Swiss Studies… Sizzling in Zürich! (part four)

Tuesday, July 1, turned out to be a somewhat lazy day. It was very hot outside. Bill had a somewhat later start at the C.G. Jung Institute, so we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. I was amused by the rolls he bought, which had little Swiss flags in them. I’m sure there’s an official name for these, but I don’t know what it is… Edited to add: They are called “Weggli”.

After Bill left for his classes, I slathered on sunscreen and got dressed. I decided to go back to the lake, if only because I figured it would offer cool breezes and opportunities to people watch some more. Instead of going straight back to the park where I’d been going, I turned in the opposite direction. I passed by the Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen, a public beach that offers bathrooms and a restaurant. I was curious about it and might have gone it, if Bill had been with me. Ultimately, I decided it would probably be too noisy for me, and since I wasn’t wearing a bathing suit, I kept walking.

*Creepy entrance to the Strandbad. Reminds me of toadstools.*

Continuing past the entrance to the Strandbad, I gazed at a different section of the lake. I saw two men who looked a lot like Mormon missionaries. They wore suits, although it was so hot that they carried their jackets. They also stood close to each other, as if they were companions. But, as they had their backs to me, I couldn’t tell if they were missionaries. Then I noticed one of them had a beard, and the other looked like he might be too old to be a missionary. I noticed that a lot of men in Switzerland dress formally for work. That was probably what I was seeing, rather than Latter-day Saints.

Looking further down the sidewalk, it appeared that the way was going to be less conducive for pedestrians. So I turned around and went back to my usual spot at the lake. I actually had to wait for a bit, because the bench was taken by someone else. By the time I was able to claim it, the sun had moved to a point at which the area was no longer shady. At least I got some more photos. The lake is so beautiful. I also got some video, as I stood by the water’s edge and enjoyed some gentle splashes.

Gives you a feel for how things were last week, during the heatwave in Switzerland!

After a short while, I realized that I was hot, sweaty, and worried about sunburn, in spite of the sunscreen I’d applied. After a short while, I decided to go back to the apartment, where I hoped after doing some writing, I might get further into my latest book… but, if I recall correctly, I ended up falling asleep and taking a very long, deep nap for a couple of hours.

Later, when Bill came back to the apartment, we decided to try an Italian restaurant called Miracle. It was just down the street from the apartment, on the way to the lake. We would have preferred to sit outside, because it was so hot on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the outside tables were taken by a large group of locals. So we sat inside, and enjoyed a very lovely dinner, in spite of the heat. I especially liked the aperitif, with was made with prosecco, lime, and mint. Bill had his usual Campari with soda.

For dinner, we started with bruschetta, and then I had fried shrimp with chili-coriander butter and salad, while Bill had Loup de Mer, with lemon basil butter. The food was very good, and beautifully presented. Service was friendly and professional. We had after dinner drinks instead of dessert– grappa for Bill, and a refreshing limoncello cocktail for me.

We walked back to the apartment and ended our Tuesday with sleep. I enjoyed Miracle. I would have liked to have gone back there again. It was a bit hot the day we visited, but I can see why this place is a local favorite.

The next post will be a departure from the lake, as on Wednesday, I went to the botanical garden. More on that in part five.

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss studies… Watching life unfold at the lake! (part three)

Monday, June 30th, was an exciting day for Bill. He’d been looking forward to taking seminars at the C.G. Jung Institute for years. On his first day, he had an early lecture, so we got up early. He bought more wonderful bread at Wüst, and we enjoyed coffee and juice. I was already a bit nervous, because the proprietor at the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt advised us that they would be cleaning the apartment on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They requested that we not be in the apartment from 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

Those are the hours when I usually do my writing, but given how hot it was last week, it was just as well that I went to the lake. Bill looked so cute, dressed for class and carrying a backpack. The tram outside made it quick and easy for him to get to the Institute.

After I made a quick YouTube video, I headed to the lake. On the way there, life started unfolding in front of my eyes. First, I saw a sweet black cat. I made a soft “ssssing” sound, which attracted its attention. It meowed at me and came over, rubbing against my legs. Then it turned and went another direction. I like cats. We used to have them when I was growing up. Unfortunately, although Bill also likes cats, we can’t have them in our home. He’s very allergic to them. I am also supposedly allergic to them– and dogs, horses, and rabbits, too. I still like to say hello when I can.

Next, I saw a young man running down the street with a big smile on his face and his arms outstretched. He passed me and enveloped a young woman in his arms in a joyful reunion. It reminded me of when Bill came home from Iraq.

