Into The Swiss

SWITZERLAND

Lake Lugano

Italy really works wonders for the skin. I'm serious when I say I wake up every morning absolutely beaming. Who can blame me? Each day is sparkling with new adventures. Out of sheer spontaneity, I ended up in Switzerland today. It took approximately one hour to get to Lake Lugano from my hotel in Milano. I slept for the duration of the train ride but woke up to an announcement stating we had entered Switzerland. I had my passport ready but to my surprise I was not asked to show it even once. I entered a country without setting foot in security! As an American this is unfortunately a concept with which I am not familiar. Switzerland has a long history of peace and overall neutrality in times of foreign conflict. This provides a certain feeling of serenity that is almost palpable. Riding the train through the mountains surrounding Lake Lugano provided a 360 degree view of what must have been a million shades of blue all blurring together in slow motion. I had no idea Switzerland had this region of lakeside paradise. I'm not alone when I say I thought Switzerland had a mountain-like terrain throughout. I pictured jagged mountains with snow-covered tops with villages   and towns in valleys. Lake Lugano this was not, friends! I stepped off of the train to an absolute nirvana of warm crystal clear water peppered with boaters and swimmers celebrating summer. 

I embraced everything the region has to offer... From the Swiss cheese in my mushroom omelette to the ornate architecture. I gladly covered all of my bases. This is the very essence of travel. I am always thrilled to squash any preconceived notion I may have about a country or city after visiting to find out it is completely different. This is exactly what happened today. I knew Switzerland was beautiful and I knew I always wanted to visit... It was my "why not now?" attitude that encouraged this opportunity. I now have a completely different appreciation for the beautiful and unique Switzerland. 

After chatting on the train ride back with a Brit fresh from Yorkshire (hello Louis Tomlinson), I was back in my Bella Milano. I ate dinner at a highly recommended restaurant called Dal Bolognese. I had Tuna carpaccio to begin, followed by a Milanese-style veal chop. The white wine nearly brought me to tears and the bread was good enough to marry. I walked back to my hotel taking in the sights of a lit-up Milano with Vespas and Fiats buzzing about on the hot cobblestone streets. This is home. 

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