Tuesday, August 27, 2024

This morning we checked our bags and backpacks for a boat ride to Fluelen, from which we’d take a panoramic train ride to Lugano in Italian-speaking Switzerland.

The closer we came to Italy, (and I’m allowed to say this because I’m half Italian) the more out of control things seemed in comparison to Lucerne and German-speaking Switzerland. How can I explain this? (I know a man whose job requires him to travel to Zurich regularly. He knew exactly what I meant. He said going from Zurich to Italy was like going to the Atlanta airport–he described it as “all hell breaking loose.”)

“Out of control” and even “all hell breaking loose” can be viewed in both good and bad terms. In a positive way, I mean less rigid, less boring. In a more negative way, it seemed things ran a little less tightly than they did in Lucerne and Zurich. The trains and busses, for instance. Perhaps I’m exaggerating, but I really sensed this in my gut, of things being less regular and humdrum but also more Mediterranean and passionate.

The truth is, I felt some anxiety about leaving behind the German-speaking area!

The boat ride to Fluelen was longer than I had anticipated, about three hours. I had neglected to bring along a snack and a drink, (BIG mistake) so after sightseeing for awhile along the clear blue tranquil waters of Lake Lucerne, looking at the Alps and little towns along its shore, and baking in the sun, I went into the crowded restaurant on board and tried to sit down. My husband didn’t even try to come with me, saying he would if the waiter ever came to take my order. After many attempts, I failed to get the overworked waiter’s attention and gave up. But it taught me to always bring a snack and a drink when taking any form of transportation. I had left the water bottle with my backpack, which we checked.

At Fluelen we left the boat behind and boarded our train, the Gotthard Panoramic Express, named so because it was created when tunnels were built (mostly by poor Italians, some who died in the process) opening the Gotthard Pass in the Alps to rail travel . We were seated behind some Americans, a few young couples from California who seemed to be going to an event in Italy, perhaps to Venice eventually for a wedding. Across from us sat another young couple whose language I couldn’t identify from their accents or when they spoke to each other, but I think they were German. The sun shone brightly into the car and the first thing the young woman did was to pull the shade all the way down. I had to speak up once we pulled out of the station.

“Do you think you might raise the shade a bit? I’d love to see the view.”

“But the sun might get too hot.”

“Okay.” I gave in. They eventually did put the shade back up. I hate to be an example of a cranky old tourist, but what’s the point of a panoramic train if you aren’t going to look out the windows? And stunning sights there were of the Alps and little towns scattered throughout the countryside. There was an open window car on the train if you wanted to take pictures without having glass as a barrier. Jim spent a good half hour in there. It was fun to go up and down mountains, to slide smoothly in and out of tunnels and pass the same scenes a few times as the train curled around. There was a food service on the train, and we had some antipasti and drinks. A tour guide told us a bit about the scenery and how the railway was built, and gave everyone some Swiss chocolate. I can’t think of a better way to travel than on these trains and would recommend Jim’s itinerary.

We finally arrived in Lugano. We both forgot that Rick Steve advised travellers to take a funicular from the train station down into the town. We should have paid better attention, but still it was much easier going down into town than dragging our suitcase and backpacks up, which we did when we left Lugano a few days later. THEN we used the funicular, which is this little train that just goes up and down, forward and reverse, carrying people up or down the steep climb from town.

Lugano was happenin’. I noticed many women, young, middle aged, and older, dressed fashionably, and a lot of pedestrian traffic passed our hotel (located right next to the funicular, which we couldn’t figure out for a few minutes.) As soon as we rested in our room, which for the life of me I can’t remember well, we went down into town and through a lovely garden and along Lake Lugano. The atmosphere was definitely more Italian, even somewhat like the French Riviera. We ate a dinner of meatballs and pizza at a restaurant whose name I can’t remember either. In the past I used to save every receipt from restaurants so that I could remember where we ate but I seemed to have stopped doing this, probably mostly because I’m tired. We walked an average of 5-6 miles if not more every day on this trip. I prepared by walking 5 miles almost every day all summer.

Tomorrow we will take another boat ride to Gandria on Lake Lugano. We will eat lunch there.