Switzerland

Towering Mountains, Beautiful Lakes

A Valley of Clouds

Waterfalls from on High

Some of the Best Scenery on Earth

Lest you think I am channeling Ansel Adams - no - I did not take those pix.  I was too busy navigating the hairpin bends on the Swiss roads through the Alps!

Leaving 5Terre, we headed to Germany, spending one night in Lugano, Switzerland. 

We thought it was going to be a quaint Swiss village on the lake (think Swiss Chalet!) but it was an ultra modern city with very expensive stores of interest to those very much more chic than us. Watches, jewelry, designer clothes, chocolates – everything Swiss. It was still beautiful though, wrapped around Lake Lugano with the mountains as a backdrop.

After the very reasonable prices in Italy, we were a bit taken aback by the menu at the restaurant that was recommended to us. About $7.50 for a coke, and the cheapest bottle of wine was about $80.00. Nevertheless, we had one of the best meals we have had on the trip, with Lorraine sticking to the mixed seafood risotto, but mine was most incredible lamb dish I have ever tasted. Chops cut from a rack of lamb, coated in a crushed pistachio and pepper crust, then seared on the outside but left perfectly pink and warm on the inside. Served with green peppercorns in a hunter sauce on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes with asparagus on the side. It was very expensive, but this restaurant (Tango – Lugano) was worth it.

Switzerland as a vista had disappointed up till then, but the next morning, after we both agreed that the scenery was less than spectacular, the countryside responded with a vengeance to put us right, and erupted into some of the most magnificent sights we have seen yet.

The Swiss Alps were stunning, high mountains, waterfalls cascading down the steep hillside, carving their way to teal blue streams and lakes. Mountains reached down and wreathed their shoulders with chains of cotton candy clouds. Dotting the slopes, some perched impossibly on the heights were little villages full of – well – Swiss chalets! All wooden beams, slate roofs, whitewashed walls with dark wood trim around the windows, window boxes overflowing with pink and red geraniums – they were postcard pictures.

Then we arrived in Augsburg, Germany, to take the train to Munich and OKTOBERFEST!

Cinque Terre

We arrived after a four hour drive from Santa Fiora in Cinqueterre (Five Lands – or Five Villages) .

Cinque Terre has to be one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. Our room had a view of the Ligurian Sea. Our hostess, Lorenza (Casalorenza) met us at the point of no return for cars in Riomaggiore, the southernmost 5T village – where no cars are allowed unless on official business and helped us with our luggage to Casalorenza.

I had, by that time, developed what has turned out to be walking pneumonia, a deep, deep cough and very congested lungs. When I began to cough, Lorenza said she would go to the pharmacia and get me some medicine. I joked that all I needed was a Moretti (Italian Birra) and a good Italian wine. Lorenza shows up at our door five minutes later with two bottles of beer and a bottle of wine!

We went to our balcony and drank in the spectacular view (Not the beer and wine). Last year we visited Cinque Terre after leaving Corsica. Unfortunately, Lorraine fell coming down a mountain there , so she was not able to do a lot of hiking with her badly sprained ankle. This year, we were determined to do all the trails – all five of them. We soon learned that two of them were closed. Mudslides come down the mountains and tragically, they smother the cities. One such in 2009 killed eleven people. The latest closed two of the trails we wanted to hike.

Cinque Terre is a National Park and World Heritage site. The five cities are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, and, at one time, you could walk the connecting paths between them all, from Monterosso to Riomaggiore. We resolved to do as much as we could, so Day One we took a bus to a hillside village of Volastra, then walked for 60 minutes straight down through olive groves and vineyards.

The next day we took a boat ride to Vernazza, and hiked from there to Corniglia, almost 2 hours in total, the first half a steep climb, and the second a scrambling descent. The path was broken by lookouts that offered stunning views of the mountains and sea. Strangely enough, my lungs did not bother me, and I found it easier to hike up than down. Lorraine found the climb difficult, but trooper that she is we finished the hike and treated ourselves to an authentic Italian Pizza in Corniglia.

The next day the paths were to be closed because of a big storm was coming in. My shining moment came when the park official was trying to explain this in Italian to a Frenchwoman who did not understand, and I translated from Italian to French for her!

The storm, when it did come, was more of a hurricane: Pounding rains and shrieking winds. We couldn't leave the room for hours, but when the storm subsided, Lorraine was able to take some spectacular pictures of the sunset.

After four beautiful days in 5T, we left for Switzerland, en route to Germany and Austria.

SL on the Path Down from Volastra

JL on Path Down to Manarola

Riomaggiore in the Background

Riomaggiore from the Boat

Vernazzo from the Path

A Pause on the Heights

The Happy Couple Nearing Corniglia

Sunset from Our Balcony

After the Storm

Riomaggiore from Our Balcony

Daniel Spoerri - More Pics

I know it is hard to believe, but we just don't seem to be able to find the time to write!
I promised more pix of DS Garden, so here they are.  I will find the artist's names and descriptions and add them later.