[CR Switzerland] Day 07-1

September 23, 2006
Zermatt - Isola Bella Optional - Lugano

Morning call: 6.30 AM * Bags and Breakfast: 6.45 AM
Leave Zermatt: 7.45 AM * Leave Tasch: 8.00 AM

Another crack of dawn morning call, and the bags were out in short order. We took the lift down to the breakfast room, to find the hallway dark and the room itself still closed. So up again to the lobby, where we said hello to Elmar and Ueli as we settled down to wait. The rest of the group trickled in, and we were about 80% assembled before the breakfast room opened at 7.00 AM. The parents and I managed to make a good breakfast of it, and were among the first seven people to take the minibus down to the waiting coach in Tasch.

We left Tasch just a few minutes off the projected time of 8.00 AM, pretty good time for moving 40 people down a mountain road. The weather was turning overcast, and as the sun climbed over the horizon, it was noted that it was getting hazy on the mountains as we moved towards our next stop. I managed to barely stay awake during the recital of the admin details and the day's itinerary - half of me was still snuggled under the duvet back in the hotel - and by the time Ueli had the bus descending onto the highway, I gave up trying to stay awake.

Woke up feeling refreshed well before the rest stop, though. No inspections at the Swiss-Italian border crossings. I thought of the money Ma and I spent for our visa fees and had to agree with Elmar's comment that if you had all your documentation handy, the officials seldom asked to see them. But if you took a chance and didn't have even *one* piece of paper...that would be the time you would be stuck explaining things to the border patrols.

Once we were over the Italian border, there was a subtle shift in the personalities of our driver and TD. Ueli actually got to use the horn on the bus a few times! The best part was watching Elmar switching on “Italian mode” while coordinating with his contact for the Isola Bella tour; gone was his normal cool and efficient conversation, instead came rapid-fire Italian that could be clearly heard towards the back of the bus. :) Even his body language changed - he was actually standing in the jump seat and all but gesturing with his hands as he assured his contact that we were definitely on our way and would arrive at the designated meeting point in a matter of minutes, si, bene, ciao! :D

By 11.30 AM, we'd pulled into the destination town for the Isola Bella tour, and all those going were dropped off at the boat landing for the trip. It was good to know that those heading to lunch in Stresa (read: my parents) would be under Ueli's care, that he'd be pointing out places to go once they were there.

Getting on the boat was fun. It didn't tie up to the dock! Basically, it sounded as though it grounded itself on something underwater to hold itself steady. The sky continued slightly hazy and overcast, which was fine by me, since the weather was much warmer now. We passed by the Fisherman's Island, and Isola Madre (sort of like a Dower House island) before landing at Isola Bella. Watching the traffic of small ferry boats surrounding the docks was fascinating - and once again, we didn't tie up to the dock. Our landing was cushioned by used rubber tires tied to either side of the dock, and the Captain and Elmar gave everyone a hand out of the boat.

Crowds galore at Isola Bella, which did not take away from the interesting view. We were brought around the corner of the palace into a small courtyard, where we were given our call times and directions along the main street, where there was a little street market in progress. Elmar steered us into a little cafe that (thank heavens!) took Swiss francs, and would give us free use of the washrooms in the restaurant across the street - all we had to do was say we were cafe customers.

We were waited on by someone who I think was the proprietor of the establishment. Quite a bit of good-natured banter while he took our orders, and in my case, lunch consisted of white sausages with sweet mustard. Good stuff, and filled me up nicely.

I had a small adventure in the washrooms - the ladies were allowed to use the gents' washroom if no one else was there, which is pretty standard practice. Thing is, when it came time to unlock the door, I got a little rattled and forgot which way and how many times to turn the lock to get the door open! So I was stuck for about three very *long* minutes in there before I got out. Am pretty sure that had there been any, heat sensors would have registered the fire in my face from at least twenty feet. You can bet I got out of there very, very fast.

Decided to follow the street market all the way to its end. Lots of pretty products - pashminas, souvenirs, jewelry and leather goods. I ended up with a pair of mosaic earrings. Then I decided to pay my respects to the church whose bells I had heard tolling noontime - which is also the afternoon Angelus hour back home. I was promptly impressed by the busts of the four archsbishops atop the main altar, and the glass-encased figure beneath it. Turns out that the figure was not the real body of the patron saint, who is interred in Rome, but a replica.

It was a little like meeting old friends, looking around the place and recognizing the images of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, and a lovely image of Our Lady of the Brown Scapular - naturally, many photos were taken, from ceiling to floor. Prayers were said, as well, and a candle lit, as is my usual custom when visiting churches.

By 1.30 PM we were all assembled for our tour of Isola Bella. Elmar had explained that he would be taking us on a tour of the gardens, and then would hand us over to the resident palace guide for a tour of the interior. Those gardens were fantastic - what a pity we didn’t have all the time in the world to linger and take those stairs at more leisure! Some of the plants were over a thousand years old - like the cork tree and the olive tree that were singled out for special notice. Oh, and I mustn't forget to mention the white peacock family that was strolling through the garden!

There's also a huge structure dominating the formal garden - like a movie set backdrop, with fountains and classical statues. Awesome stuff. Thanks to the slight humidity, I was a bit sweaty after climbing the stairs of that structure, but the view from the rear is worth the climb - it stretches out over the expanse of Lake Maggiore on all sides. Perfect as a lookout point, where you can see the all the towns along the shoreline.