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Published: June 14th 2017
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Geo: 46.1445, 8.72654
This was one of our best days in Switzerland! It could have been that absence (from the kids) for four days makes the heart grow fonder, or the joy that the sun had finally come out and it was a glorious day! We pottered around in the morning, and when Nonna and Nonno joined us at 11am, we decided to grab a picnic lunch and head up the Centovalli (Hundred Valleys) drive, with the promise that we'd stop for a cable car trip up a mountain for an alpine adventure.
We drove up, with the sun brighter and brighter. We really are lucky travelers – just as we pulled into the car park at the Monte Camino cable car (to see the timetable), the man operating it advised us that he was going to lunch, and if we hurried, we could go up before he took his break. (We are still getting used to the concept that everything stops for the true priority in life – eating !) It was magnificent. We quickly rose up the second highest mountain in Ticino, to 1200m above sea level, in seven minutes. Arriving at the top, the air was clear but warm, the
wild flowers (especially gentian violets) were everywhere, and the little streams running across the path just reminded us how much rain had fallen in the last two weeks. We walked for about 20mins to a lovely little church in a clearing (not open, unfortunately), then looked at some rustic houses – Matthew and I were ready to buy real estate, and I would love to come back here and stay for a few days. There was snow on the mountains behind us, and a cool breeze, but a perfect blue day. We stopped at a grotto for a coffee/icecream on the way back – another accommodation option for next time!
We then went onto Re, which is further up the Centovalli in Italy. It is a small town, with a huge church and a big claim to fame. It is said that, in the 14th century, two men were fighting and one threw a stone, which hit the head of the painting of the Madonna, and the painting started to bleed. It bled for 29 days after that. The actual painting was quite amazing too – I've never seen a picture of the Madonna breastfeeding baby Jesus! When the painting started
to bleed, the locals (mayor, bishop etc) all swore affidavits, and a vial of the blood that they collected from the painting has recently been analysed as hemoglobin (blood). Certainly, many miracles have been attributed to the Madonna of Re (and the way the locals drive, there is plenty of need for miracles). Georgia asked why no such miracle has taken place in Australia recently! The 14th century church has now been expanded to a wonderful modern basilica, full of light and space – truly beautiful. Georgia was also particularly taken with a picture of Mary, as a young girl (not the miraculous painting).
Back to Losone, with all the crazy Italians who work over the border in Switzerland hooning up the incredibly narrow mountain road! We had time for a play in the park before meeting Martina and Floriano and the boys, and Zia Natalina and Zio Luciano for dinner at the Tennis Centre, so that Tom could eat horse. They eat quite a bit of in Switzerland (beef, pork and lamb are so expensive!) and a lot of it comes from Australia – an export industry that we don't hear much about at home! Tom was so keen to
try it – thank goodness it lived up to his expectations! It was very thick, probably rarer than I would have cooked for him (medium rare) and extremely tender. Georgia tried it – she was more traumatized by the idea of it. Matthew just loves pizza margherita (plain with cheese, though he stole all the olives off my pizza!) We had a lovely night – the boys played soccer outside in an old tennis court, and Georgia photographed the roses.
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