I walked a bit further and ran into a very fit looking couple. The female half wore extremely tight leggings that outlined an obvious camel toe. They looked like maybe they were exercise instructors, headed to the gym.

I crossed the street and walked to the park near the lake, where there are benches. I saw a man doing yoga by the Heureka sculpture. A dog came over to say hello, and then I noticed a woman dancing. She wore a sweatshirt, shorts, shades, and ear buds, and danced by the lake side, completely oblivious to the world. I watched her in amazement. She was completely uninhibited. I kind of admired it. And, of course, there were lots of ducks to watch…

This isn’t a super exciting video, except for the dancing lady. I could have watched her all day!

I walked around the lake area and took lots of pictures… I even sat for awhile near some boats, watching more waterfowl, in an attempt to kill enough time so the apartment could be cleaned. As it turned out, I should have stayed a little longer.

I took a slightly different route back to the apartment, passing the Plastic Surgery Pyramide Clinic. I later found out this is a private hospital where people have everything from breast reconstruction to facelifts done. I noticed they also had an outlet for La Prairie, a VERY expensive skincare/cosmetics brand that I first saw offered on SeaDream Yacht Club, a luxury cruise line. I read about the clinic, and most people had rave reviews for their experiences there. One woman left a very disturbing review of a doctor who had, apparently, taken advantage of her while she was in a weakened state. To be honest, her account sounded fictitious. Perhaps she had more going on than just physical illness. I didn’t get a good picture of the actual hospital, but these pictures are of clinics affiliated with it. I bet it costs a mint to go there.

I went by the apartment at about 10:45, but it still hadn’t been cleaned, so after a potty break, I walked to the COOP neighborhood grocery store to pick up a few things– napkins and sugar for my coffee. I also got a few other items. Bill and I both visited that store a couple of times. It was very convenient to where we stayed, but the layout was frustrating, and it seemed like people were always descending upon it en masse. We both found shopping there a bit nervewracking. There was a larger COOP store a little bit further in the opposite direction. That store offered more stuff, but was only marginally less annoying. However, we’ve been to other COOP stores in Switzerland, and have not found them to be so hectic. Maybe it just has something to do with the neighborhood. Below are a few more photos I took on the way back to the apartment.

When I got back to the apartment with the stuff I got at the store, one of the proprietors was in the middle of cleaning the bathroom. I startled her, but I needed to put some things in the refrigerator. She pointed out that there was a beach towel in the armoire. That was good to know, although we brought our own… and then didn’t end up using them, after all!

I decided to go back to the lake to give the lady a chance to finish her work. I’m glad I did, because there was more stuff going on…

*I’m not sure what they were doing, but by the time we left on Sunday, it looked like they were building a platform in the lake.*

When Bill got back from his seminar, at about 6:00 PM, he was very excited. He’d had a good day learning about psychology, and now he was ready for dinner. We ended up at Le Beaujolais, a Greek restaurant right next to the apartment. The waiter was friendly, professional, and kind, and the food was excellent. Bill had lamb, and I had Dorade and Seelach filets. Then we had ice cream for dessert!

*Sadly, there were no bags to be found for hygiene purposes. But that’s not something that worries me anymore.*

A man showed up with his cute dog and sat next to us. The dog was so sweet, and made me miss our dogs, Noyzi and Charlie.

It may seem like not a lot happened on Monday, but I truly did enjoy sitting at the lake, watching people go about life. I really should have jumped in the lake, though.

adventure, art, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss Studies… Sunday at the lake! (part two)

On Sunday morning, Bill went across the street to the fabulous bakery called Wüst. This bakery, which is part of a chain, offers wonderful fresh breads and pastries. Almost every day of our stay, Bill went there to get our breakfasts. One day, he went to a different, but equally good bakery, only because we were out of juice and he could get some at the other place.

I have discovered that I really like the way the Swiss do their breads. The places we’ve gone have offered soft rolls and croissants that aren’t too crispy/messy. Personally, I like that a lot. I know some people love flaky croissants, but I prefer them to be softer, if only because it means fewer crumbs all over the place.

After breakfast, Bill and I took a walk to Lake Zürich, which was a very short walk from the apartment. On Sunday, there happened to be a bike race going on, so there was a “crossing guard” in the middle of the crosswalk! We sure weren’t expecting that.

