Moving around...

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I can't remember what I last said on here, and I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to give you the highlights of my latest trip.

I left Northern Switzerland and the Batschelet household yesterday quite early, after many emails and phone calls to various people and places who are putting me up, and took the train to Locarno, in the Tessin (Italian-speaking) region of Switzerland. The train ride was breathtaking - we went through the beginnings of the Alps, over bridges and around gorges and through tunnels, and there were snowy peaks and green hills and deep valleys, and villages perched everywhere! And the train made it through - quite some engineers must have made that route.

When I got to Locarno I headed for the hostel, which took some finding, but I found it eventually. It was nice, very clean, and quite big. I had a roomie, too, and we spoke French together (she's from the francophone part of Switzerland) which was fun. That afternoon I changed into a skirt (yay! it was really hot!) and went for a wander. I just walked through the town and down by the lake. It really felt like Italy, it was a bit strange to think I was still in Switzerland! But there were still mountains.

After my wanderings, Karine (my roomie) and I went in search of a restaurant which Hallie's sister Amelia recommended. We took the bus to Ascona, the town just next to Locarno, and wandered into the old town, which is where we'd been told it was. We asked someone for the Grotto Baldoria, and they directed us (in French), straight on, left, right, up the hill...which we did, and it really was up a hill, a tiny cobbled street which looked like it ended in a dead end, but then we turned a corner and there were cooking smells and lights! The Grotto Baldoria is quite an experience. We went in and sat down, and they asked us what we wanted to drink, then started bringing us food. First there was a wooden board with salami, still in its paper and string, and a huge knife and a basket of bread. Then a salad to share, which was fairly simple. After that came more meat - the couple next to us identified it (in German, which Karine speaks) as tongue! It was very very vinegary, though, so I don't feel like I can tell you what it tastes like. Then there was pasta, which they brought to the table in a huge tin bucket, and doled out to everyone - followed by a man with parmesan in a plastic bag which he spooned onto our pasta unceremoniously. By this time we were chatting to the people around us, seeing as we were sharing food and wine and space. Then the lights went out, and the main chef/waiter said something to someone, who got up and, apparently, put a coin in to start the electricity again! All the lights, by the way, were mis-matched, as were the plates and chairs. After the pasta there was polenta with amazingly tender meat, then (finally!) the cheese, also on a wooden board with a terrifyingly large knife and bread. Dessert was a sort of sweet tart, with cinnamony jam-like stuff on top, which they passed around in its baking tray for everyone to help themselves. After that there was coffee and/or "grappa" (spirits of some sort?) for those who wanted (we didn't). When we paid and left, the main guy came to the table with a little hand-held receipt machine and calculated what we'd ate etc. There was such an atmosphere of a big family meal or a cantine by the end of it, it was wonderful! We took some pictures, too, then headed back to the bus, got lost a bit when we were back in Locarno, then got back to the hostel and slept.

This morning I gave myself a lie-in before Karine left to go hiking, and we exchanged contact details. I then went to the castello, which is fairly small and unremarkable except for its collection of ancient bowls and glasswork, some of which was amazingly beautiful. There was an exhibit about something which didn't have explanations in any language I can read, but it was a peace treaty, I think, signed in Locarno in 1925, by Chamberlain among others - any ideas of a name I should know for that? It rang bells, but higher history was a long time ago...

After the castle I was lucky to catch an art gallery before everything shut for lunch at noon (!!). They had a Botero exhibit, which was a lot of fun. There were a few sculptures and loads of paintings - I wish I knew the originals he was satirising better! Anyway I and three German tourists wandered around that for a while, and sat and tried to read about it in Italian, unsuccessfully.

After that I had planned to walk up to a church to get a view of the town, but having gotten half-way up it started turning into a pilgrimage path, with shrines at every corner, and I stopped to have lunch instead. After that I took another walk down by the lake, in the other direction this time, and fed some birds before going back to the hostel to pick up my bag and get my train.

This train ride was much less inspiring, and in fact I slept most of the way from Milano to Vicenza. However! On the Bellinzona - Milano leg I was sitting opposite a friendly Australian called John, and we chatted the whole way. He lives in Germany at the moment and was going to Venice to teach a workshop (I'm not sure what in), and we had a nice chat about pretty much life, the universe and everything. It was great! AND, he has a daughter called Arwen!

Having arrived in Vicenza, John (different John) met me at the station, and took me straight to the US military base for a poetry reading, of all things! He is a psychologist/teacher there, for the kids, hence the venue. And it was great! They took my (American) passport at the gate and we went in to the library and joined a small discussion of about 8 people, where everyone had brought some poetry! I ended up reading some Burns and some Heaney and having some food, and it was really interesting.

Tomorrow I'm going to VENICE! And possibly on Saturday too! Although I might stay in Vicenza, I don't know. I'll keep you posted. Feel free to, y'know, get in touch or something...my nexus account is still fine and you can message me on here. It would be nice to hear from some of you!

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