Exploring Switzerland's Italian Side in Lugano

Monte San Salvatore across Lake Lugano

Since our arrival in Switzerland, I've been pestering Matt for a trip to Ticino, the Italian region of Switzerland. I hear wonderful things about Tucino - its scenic beauty, the abundant sun, tasty food and wine and the (very un-Swiss) disregard of schedules and clocks by locals and visitors alike. It sounds like the Swiss-Italians could be my people! I couldn't wait to visit.

The first weekend in May, a nice long holiday weekend for Matt, was the perfect opportunity to hop on a train and make our way South. We booked a hotel in Lugano, a small Swiss town located on Lake Lugano, just minutes from the Italian border.

The train ride from Zurich to Lugano was unexpectedly gorgeous. Don't get me wrong. Most train rides in Switzerland are scenic. My twice weekly commutes into the city have beautiful mountain and lake views. But the train to Lugano was special, slowing climbing up into the Swiss Alps. I planned to read, but spent most of the trip with my nose pressed to the window watching snow capped mountains, waterfalls of snow melt and adorable mountain towns. Unfortunately, iPhone photos through windows can't do it justice. You'll just have to take my word, or come visit.

We arrived in Lugano mid-morning and checked into Hotel Federale, conveniently located just below the train station and a few steps from the Old Town. We dropped our things and went straight to the lake.

Exploring Switzerland on the Wanderweg

The outdoor lifestyle is one of our favorite parts of life in Switzerland. It's easy to step out your front door, look for a yellow Wanderweg sign and go exploring. Henry and I do so almost daily and Matt joins us on the weekends. We recently purchased a Zurichsee hiking map to aid our exploration.

These signs are located everywhere. Often they're accompanied by additional signs measuring the distance to upcoming sites or towns.

Six Month Anniversary

Can you believe it? It's been six months since we arrived in Zurich, Switzerland. Here's a recap...

Life as a Hausfrau

The most difficult part of our move abroad is giving up my job and putting my career on hold. I firmly believe the experience - travel, new cultures, different ways of living - is worth the sacrifice, but that hasn't made the transition any easier. Friends and family ask me how I spend my unemployed days. While I definitely keep busy, it's sometimes hard to explain how. Here's a bit about how this Hausfrau kills time....


7:30 a.m. - I get up just before Matt leaves for work, turn on the news and catch up on email that accumulated overnight while I have coffee and breakfast.

9:00 a.m. - Clean myself up and straighten the apartment.

9:30 a.m. - Walk the dog. A tired dog is a good dog, so I try to wear Henry out early in the day.

10:30 a.m. - Run a short errand or two like dropping off mail at the post or grabbing milk at the Spar, things Henry can come with me to do.

12:00 p.m. - Lunch. Sometimes Matt comes home, which is nice. If I'm alone, I watch an episode of whatever I'm currently obsessed with on Netflix, otherwise the TV is pretty much off during the day. I enjoy the quiet.

1:00 p.m. - I try have an afternoon activity of some sort at least twice a week (hopefully more for my own sanity)... Stitch and Bitch at the Bellevue Starbucks every Wednesday, puppy play dates with Governor and Jennifer, coffee with Misty, or a shopping trip to the Glatt or Creasphere.

If I don't leave the flat, I'm probably writing a blog post, which can take up to 3 hours start to finish, making curtains with my IKEA sewing machine, working on a crochet project, baking/cooking, or applying for jobs.

6:00 p.m. - If I'm out, I try to be home by 6. Matt is usually home from work and we might run an errand together, or he takes over with Henry so I can go to Coop for groceries.

In the evenings we make dinner, catch up on TV or take a long walk.

Exploring Switzerland: A Day in Basel

A few weeks ago, Matt and I spent a sunny, warm spring Sunday exploring a new Swiss city: Basel. Located just 85 kilometers northwest of Zurich, a quick 45 minute train ride, Basel straddles the Rhine near Switzerland's borders with France and Germany, both of which you can see from downtown Basel. Alsace, France, where they make very tasty sweet white wines, is just a short drive away. 

Sundays in Switzerland are always quiet, and since we brought Henry with us we were unable to explore Basel's excellent museums (including the largest Kunst museum in the country), but we did lots of walking and exploring. After a quick coffee, we spent more of the morning strolling through the medieval Old Town. Winding streets are full of gorgeous old buildings. 

A Tour of Our Swiss Home

Sleachmour B&B is really coming together. One day, we'll do a video tour of our flat. For now, here are a few photos of our home in-progress.

We have a flat on the first floor. You can barely see our balcony in this photo.

Baking in Switzerland: Carrot Zucchini Muffins

I love baking - it's in my genes. My mother is a fabulous baker, known for her cookies. My brother makes his own bread from scratch. My sister and I are always plying our partners and co-workers with baked goods. We can't help ourselves! At least if we share, we aren't stuck eating two dozen cookies ourselves, right?

Two weeks ago I made a batch of Martha Stewart's Healthy Morning Muffins. Martha is my go-to for simple, delicious recipes. She never lets me down, and this was no exception. These muffins are packed with banana, carrots and raisins, low in fat and super tasty.

As always, I made a few adjustments. I only had two carrots, so I substituted 1/2 of the carrots for shredded zucchini, making them a bit more like zucchini bread. Add a smear of Swiss butter.... yum. 

Matt loved them so much, I made them again this week for his breakfasts.