The part of Lake Zürich where we were was near the Chinagarten, as well as a really cool looking machine/statue that I happened to catch running once during the week. I discovered that I was looking at “Heureka”, a “useless machine” that was built in 1964 by sculptor, Jean Tinguely. Below is a video of it running. I only caught it in action once during the whole week we were in Zürich! I read that they only run it three times a day for eight minutes, from April until October.

According to Atlas Obscura, “Heureka” was meant to symbolize consumerism in advanced societies. It’s made of scrap metal and junk, and when it runs, it just makes noise. It doesn’t actually do anything useful. Interesting that this would be in a place where many people are quite well-to-do.

I videoed this after Bill and I saw it for the first time. I guess they don’t run it often, because it makes a fair amount of noise.

There were so many people at the lake on that sunny Sunday. They were all lying out on blankets and towels, swimming, sunning, fishing, and splashing around in the lake. I wished I’d worn one of my bathing suits, because the lake was so inviting. But instead of jumping in the lake, we decided to visit a Biergarten right next to it… And unfortunately, we ended up sitting next to a big pile of dog shit. Nevertheless, I took lots of photos, and where we sat was perfect for that. And the sausage and roll weren’t too bad, either.

While we were eating, we were visited by a bunch of little birds and some very well fed ducks. I tried not to feed them any bread, since it’s bad for ducks. But they made it hard to resist. They were practically tame! I noticed a number of different types of birds by the lake, everything from seagulls to swans! I’ll have pictures of the swans later in the series.

After lunch, we walked around some more, and I took a lot of photos. I was amused by the many people on hydrofoils. It looked like a lot of fun, riding those things– like surf boards with poles under them, operating like pogo sticks. Maybe if I was younger, fitter, and braver, I might be willing to give them a try!

He’s pretty good at that!

Below are some more photos from Sunday. The Swiss, and all of the visitors, all seemed to be having a blast!

We walked a few miles on Sunday, and ended up running into the bike race again. There was a boy there, maybe about 12 years old, wearing a neon colored uniform. He fixed one of the racers’ bikes on the side of the street. We overheard him telling a couple of ladies in German that he was a member of a bicycling club that provided services for the race. We saw a young girl in a similar reflective outfit providing drinks for the riders as they whizzed past.

After awhile, Bill and I got a bit hot, and we were both worried about sun exposure. We decided to go back to the apartment and watch some local television. We caught a couple of American movies, dubbed into German. One was 1962’s That Touch of Mink, starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. The other was 2012’s Now Is Good, starring Dakota Fanning. The Fanning flick was also airing on Friday night. I hadn’t heard of Now Is Good before, but I see it’s on Netflix. Maybe I’ll watch it in English.

For dinner on Sunday, we ordered Chinese/Thai food. I had sweet and sour pork with rice, and Bill had chicken satay with rice. We also had dumplings. There were leftovers for Monday, which was a good thing for me.

In the next post, I’ll start explaining how I entertained myself while Bill was “at school.” Stay tuned for that excitement. 😉

adventure, Education

We are now back from Zürich… time to dish!

We got back from beautiful Zürich, Switzerland this afternoon, after eight nights. On the whole, we had a very nice time. Bill spent most of the time taking seminars at the C.G. Jung Institute in Küsnacht, a lovely suburb of the city. I spent most of my week hanging around and gazing at Lake Zürich. One day, I went to the botanical gardens, affiliated with the University of Zürich.

The weather was hot and sunny, and we were fortunate to spend the time at an apartment-hotel that had an air conditioning unit. It wasn’t the most effective air conditioner in the world, but it was better than nothing. The apartment was reasonably priced for Zürich, although for eight nights, it cost almost as much as renting our whole house for a month! But the place also had a couple of parking spots behind a locked gate, so we were able to park our car there all week… though we couldn’t move the car without having the car parked behind us moved. It was no problem, anyway. The place where we stayed was right by a very busy tram line that was perfect for getting Bill to and from the Institute.

I will be writing a full series on this trip, but at this point, I’m a little tired and not wanting to dive in just yet. I’m glad to be home, safe and sound. Although we weren’t able to bring home any interesting souvenirs or goodies from the COOP (grocery store), I did get a lot of beautiful photos, especially of the lake. I wish I’d had a chance to go swimming, but we did do a 4.5 hour cruise yesterday. The weather was perfect! We even got a slight break from the heat.

