[CR Switzerland] Day 08

September 24, 2006
Lugano - Cabellano Italian Market and Villa Taranto Optional - Lugano

Morning call: 6.30 * Breakfast call: 7.00
Departure for Optional Tour: 8.00

Today my parents and I were the last on the bus, almost missing the departure call. I was totally under the impression that the coach was going to leave the hotel at 8.15! Definitely I left some of my brains behind in Isola Bella, if not back in Zermatt altogether. Thank heavens for Jack, who, when Elmar realized he was missing people from the head count, noted that we were the ones not yet on board.

The group still managed to get out at 8.05, no thanks to me - I came flying down the lobby with my parents hurrying along behind, just in time to meet Elmar coming in through the door. Breathless explanations and some heart palpitations later, I managed to render myself rational as we pulled away for another border crossing. (Come to think of it, I think this segment of the tour had the most number of border crossings - at least twice yesterday and and twice today.)

There was a small delay at the border, as customs/immigration explained about a local Alpini (Alpine police) celebration, and how the road to Villa Taranto was blocked till one in the afternoon. This meant that instead of pulling out of Cabellona before lunch, we'd have to stay there till at least noon. We were dropped off in front of the town church, and then led down a cobblestone path down towards the waterfront, where the market stalls were set up. Wear sensible, comfortable walking shoes, even though there are smooth sidewalk sections to help in the descent and return ascent. On the way down, we were given a chance to stop at an ATM and take out some Euros. I'd forgotten about this little detail when we changed money in Zermatt the other night - we should have bought some Euros for this optional.

At the bottom of the hill, Elmar paused us at a point just overlooking the market, gave us our call times and admin details, then set us free to wander at will. This was the fun part, as we had arrived before the real Sunday crowds, around 9.00 AM. Before we set out on our ramble, I slipped Elmar a little note. It's a custom I began with my first tour of Europe; I write a little note saying how much we appreciate all the "behind the scenes" efforts taken by the Tour Director to make our trip a smooth one, and how much we are enjoying ourselves.

Our lack of Euros kept us from spending on items like leather jackets; however, Dad managed to get himself a nice leather belt. He was also on the lookout for golf gloves, but nothing seemed to suit him.

I had my eye on a very nice leather bag ostensibly from Florence - soft leather, nice color; but then I thought of the bulk it would create in my suitcase and decided to pass on it. The place was very reminiscent of the flea markets we have at home - lucky thing I didn’t get any pangs of homesickness this time! Nearing the end of a tour, I've been known to get all misty-eyed if I see something that vividly reminds me of home.

At one stall, Ma bought table linens for the formal dining table, and it turned out that the Italian vendor’s “darling” is a Filipina from Nueva Ecija! For this reason, Ma turned on all the charm of her bargaining tactics and managed to bring down the price a wee bit. Contrast this with Dad, who couldn't get the nice Italian seller to budge, not even with my broken Italian to soft-soap the transaction. Bargaining comes second nature to Ma - she'll even try it in the department stores!

Lunch (more of a late brunch), for us, was a very minimal affair. Croissants stuffed with marmalade, hot chocolate and mineral water at a gelateria that accepted VISA. (Yay for credit card-enabled establishments!) Once we’d done lunch, we had a chat with Elmar at the meeting point, and he gave us a headstart for the bus, which was nice of him, given the steepness of the ascent and Ma's tendency to peep at all the stalls on the way up.

Departure call was for 12.25 PM, and we left without incident. Sara's bus collected her group about five minutes before Ueli rolled in with our bus. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that the roadblock for the local Alpini (Alpine Corps) celebration had been taken down early, so we got into Villa Taranto in good time, pretty much almost on the original schedule.

Ye gods, but Villa Taranto was a spectacular place - the dahlia gardens, as I thought, caught Ma’s eye instantly, and she was in ecstasy over the colors and sizes of the blooms. The place was started as a botanical garden by a Scotsman, of all people, and if one thought the Isola Bella gardens were lovely, these were more than impressive enough, in terms of plant variety. There was even a greenhouse with those gigantic Amazon waterlilies!

At the mausoleum of the Villa's founder, I opted out of the uphill climb segment in order to keep parents company - though it would have been fun to try and see if I could make it without hyperventilating at the top. Staying down had its fun, though - I saw a pair of squirrels frolicking about, while exploring some of the side paths from where I had left my parents to sit and take in the view. The cute things were teasing the photographer in me with their antics; I have now made plans to get myself a slightly larger zoom than the 76mm I have now. That, or a digital video camera. :D

Elmar caught up with us as we were walking towards the exit and I was all but prone on the grass trying to catch one more shot of the squirrels (sue me, but small animals bring out the squee factor in me)! He walked with us to the exit, where the parents decided to visit the washrooms before settling down on a bench with a vantage point over the parking courtyard. I chose to stand, and as the others returned from their hillside ramble, managed to bond a little more with different members of the tour group as we waited on the departure call time.

Another excellent opportunity for a candid "Kodak moment" shot of Elmar and Ueli relaxing over coffee presented itself - however, taking it would have meant making like a paparazzi, as a very inconvenient (but very lush) bush was in the way! Besides, there’s something about driver/TD quiet time that gives one pause before intruding - still, that hasn’t stopped me from making mental notes on “the pic that got away”.

We left Villa Taranto around 2.45 PM. I suppose I was more tired than I thought, because despite my best intentions, I fell into a solid nap on the way back, waking up just before the border crossing. Once we were back at the hotel, there was a little down time while waiting for the 7.00 PM dinner hour at the hotel restaurant. Coming down early to cross-check the poster for the next day's call times, I had a chance to chat with Jack. Perhaps it was because I was chaperoning my parents about, but I notice that I bonded most easily with the older tour members. Which was actually a lot of fun, because they were full of good humor and had an endless fund of reminisces!

For dinner this time, the parents and I had ossobusco; I started with consomme alla sherry, which really hit the spot after the long day. Once more, I was all about a good, substantial meal, and the ossobusco filled that requirement nicely, served with risotto on the side. Ma found the veal soft and delicious, and enjoyed the risotto, which held the taste of butter and cheese in it.

As we got up to leave, the maitre d' asked if we had found the meal to our liking. I told him that for that meal alone I’d be willing to revisit Lugano - which lit up his face considerably. It also brought a smile to our server's face, and gave me a pleasant buzz. It's true - the hotel serves good, if pricey food. If I were to do this tour over again, I'd much rather skip the market in favor of the morning in Villa Taranto and then an early afternoon return to explore Lugano. I didn't see a smidgen of the place, and we were there for two nights! But then, you see, I wasn't in shopping mode for most of this tour, so that may have something to do with it.