trees. The path curved through small neighborhoods in Gandria, with Italian-home style architecture. Carla was especially excited to be in a place that reminded her of home (she our cute Italian friend).
Since it was a holiday and all the close-by hostels were booked, we stayed in a hotel that was about a 35 minute walk from the train station, uphill (waa-whaa). But, this place had a great restaurant across the street where we got our bread/jam and coffee breakfasts after a good night of sleep. On Saturday night we ate dinner there, and found ourselves laughing trying to decode the Italian menu. Thanks to our translator, Carla, we got some great pasta dishes!
On Sunday, Lauren and I decided to stick around even though it was raining. I have heard it is sunny 300 days out of the year, and we happened to be there for one of the rainy ones. Regardless, we took a leisurely boat ride to the beautiful Morcote, walked around the neighborhoods, visited some boutique shops, and got a bite for lunch. Do Italians know how to make flatbread pizza! Lauren and I also bought nice robin-egg colored bracelets, and chatted with the owner of the shop for a while.
Being in Lugano has inspired me to travel to Italy. It would be silly of me not to go just for a weekend, since I am so close (relatively speaking- It would be an entire night of traveling on a train). I would especially love to visit Venice and see what the colorful city has to offer! So Lugano, I’m a little disappointed you brought rainy weather for us, but I thank you for the travel bug!