Bill found his time at the Institute stimulating and fulfilling; he finally got to meet his analyst, Max, in person for the first time in the four years they’ve been working together. I think he’d like to matriculate there and possibly earn certification. Of course, we don’t know what’s going to happen to his job… but then, that would be true of any job, really. Above are a few photos from the Institute. I got to attend the farewell ceremony with Bill.

I’ve missed Noyzi and Charlie, and my guitars. I’ve missed making music, and sitting at my desktop, which is so much easier to write blog posts on than my laptop is. I’ve even missed the washing machine and our shitty mattress, which so badly needs to be replaced.

But the one thing I’ve missed more than anything is peace and quiet. The apartment where we stayed was fairly noisy, mainly because of the people in the apartment above us. They were incredibly loud. From a screaming baby at 6:00 AM to heavy thuds on their floor/our ceiling, to crashes and booms when things got dropped, to the pitter patter of little feet running around, it was very annoying. And so, for the fact that no one lives in a unit above us, I am so glad to be home in Germany!

I don’t know how long this series will take. We did have some notable things happen, that I want to write about. However, this trip was not heavy on activities or even eating in restaurants. We ate a lot of meals in the apartment. So, even though we were gone for eight nights, I don’t think this will be a long series to wade through.

Hope you’ll join me for the first post, which will probably appear tomorrow.

adventure, Lakes

Sitting in Zurich, watching the world go by…

I will be writing a series about this trip, but I feel like dumping some photos on my travel blog, just to keep it current. I spent a couple of hours walking yesterday, and watched people by the lake for awhile. This city certainly has an energy.

We came to Zurich for the first time in 2021. It was a different experience, because we stayed in a different part of town. This time, we’re near Lake Zurich, and people are definitely taking advantage of the lake, especially given how hot it is!

Here are a few pictures of what I’ve seen so far…

Of course, with all of this natural beauty comes high prices and lots of people… and with people comes trash. I am enjoying being in Zurich, and especially watching Bill enjoy his course, but I don’t know that I’d want to live here… or, at least I’d rather not live in the city. It’s too loud! But it is a nice change of pace for a short time.

I’m not sure what I’ll do today… maybe more of what I did yesterday, just walking around and people watching while I wait for Bill to come back from his classes. He looked so cute this morning, wearing his backpack. All he needed was a ball cap and a paper sack lunch!

art, Hessen

Bill came home from his latest trip…

I didn’t write any travel posts over the weekend, because Bill got home from Stavanger, Norway on Saturday afternoon, and I spent yesterday hanging out with him. We are slowly catching up with some of the stuff that went undone while he was gone. He’s going to collect our mail today and maybe drop by the commissary to get a few things. I may decide to make a video and take care of some household chores that need attention. Or maybe not.

At the moment, we’re planning a trip to Zurich, Switzerland for late June/early July. We went there in 2021, and visited Carl Jung’s house. Now Bill wants to go again, so he can take some courses at the Jung Institute. I will go with him, although I won’t be taking any classes. Maybe I’ll go on a tour or something… or just get some reading done while I enjoy views of Lake Zurich. Last time we were there, it was during the pandemic. This seems to be our year to visit Switzerland. We’ve already been there twice so far in 2025.

Bill did some good work in Norway. I think it was a successful trip for him. He enjoyed Stavanger, too, and wants to visit there for recreational purposes. I wouldn’t mind that. Hopefully, it will be within the realm of the possible, but with all that’s going on right now, who knows?

As you can see, Charlie was very happy to see Bill. I took a few more photos of their reunion, along with a video… And Bill also enjoyed the lasagna I made the other day. I used to be a pretty damned good cook.

The dogs are so glad to see Bill again! So am I!

Tomorrow, we’ll have newly framed art to hang. Several pieces are works we’ve had for years, but one piece is new. I’m still trying to decide where to hang it. Maybe I’ll put it in Noyzi’s room. 😉 We’d pick up the art today, but like many businesses in Europe, Monday is the art gallery’s “Ruhetag” (quiet/free day). When my parents ran their framing and needlework business, they also closed on Mondays. But they were open until the early afternoon on Saturdays. Same with the art gallery in Wiesbaden.

Anyway… that about does it for this post. Not too much went on in the past week, other than the usual angst and spending. Maybe there will be more to report during this year’s Holy Week. I’m sure in the mood for a miracle or two, aren’t you?

house hunting, Sundays, Ten Things I Learned

Ten things I learned on our first Abruzzo trip– 2025!

