It was with both regret and anticipation that we left Stresa, our first base for so many scenic adventures. But now we were headed north towards
Lago di Lugano (also known as Lake Ceresio) and Switzerland.
Our Swiss Guide P was delighted at being able to show some of his wonderful little country to our group. Knowing that I am a Swiss resident and having learned that I also love that country, Guide P enlisted me to help drum up enthusiasm among my fellow travellers. Once we had crossed the border, entered the country and caught our first glimpse of the city of
Lugano, it looked as if drumming up enthusiasm would not be necessary at all.
As Guide P explained,
Lugano (the city) is often called the Swiss
Rio de Janeiro, because it has a distinctive mountain that resembles Rio's
Sugarloaf.
It is ranked 9th among Swiss cities in population and has also gotten a reputation as the "
Monte Carlo of Switzerland" because in recent years it has attracted a growing number of international entertainers, celebrities and athletes. Alas, we were never to see any of this because our bus whisked us right through the city without stopping as some of us gazed longingly at the wonderful array of department stores. So near and yet so far!
When the bus finally stopped on the outskirts of Lugano, it was only for us to take a brief rest stop. Alas again, to Guide P's great embarrassment - and my own as a surrogate Swiss - the Swiss rest rooms were found wanting. It was not due to cleanliness or lack of paper or anything so simple. The fact was that the facilities dedicated to women were locked! What a disgrace! Of course, the gentleman let us use their facilities - and we made good use indeed - but poor Guide P was never able to live down this situation and was roundly teased about it for the rest of our visit!
From our stop outside Lugano, we began the lakeside trek to the scenic village of
Gandria - on foot. The path, literally hewn into the lakeside rock, followed the lake and was very picturesque,
although once again, I was glad to have my walking stick handy.
The lake water was nearly turquoise in its clarity.
We finally arrived at
Gandria and, after a few moments near the Church of Saint Vigilio explaining how the city center was closed to traffic, Guide P dismissed us to have lunch anywhere we wanted.
Gandria was at first famous for its production of olive oil. But most of its olive trees were killed during an unusually harsh winter in 1709. Recently, however, olive trees have been replanted along the
Sentiero dell'olivo, the scenic lakeside trail that we had taken from Lugano. Silk production began in the region in 1865. But, because of the nearby border with Italy and the difficulty of guarding that border, Gandria and its area also became infamous for
smuggling, with cigarettes, meat and alcohol being among the most-trafficked items. It wasn't until the 20th century when tunnels and a new road connected the village to Lugano and Italy that Gandria truly entered the contemporary era and abandoned its sordid, if colorful, past.
The town's intriguing center is a network of hilly byways,
some offering glimpses of the lake,
others beckoning one to continue exploration into quiet corners.
Because it was lunchtime and our journey from Stresa had given us appetites, we stopped at a small terrace cafe with some friends
and enjoyed a lovely lunch there.
While I opted again for my perennial favorite
salade capresi (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil or pesto sauce), HWMBO had the
plat du jour, which looked and was delicious
.
While we were lunching, we enjoyed our close-up view of a lakeside
regatta and
continued enjoying the sight even as we explored the village after lunch.
After more sightseeing in lovely Gandria,
we clmbed back up the steps
to find that the bus had travelled to meet us and was ready to take us to
Lago di Como for our next series of adventures.
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