Alps Trip 2019: trip to Lugano
Today we are up early to begin our travel to Lugano, Switzerland. It's sad to leave the pretty mountain town of Zermatt, but we are on to more adventures!
Since our bus is not allowed in pedestrian Zermatt, we catch a shuttle train to the town of Tasch. There we board our bus, which is more appropriately called our "coach". Our luggage has already been transported to the coach.
We descend the narrow, steep valley from Tasch. Then we climb back up through a pass: Simplon Pass, a high notch in the Swiss Alps. Napoleon constructed a road over this strategically important pass in 1801.
This 30-foot statue of an eagle on Simplon Pass is a tribute to the Swiss Mountain Brigade during WWII.
Just before our coach heads down the other side of Simplon Pass, our tour guide offers us shots of this Etter Alte Kirsche Cherry liqueur.
That liqueur kept us sleepy and peaceful as we drove down the pass and into Italy. In Strasa, on Lake Maggiore, we took a long break to explore this lakeside town and enjoy lunch. We had pizza! The little shops in Italy had much better prices and merchandise than we had found in Switzerland.
We continue on through the flat Lake District. Our destination is our hotel, the Hotel Lugano Dante, Switzerland, on Lake Lugano. When we get off our coach, we use a funny short train called a funicular to take us on a short (2 minute) ride down a steep hill to the town proper. After we checked into our rooms, we had dinner at nearby restaurant, right on the lake. Another lovely day comes to a close.
next Alps trip entry
first Alps trip entry
Since our bus is not allowed in pedestrian Zermatt, we catch a shuttle train to the town of Tasch. There we board our bus, which is more appropriately called our "coach". Our luggage has already been transported to the coach.
We descend the narrow, steep valley from Tasch. Then we climb back up through a pass: Simplon Pass, a high notch in the Swiss Alps. Napoleon constructed a road over this strategically important pass in 1801.
This 30-foot statue of an eagle on Simplon Pass is a tribute to the Swiss Mountain Brigade during WWII.
Just before our coach heads down the other side of Simplon Pass, our tour guide offers us shots of this Etter Alte Kirsche Cherry liqueur.
That liqueur kept us sleepy and peaceful as we drove down the pass and into Italy. In Strasa, on Lake Maggiore, we took a long break to explore this lakeside town and enjoy lunch. We had pizza! The little shops in Italy had much better prices and merchandise than we had found in Switzerland.
We continue on through the flat Lake District. Our destination is our hotel, the Hotel Lugano Dante, Switzerland, on Lake Lugano. When we get off our coach, we use a funny short train called a funicular to take us on a short (2 minute) ride down a steep hill to the town proper. After we checked into our rooms, we had dinner at nearby restaurant, right on the lake. Another lovely day comes to a close.
next Alps trip entry
first Alps trip entry
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