Yesterday, I finished writing the “blow by blow” blog series about our trip to Abruzzo in Italy. We went there to look around and see what the condition of the area is, and whether or not we might be able to live there, whether it be as vacationers, or as permanent residents. We also stopped for a couple of nights in the Lugano area of Switzerland and Colle Isarco, near the Austrian border. I like to wrap up my blog series with a top ten list of things I learned. So, here we go with my top ten list for this trip!

10. The word “mance” in Italian means tip or gratuity.
As a general rule, Italians aren’t all that big on tipping. When you go to a restaurant, they usually charge a coperto (cover charge) that amounts to 1 to 3 euros per person. When you settle the bill, you go to a cashier, rather than paying your server. That said, we saw evidence that some people do appreciate tips. When I spotted a jar by a register that read “Mance”, I figured it meant “tips”. I looked it up, and sure enough, I was right. Bill slipped the lady a ten euro note, which earned him a big, bright smile of appreciation. How refreshing!

9. There is an Eataly style AutoGrill near Parma that is pretty nice.
Back in 2008, Bill and I went to Italy together for the first time. It was his first time ever, and my first time since 1997. We stayed near Turin/Torino, which is where the big Italian food store “Eataly” was launched. Yes, we visited, and it was amazing, although we didn’t load up nearly enough. Since then, Eataly has grown by leaps and bounds. Now, if you travel on the Autostrada near Parma, you can enjoy an Eataly style meal. The stop is only eastbound, though. The westbound lane has a regular AutoGrill location.

8. Riposo or pennichella is still pretty serious in Abruzzo.
Riposo (mid afternoon break, perhaps more familiarly known as “siesta” to Americans) is a thing in a lot of Mediterranean countries, although some areas take it more seriously than others. I noticed when we were in Abruzzo, a lot of businesses and restaurants shut down at about 1:00 PM for riposo. They reopened at 3:00 or 4:00. It took some getting used to.

7. Pescara is a hectic, yet convenient, base city.
I had a hard time choosing where to stay in Abruzzo, since we were going down there to see little towns where houses might be for sale. I wound up choosing Pescara, which I found really hectic. We did get used to it somewhat, and it’s convenient to a lot of places in Abruzzo.

6. If you stay at the Relais Castello Morcote in Vico Morcote, Switzerland, you can visit a vineyard and get beautiful photos and views of Lake Lugano!
You can also buy some delicious wines that are from Switzerland.

5. The Centro Ovale in Switzerland, near the Italian border, is a cool looking building that is now defunct!
I don’t know how I never noticed that former shopping mall on previous trips to Italy. We’ve been through that border a few times, but this time was the first one I noticed the architectural wonder that took longer to build than it was actually open for business!

4. Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave surrounded by Switzerland.
I had heard of Campione d’Italia before our trip because I happened to see a video about it on YouTube. I hadn’t necessarily planned to visit there, but when I noticed how close it was to our location in Switzerland, I decided we should check it out. I’m glad we did. It’s a very interesting place, with a mixture of Italian and Swiss features. It is, officially, Italy, but it is entirely physically separated from the rest of Italy by Switzerland. However, it doesn’t take long at all to get to mainland Italy from there. It’s easy to reach by car and bus, and it’s the home of Italy’s only casino (which is a huge eyesore)!

3. March is a nice time to visit Italy, although it’s still considered the “low season.”
Abruzzo has a lot to offer visitors. There’s the Adriatic Sea and the Appenine Mountains, as well as access to interesting Italian cities and the cool tiny country of San Marino, which I hope to visit sometime. But one thing I noticed that was nice was that there were no tourists around, and I didn’t hear any Americans! That might be because of where we were, but it’s probably also because it’s March!

2. We got stared at in the tiny towns we visited…
It was pretty obvious we were outsiders in Abruzzo. We’re both lacking olive complexions and dark hair and eyes. When we visited the cute town of Gissi, people stared at us with curiosity, rather than aggression or hostility. We were conspicuous. In another town, the reception from one local seemed a bit menacing, so we left. They probably pegged us as Germans.

And finally… 1. Vipiteno is a great place to visit on the way back to Germany…
Vipiteno is in Italy, but it used to be part of Austria. It feels like one is in Austria, even though one is in Italy. And it’s a really great place to buy souvenirs and eat good pizza. When I go to Italy, I like to go to grocery stores and load up on goodies as much as I like to shop for other stuff. We definitely did so on this trip, but Vipiteno was especially handy. They had a great gourmet store with lots of local delicacies. And, we also got to see some snow before we headed back home!

