Tag: Lugano
Day Four- Lugano to Zurich
Day four was time to say goodbye to Lugano. I was a bit sad to leave the Italian part of Switzerland- there was really no difference between Como and Lugano- it seemed like we were staying in Italy. We took a a scenic train- Wilhelm Tell Express to Lucerne on our way to Zurich. The most beautiful scenery was to be devoured on the one and a half train ride. About an hour into the ride, we saw a distinct difference in the town names and language- it was all German… we had left the Italian region of Switzerland. We got off and took a two and a half hour long steam boat. We sat down in the dining area and ordered some delicious local Swiss white wine and lunch. It was a limited menu- we ordered a delicious mixed salad, lasagna, ravioli and a fillet of Perch. The fish was clearly the highlight of the meal.. although the Kirsch fruit cake was quite delicious as well.
Fillet of Perch
Mixed Salad
The boat ride was absolutely magical- Lake Lucerne was a turquoise green. The little villages off the water were breathtaking. After an amazing experience, we arrived in Lucerne. A 40 minute train ride later, we arrived in Zurich. A short walk and we were in our hotel! We quickly unpacked and went downstairs for a welcome drink. We enjoyed a glass of Rose and beer and ventured out into the main area of Zurich. We walked by the river and found a German style sausage place. They had several different kinds of sausages, including grilled chicken legs- which were delicious. We also ordered a curry sausage which was served sliced with a curry sauce on top. We also ordered fresh fries, white wine and beer. We stood at the counter and ate the delicious street food. We then walked around a bit more and admired the beautiful city.
I can’t wait to explore more of Zurich and Lucerne in the next few days. So far the visit has been lovely. The people are very friendly, the vistas are gorgeous, the wine is delicious and food is quite good- what more could a girl ask for???
Lugano Day Two- Monte Bre
Day three of our trip to Switzerland was spent in Lugano. We woke up to a delicious buffet breakfast including delicious coffee served with hot milk. I am a happy person when my hot beverages are served super hot- and somehow in Europe that is the case every time. The buffet breakfast was filled with bread, cheese, meats, eggs, hot chocolate, lots of pastries… needless to say, we were extremely full and filled with energy.
We walked around near out hotel, close to the lake and found some beautiful sites of freshly cooked food as well as fresh fruit. 
After a bit of shopping and gelato eating, we made our way to Monte Bre via a bus and then two funiculars. It was way up into the mountains and it took us a while but it was definitely worth the long trip. The view was breathtaking! We walked around a bit and finally sat down for a very late lunch. We ordered a bottle of Rose, a tomato and mozzarella salad, spaghetti bolognese and tagliatelle with mushrooms. The meal was nice but the view was what we enjoyed the most.
Being in the south of Switzerland, it feels we are in Italy.. since everyone speaks Italian, there is mostly Italian food- although not as yummy as in Italy, very friendly people. The main difference is that everything is triple the price! It is unbelievably expensive. It is hard to wrap our minds around the prices.. especially since we spent yesterday in Italy and spent a fraction on the same food and wine!
We are off to Zurich via a scenic train and ferry ride. It should be gorgeous views and I am looking forward to it.. but sad to be going away from Italy..
A Day in Como, Italy
Day two in Switzerland started with a delicious breakfast filled with lots of cheese, bread, some salami and lots of delicious coffee. One of the advantages of being in Lugano is that we are half an hour away from the Italian border! That makes me happy. I couldn’t wait to make our way there.. even though we were there a month ago- I can’t get enough of the good food, cheap and delicious wine and the sweet life! I feel blessed to be able to enjoy some quality time with my family while eating delicious food.
We made our way there via a speed train. Thirty short minutes later, we were in Como.. and a short ten minutes later we were by the beautiful lake. We decided to take a ferry ride and admire the lovely villas and homes around the beautiful lake. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference between Lugano and Como.. except Como seemed more populated. Also, the prices in Como were much cheaper than Lugano. Switzerland on the whole is quite expensive overall, including food and wine.
We made a couple stops for gelato con panna (whipped cream) and then finally settled down for a yummy lunch break. We ordered a mixed salad, a zucchini lasagna and pasta with salmon. All the pasta was made fresh, of course! We also ordered a carafe of a local Rose. The simplest things taste good in Italy- it is all about the ingredients… fresh and delicious… A couple of hours later we made our way back to Lugano.. can’t wait to explore some more tomorrow!
Pasta with Salmon
Zucchini Lasagna
Lugano, Switzerland- Day One
When we decided to come to Switzerland, I wasn’t too excited.. why, you ask? Well, nothing against the beautiful country but I just didn’t think it would offer very delicious food except yummy chocolate and yummy cheese! Well, I guess there is nothing wrong with the two things but it wasn’t what I had in mind. I decided to change my mindset and told myself not every trip has to be filled with delicious food… it is supposed to be a gorgeous country and that is what I should be paying attention to. As I was convincing myself, I realized we had an option of going to Lugano which is very close to the Italian border- yay!! I knew the food would be delicious down there.. and here we are- first day in Lugano and so far so good. Well, it has been a tiring day after landing in Zurich at 8 AM, stopping for a delicious cappuccino and pretzel, catching three trains and arriving in Lugano at 1 PM! The journey to Lugano was absolutely breathtaking with the most amazing vistas.. too bad we were half asleep. All I could think was, what a gorgeous country!
Arugula and Parmigiano Salad
We arrived at our hotel and dropped the luggage off as our room was not ready as yet. A very short walk later, we found ourselves enjoying the gorgeous Lake Lugano. We walked around and found cafe/restaurant over looking the water. We ordered a delicious, local rose from the Ticino region- it was yummy… we washed it down with a delicious arugula and Parmigiano salad and a mushroom and spicy salami pizza. The food was yummy and so was the gelato that my daughter had three times!!
Spicy Salami and Mushroom Pizza