A Weekend in Paradiso

View of Monte San Salvatore from Parco Civico

One thing I failed to mention in my last post was how Mom and Jim were super impressed with the precision of Swiss train schedules. We switched trains exactly eight times going from Au to Morteratsch to Lugano, sometimes with only a few minutes between each transfer, and made it on time to each train, always departing exactly on schedule. This blew them away. Still, they were about to be blown away even more by the differences between Italian-Switzerland and German-Switzerland.

First, the weather was completely different. The sun was out, and not a rain drop was in sight. Additionally, the region had an entirely different feel to it. Except for the timely train that delivered us to Lugano main station and the only-a-few-minutes-late bus to our hotel in Lugano-Paradiso (as opposed to no bus schedule at all), everything around us seemed to imply that we had crossed the border into Italy. We dined on fantastic pizza, ate awesome Italian cookies from the pasticceria next to our hotel, strolled along the lakeside promenade, savored gelato artigianale (homemade), napped in the Parco Civico, and generally had a relaxing Sunday. After nearly two years here, it still amazes me that such completely different regions can be joined under that same flag.

Ticino is the one place in Switzerland that calls us back time and again. Our first time in the region, we spent a rainy weekend at a chocolate festival in Lugano, but rain certainly didn't stop us from wanting more of Italian-Switzerland. We went back to Ticino to camp near Locarno twice last summer. So when I learned that the Bernina Express offers a bus route out of Lugano, I quickly booked our seats, thrilled to be able to give Lugano another chance. Since it rained the entire time we were there last year, I had no idea Lugano had such a lovely lakeside promenade or spectacular lake views from atop Monte San Salvatore.

From Lugano-Paradiso, you can catch a fifteen-minute funicular ride up to the top of Monte San Salvatore for 360-degree views of Lake Lugano or for the start of some beautiful hikes. Sadly, we didn't get to take the hike I had read about (my bad foot and Mom's bad back = lots of resting and relaxing, which was just fine with me!), but I would love to go back someday to give it a try.

Isaiah, Amanda, and Mom with Lake Lugano in the background

Views of Lugano Bay from atop Mt. San Salvatore

More views of Lake Lugano from Mt. San Salvatore

Lugano Bay and promenade

Lugano Bay

Parco Civico

The art of relaxation - Mt. San Salvatore in background

Photo op during our walk back to Lugano-Paradiso

Morteratsch Glacier: A walk to the largest glacier in the Bernina Range

It had never crossed my mind to go out of my way to see a glacier up close. But one thing lead to another, and when I found out my mom and Jim would be coming to visit us, I began planning our adventures. So why not see a glacier?

Actually, my main goal was for us to ride the Bernina Express, but riding all the way south only to come right back didn't make any sense to me. I wanted to find a way to break up the trip and spend a night (or two) somewhere a little more interesting than a train station town. Fortunately, the Rhaetian Railway also offers a Bernina Express bus from Lugano to Tirano (Italy) where you can catch the Bernina Express train up to Davos or Chur.

The plan was then to take the train down to Lugano on Day 1, spend the next day relaxing in the sun, and then head back on Day 3. Still, I didn't like the idea of not being able to get off the Bernina Express to explore any of the towns along the way. That's when I decided we would indeed go out of our way to stop at the Morteratsch Glacier on our way down to Lugano. And by go out of our way, I mean hours of backtracking (which I really hate), but it was all worth it!

How to get to the Morteratsch Glacier:

1. Get off at the Morteratsch stop on the Bernina line of the Rhaetian Railway.

Isaiah, Mom, and Jim at the station

2. Look for helpful yellow signs that point you in the direction of the glacier. (Hint: It's called "Vadret da Morteratsch.")

3. Walk on the "wild side" of Switzerland, stopping every now and again to learn how much the glacier tongue has receded over the years.

4. Check to make sure you're still headed in the right direction.

5. Admire the glacier from a distance - you're almost there!

Isaiah and Jim walking through the glacier valley

6. Admire the glacier up close, but be careful near the ice tunnels! They could collapse!

Fiesta Mexicana: A Celebration of Mexican Culture in Zürich

Ballet Folklórico Dancers

A few weeks back when we attended the Teotihuacan exhibit at Museum Rietberg in Zürich, I noticed that the museum would be hosting a fiesta mexicana in early May (to coincide with "Cinco de Mayo," I guess). They advertised a day of authentic Mexican food, mariachis, ballet folklórico, a market - well, they had us at Mexican food.

What "Mexican" restaurants here call Mexican food is definitely not the Mexican-American food we're accustomed to and it most certainly is not something anyone in Mexico City would ever cook at home or eat at a restaurant. This makes me question who the heck runs those joints! Anyway, thank heavens the people running the food booths at the fiesta mexicana were genuine Mexicans serving up authentic Mexican street food like tlacoyos. (You will not find these served up at a taco shop in California.)

Blue corn meal cakes stuffed with beans...

and topped with salsa verde, fresh cheese, onions, cilantro, and nopales.

One last shot of the tasty street snack

My favorite performance of the day was by a musical group called Flor y Canto. They took us on a journey through 500 years of Mexican folkloric musical history, often incorporating as many indigenous musical instruments as possible. Also, the folkloric dance performances made me miss watching my friends Azucena and Karina perform with their group back in San Diego. Mostly, I was reminded of the beauty of my Mexican heritage. ¡Qué viva México!

Granny gets her drink on!

Beautiful, sunny day at the park