*Honorable mention that I almost forgot–
There are harness racing horses (pacers) trained in Abruzzo. I had no idea, and was shocked when we ran across people training them on a little used (but open) road! I didn’t see anyone riding horses, but I did see a couple of sulkies! As a horse lover, it was kind of a thrill for me. I miss having a horse, even just to pet and hang out with. I’d love to have some land with a donkey and a horse to spoil.

All in all, we had a really nice trip. I’m still not sure what the future will hold for us, but I’m glad we visited Abruzzo. It’s a very beautiful part of Italy, although I can see why they are eager to get some people to buy cheap property there. It’s fairly depressed and in need of some “new blood”. I liked it, though. Maybe we’ll have a chance to visit again!

house hunting

Moving onward to Abruzzo… (part three)

Monday morning, we woke up to steady, cold rain. It would have been tempting to just stay in bed. But we had a long haul ahead of us, and I realized that morning that we had neglected to call the B&B where we were going to be staying and let them know of our plans. That had been specifically mentioned in the instructions when we booked Peperosa in Collina B&B, in Pescara, Italy. We were supposed to give 24 hours notice, but I forgot. It was Sunday, anyway.

With some gentle prodding from yours truly, Bill was convinced to call the proprietor of the B&B, Carlo, and let him know when we expected to arrive in Pescara. Then we had breakfast… more of the same delightful cold cuts, juices, cheeses, and breads, accompanied by perfect cappuccinos. Bill ordered six bottles of wine from Tenuta Castello di Morcote, and we settled the bill.

There was a neighbor of the hotel, picking up what appeared to be new shrubbery and landscaping. The truck belonging to the landscapers blocked the entrance to the hotel, so the receptionist asked them to move, so Bill could get our Volvo close to the door and collect our bags. The owner of the house retorted quite rudely to the receptionist, who came back in and was muttering in what I assume was an annoyed way. I couldn’t blame her. The neighbor seemed to be quite difficult and bitchy.

Nevertheless, we managed to load up our vehicle and got on our way south. Lugano is pretty close to the border with Italy, so it wasn’t long before we were passing what used to be a pretty cool looking shopping mall called Centro Ovale. I didn’t know what it was as we were passing it, but it was a very striking structure. I looked it up and learned that it took longer to build this former shopping center than its days as a functioning business. It closed several years ago, but it still managed to turn my head. I had to zoom way in on Google Earth to find out what it was. Luckily, there was a picture of a sign for a parking garage for this weird looking mall. I didn’t get a chance to take a photo.

After some time we decided to stop for lunch. We ended up at an AutoGrill turned Eataly branch. Bill and I visited the original Eataly food hall in Torino/Turin back in May 2008, when it was newly opened. It’s a really amazing place. Eataly now has locations in several different countries, including a few in the United States. Bill has also been to the one in New York City, which he managed to visit when he went there for a job interview in 2014.

Below are some photos from our drive…

Someone came up with a bright idea to marry an Italian AutoGrill stop with Eataly, so it offers Eataly’s products, a couple of fresh food options, and other cool stuff. AutoGrills usually have good food and free restrooms, but they also make you walk a gauntlet to get in and out. I didn’t mind doing that at the Eataly version. We picked up some stuff to bring home with us. This particular location doesn’t get the greatest ratings, but we had a good experience there. They have a broad range of food choices there, but we both had salads.

At some point near our lunch stop, I happened to notice a tractor trailer truck, decorated with the cast and setting of The Dukes of Hazzard. Italians are nuts about that show, as well as Little House on the Prairie. I noticed when we visited Italy in 2022 that both shows were airing during prime time. I didn’t see it aired during this visit, but the tractor trailer was a reminder. I ripped off a few photos, because I wasn’t quick enough to get shots of my own… Yes… I DID see this. It was BIZARRO.

After lunch we continued southward, stopping at another AutoGrill for gas and a pee break. There, I found a novel version of Ritter Sport, which is a German chocolate bar made in Waldenbuch, a suburb near Stuttgart.

*Never seen one of these in Germany. It was good.*

All the while, I was keeping Carlo apprised of our progress, as I watched the weather and landscape change. The sun was shining, and we got beautiful views of the blue Adriatic Sea, as well as mountains. We passed San Marino, which I would have loved to have visited, as it’s its own country outside of Italy. I didn’t get the best photos, unfortunately…

Finally, we arrived in Pescara at about six o’clock in the evening. Carlo had told us to go to an address, and then input a different address. Apparently, GPS isn’t reliable with his destination. Once we arrived, he opened the locking gate for us and welcomed us to his B&B, which appeared to also be his home. I had reserved the biggest and most expensive room, called “Country Chic”.

