In Lugano for a few hours today.  One word: WOW.  This is the center, tucked under the Alps and on a large, clear lake.  The air is wonderful.  With the beautiful weather we've had here, I had forgotten how polluted Torino and surround actually are.  The area is land locked and surrounded by mountains and hills, so there's no where for the smog to go.  Driving back we noticed the mountains were a little "yellowed" (as GP says).

 I don't know who this guy is but I love the pruned trees along the walkway.  Lugano is the best of both worlds.  It is pristine and orderly with modern conveniences like Switzerland.  And it is fashionable and lush with gorgeous architecture like Italy.  The people are all beautifully coiffed and dressed (Italy).  All the dog walkers pick up their dog's poop (Switzerland).  Unfortunately it is outrageously expensive.

 This promontory sticks far out into the water.  They use boats as taxis and buses to the various towns surrounding the lake.  One of the villages, or possibly part of the city of Lugano, is called Paradise.  See below.

 The entrance to Paradise.

 Talk about views.  Of course the only people who can afford to live here are the folks who have their bank accounts here.

I love these Dr. Seuss trees in the park.  Did I mention the lake is populated by huge snow white swans?  Of course.






As I said, WOW.  xxoo me

Tidbits.

A couple weeks ago the Prime Minister of Germany was in Naples for a meeting of some sort. While there the head of his security team had his Rolex stolen right off his wrist.  Naples is a cesspool.

The towns and cities have all put up their Christmas decorations.  GP and I took a walk in Torino to see the lights.  They have a giant Advent Calender set up in the largest square in the center which they open at 6:30 every evening.  The fire department arrives with a ladder truck and kids are recruited from the crowd.  Then with the aid of the children, a fireman on the ladder pulls a rope and opens the daily window.  It's all very cute and festive.

It would be even more festive if it felt vaguely like winter.  Temperatures continue to be up near 50 and though the mountains are white, down here the grass is still green.  They keep saying a blast of wintery air is coming but these people have no concept of wintery air blasts.  A slight breeze here is seen as a blustery day and actual wind is dangerous and worrisome.  This time of year is usually very damp and gray and foggy.  It has been lovely and dry and sunny which has everyone on pins and needles.  Anything out of the ordinary tends to send them over the edge.

There is something wrong with our oven.  Every time I use it in conjunction with either the washing machine or the iron, I short circuit something or another and the power goes out.  We are left in utter darkness, stumbling around looking for the front door so as to get light from the hallway.  It's happened three times now.  I then have to go down into the garage under the apartment, go into the "basement" of the next stairwell where all the fuse-boxes are, and flip our power on again.  As Grace and I are planning on making Christmas cookies next week I think I'll just leave the flashlight out.

Tomorrow GP has a business meeting in Lugano, a beautiful lakeside town on the border between Italy and Switzerland.  As I don't work on Thursdays I'm going to trail along.  I have a package to mail to Germany and I think the likelihood of it arriving before Christmas is exponentially higher if it is mailed from Switzerland than if mailed from Italy.  Our local post office here has 5 women who work there.  Two are usually seated and waiting on customers while the other three mull around moving papers back and forth between tables.  I also want to try to buy a flu shot in Lugano.  GP and I have already had ours (one buys the vaccine in the syringe at the pharmacy and goes to the family member or neighbor who knows how to give injections.  In our case my mother-in-law.)  But Grace hasn't had her shot yet and Italy seems to have run out.  Up until last week the news was all about Italy having a surplus ordered to guarantee the vaccine to all who wanted it.  Well today we couldn't find any anywhere.  All the pharmacies are out.  Grace is pleased.

ooxx me

It was the second time in as many weeks that we took a new family to the wine region for a day of tasting and buying.  This is how it goes.  First we warm them up with a drive around Le Langhe.  Le Langhe is the wine producing area about a half hour from the city.  The name means "the tongues" because of all the rolling hills and deep valleys.  I personally don't see what rolling hills and deep valleys have to do with tongues but as I wasn't around when the name was given who am I to say so?  Anywho.  We drive around the narrow roads going up the rolling hills and down into the steep valleys appreciating the lovely scenery.  If the weather is clear one has great views of the Alps as well, but alas yesterday was grey.  We walk around in some of the hilltop villages to get everyone good and thirsty and then we head for one of our favorite vintners.  Yesterday we started with Stra, who own a small inn as well as their winery.  They welcome us into their tasting room, with an arched ceiling, a fireplace and a long wooden table.  We all take a seat around the table and the owner and his wife start popping open one of each of the wines they produce (quite an array).  Glasses are set in front of everyone.  Bread sticks, cookies and nuts are placed on the table.  The dogs barking at the door are let in to sleep by the fire and the tasting begins.  They introduce each wine, telling us about the vintage:  the year, the aging process, the location of the vines, the type of soil.  All elements that can influence the flavor.  They start from the "lightest" wines, whites, and work their way up to their "heaviest".  After each tasting, about three horizontal fingers depth in a glass, the glasses are changed or rinsed (with wine).  By the time we leave, after a couple of hours, the table is covered with glasses.  We conduct a little business, buying a few of these and a few of those and then move on to the next place.  Yesterday we visited two wineries and spent easily 5 hours tasting.  We stopped for dinner at a place in one of the villages and had roasted peppers with garlic sauce, home made stuffed pasta with butter and sage, and pears cooked in, what else?, wine.  We came home with the trunk full of cases and the veins full of grape juice.  Surprisingly, the wine is so pure and unaltered by artificial preservatives or flavoring, I feel fine today if a little tired from the late hour.  Tonight going to go into the city to see the Christmas displays.  Not exactly NYC but the lights are pretty.  xxoo me