Gudo, Ticino, Switzerland

On Saturday morning we left for our next destination Gudo inTicino.  Ticino is a region in southern Switzerland, just north of Milan in Italy.  We are staying with Reinhard and Elisangela at their holiday house.  They were our hosts in Zurich.  We had planned to take the train all the way, but it wasn’t running due to snow and avalanche risks so we had to train the first part and then catch a bus.  Rosemarie came with us some of the way which was great as we went on a bit of a side tour (where the train would have gone) and saw some of the Limestone rock faces at Versam Safiem which is on the famous Glacier Alpine Train tour.  It was well worth the detour.

 There was still plenty of snow around Chur and even further down, but about an hour later as we went through the St Bernadino Pass we noticed a difference, not as much snow and the houses were a different style and we could see the Italian influence creeping in.   The bus trip was really great, the road pass was very steep and wound its way through the valley and right down to Lugano.  There were lots of cool bridges that interested Murray and  roads carved into rocks - where no roads should be! typical of Italy I think, I remember it from our last trip.

Chur

The first of many long tunnels we went through, I think the longest was 7 kms

Road just cut into the rockface with this pillar type side rails

Looking down the St Bernadino Pass.  This is just one level there was about three or four levels to the bottom.

If you look closely you can see three huge bridges

By the time we got to Bellizona, the people appeared different too.  A lot of Italian was being spoken – whoops should have brought my Italian dictionary!  Again we were greeted by people dressed in weird costumes, they had had their big festival parade and it had just finished, there were people everywhere, it was party central, the street was a mess with paper streamers, rubbish etc.  The streets were closed and the bus stop was on the street so after asking the bus man at the station were to go, not believing him, walking up and down the street and then going back to re ask him, we finally stood and waited for the bus where he had originally said – yes we should have listened he did actually know what he was talking about .  Reiny and his friend met us at the bus stop and we walked up the hill to his little oasis.  A lovely little old cottage, that was right by a river – which had running water, not frozen and plenty of it.  It was getting dark so we were promised a tour in the morning.   Reinhard and Elisangela had been to Bellinzona earlier in the day and had brought home a Swiss tradional soup.  Tripe and vegetable !  OMG  - it was actually quite a nice flavour but I couldn't swallow the tripe.  Murray enjoyed it.   Note to self – listen to directions carefully

Proof that I ate Tripe soup !