Carlo explained everything to us in English, and invited us to our new home for four nights… As you can see from the first photo, his place is near the airport.

By the time we were settled, it seemed like too much of a hassle to go out again. Pescara was a bit hectic as we drove in, with lots of traffic and people on bikes and motorcycles edging for space on the crowded streets. Our journey had taken hours, and we were tired, so we decided to eat snacks, drink wine, and watch TV. I wasn’t that impressed with Pescara at first, but the drive down was nice. The Adriatic Sea is BEAUTIFUL.

We were well rested for the excitement of the next day. Stay tuned for the next post on that.

house hunting, videos

Strolling through Swiss vineyards and visiting an Italian exclave… (part two)

Sunday morning, Bill and I went down to the restaurant/breakfast room for a continental repast. A very cheerful lady made us cappuccinos and we loaded up on the usual Italian goodies… cold cuts, fruit, breads, and I think there were also eggs. Bill enjoyed the cheeses, although I skipped that.

After breakfast, we decided to walk to the vineyards, a nice perk of staying at Relais Castello di Morcote, which owns the property. To get to the vineyards, we had to walk through the “town”, which was an unusual experience. Part of the walk involved passing through a narrow covered building, where people were also living. It’s hard to describe it, but I did get some photos, which might help give you an idea of what I mean.

*This was on the walk to the vineyards…*

We got confused by the first stroll into the town, because we were told we needed to open a gate on the edge of the village. The first gate we came to wasn’t the right one, so we went back and asked for clarification. We hadn’t walked far enough the first time. So we went back through the town, strolled past some very expensive looking homes, and eventually found the correct gate, ready to accept the code and let us in for a beautiful walk and amazing views…

At the top of the hillside, you will see the castle ruins, which are also open to visit. We were the only ones walking through the vineyards during our visit, so it was quiet and peaceful, and the scenery was so beautiful… I took lots of photos. I probably should embrace the idea of economy, but when you have such beautiful views, it’s hard not to get carried away.

After I took some pictures of Lake Lugano, we walked through the castle ruins, which I guess are now used for events. I marveled at how we had the whole place to ourselves. It was really nice to be able to explore without anyone supervising. I don’t think you’d ever find that in the States.

After we visited the vineyards, we decided to go to Campione d’Italia, a very special part of Italy that I first learned about after I saw a YouTube video…

A fascinating and entertaining video about a tiny piece of Italy that is totally surrounded by Switzerland…

Bill had never heard of Campione before I mentioned it to him on our recent trip. It so happened that the exclave was located very close to our lodging and is easily accessed by car. So we drove there and walked around… The first two photos below are in Switzerland, near our hotel. The rest are Campione, a little piece of Italy with a long, fascinating history that dates back centuries. Watch the video for the story!

When it came time for lunch, we stumbled into a very busy restaurant offering sushi and pizza. Ordering was interesting. Every table gets a tablet, and you just order through the tablet, rather than talking to a person. The pizza was pretty good, but the sushi might have been a better bet. The people who ran the restaurant were Asian and I noticed a lot of people were having sushi and loving it.

We passed what appeared to be a church turned art gallery. I would have liked to have stopped in and looked around, but we didn’t have time. Bill’s meter was about to run out. So we skipped the art gallery, and passed the enormous casino, which apparently is the only one in Italy. The video explains why this is so… It really is a monstrosity!

We stopped by a Swiss Coop grocery store on the way back to the hotel and picked up some provisions for the evening, since the restaurant was closed, and there weren’t any others nearby. We were able to order some wine and cold cuts from room service. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by the church where the parking garage was. The inside was extremely beautiful. Bill lit a candle for his father.

I was reminded that we have driven through the Lugano area so many times on the way to Italy. It really was worth stopping in, although next time, I think we need to go to the actual city and check it out. It’s very beautiful there, although it’s a lot more expensive in Switzerland than it is in Italy. But then, Switzerland is also noticeably less gritty.

We turned in early, since Monday morning meant a long drive to Abruzzo, the region in Italy we were determined to see. More on that in the next post.

adventure, house hunting

Vico Morcote– a very Italian part of Switzerland… (part one)

On the morning of March 8, 2025, Bill and loaded up the Volvo, our luggage, and the dogs, and set off for parts south. First stop was the Tierpension Birkenhof. Noyzi and Charlie both love going there. Noyzi especially loves a week or so there, relaxing with other dogs.

Once we dropped off the boys, we drove south to Vico Morcote, Switzerland, a suburb of Lugano, Switzerland. Switzerland, for those who don’t know, has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. When we visited Switzerland in January, we were just over the border from Germany in Basel. This time, we were heading to the Italian part of the country. I don’t know how or why, but I only packed one Type J plug converter. Switzerland, which seems to endeavor to be separate from the rest of Europe in most things, doesn’t use the same types of plugs most of the rest of Europe uses (Type F).

But I wasn’t thinking about that on our drive down to the Lugano area. I was thinking of how pretty parts of Switzerland are, and the fact that our hotel, Relais Castello di Morcote, had both a Michelin mentioned restaurant and a winery, Tenuta Castello di Morcote. Unfortunately, our visit was at the end of the off season, so one of the restaurants wasn’t open. Our full day was also on Sunday, and no wine tastings were available that day. We did have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, and enjoyed the hotel’s unique charm. It was once a convent, and still has the original floor in a sitting room.

I took some photos on the way down, mainly to pass the hours… and of course, we had an obligatory stop at a McDonald’s for lunch. 🙁 I amused myself by taking pictures of the ads in the pay toilets, which now cost 1 euro! You can trade in a ticket to get a euro off a coffee or something, but we never do that. I usually end up with a shitload of tickets in my purse.

We had pretty good weather. The sun was shining, and for most of the drive, it wasn’t too cold out. I don’t remember any troublesome Staus (traffic jams), either.

We reached Vico Morcote in the late afternoon. To get to the hotel, we had to drive through a narrow village, then up a mountain road with a couple of switchbacks. Bill has gotten pretty good at negotiating these roads, since our first Italy/Switzerland visit in 2008. There was only one close call. A woman in a small car was hurtling down the mountain side in her small car. Bill got a bit tense as they met on the road and squeezed past each other. Then we found a garage, but it wasn’t for the hotel. The hotel garage was by a church, and actually slightly lower than the garage we found. But, once we found where we were supposed to go, we drove up to the hotel’s entrance and offloaded our bags.

The receptionist was a friendly young woman who spoke several languages with aplomb. She showed us to our room, a deluxe room with a garden view. The hotel has just twelve rooms, and they are individually decorated. I’m not sure why I chose the room I did, rather than one with a lake view. The hotel is very close to Lake Lugano, so on the other side of the hotel, it’s possible to score a beautiful view of the water. But, it was no big deal, since guests at the hotel can visit the vineyards and walk around. There’s a spot where one can get stunning views of the lake and mountains, and then tour the castle ruins. That’s what we did on Sunday morning! We were blessed with sun, which is more than I can say for Monday’s weather.

Below are some photos from our room, which was on the first floor. It was a handicapped accessible room, so we had an open shower with grab rails. I included photos of the common areas at the hotel, as well. One thing I didn’t like about our room was that there was a big full length mirror by my side of the bed. I don’t like mirrors, but especially when I’m getting in and out of bed. But, other than that, it was a comfortable place to spend a couple of nights. We did bring our own pillows, but that’s mainly because one never knows how many pillows will be offered at European hotels.

We had 7:30 reservations at the restaurant, and we both ordered the evening’s special, which was a four course meal. I had the char, while Bill had Swiss entrecote. They gave us a bottle of Rose wine from their cellar to take away in honor of International Women’s Day. I swear, I never celebrated that until I lived in Armenia. Of course, with Trump in charge, I’m sure any celebration of people who are rich, white, Christian men will be jettisoned.

Below are photos from dinner. I was just reminded that I took a picture of my fork, because I liked the silverware they had. I am going to see if I can find out where I might buy some myself. 😉 I was less impressed with the chairs we were sitting on, which I found rather uncomfortable. Even if they weren’t a little narrow for my wide ass, they were made of wicker and just weren’t very nice to sit on. But the restaurant does have bench seating that I liked much better during breakfast.

After dinner, we were pretty tired, so we went back to the room. I “hosed off” and prepared for our first night’s sleep in the hotel. This was definitely our fanciest and priciest lodging during this trip, more in line with the types of places I’ve been booking lately.

In the next post, you will get a look at the hotel’s stunning vineyards and castle ruins, as well as our visit to Campanione d’ Italia. Stay tuned.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Switzerland