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Published: June 14th 2017
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Geo: 46.1445, 8.72654
We started quietly again this morning - when the sun isn't up at 7am, it is hard to get started! We had avoided telling any of the zii that we didn't have plans for today, as they are all so kind and want us to come to lunch...but that means the middle is ripped out of the day, and as the sun sets at 3.30pm, it is just too short!
We went down to italy, which is a 10 min drive, and down to Cannobio, where we had previously spent a morning with Rita and Elio in 2010. A walk around the church, where there was a miracle of a bleeding painting from which a rib fell, in the 1500s, and to an antique/brass shop, then to purchase some wine from a very authentic cellar (discovered that we like grappa with honey, a perfect little heart starter at 11am!). We had coffee on the esplanade and watched the boys make friends with a little Italian boy - it didn't seem to matter that they didn't understand each other as they played tag!
We continued our drive down to Verbania, but with all the shops closed, it was a little like a
ghost town. We still are taken by surprise when all the shops close from midday to 2.30pm - and can't imagine what it would be like to have the kids home for lunch for this time too!
Back to Switzerland and as we were making good time, we stopped briefly at Brissago, establishing that there is really nothing there for tourists.
We then went to Gordola, near Tenero, where Barbara Tico (ex-wife of Tino, Steven's cousin) lives with Matteo (11) and Taira (14). We hadn't got to see the kids on the weekend, so this was our chance, and Barbara has always been a good friend. She lives in a massive apartment, above the factory that her parents once owned, and we spend a lovely couple of hour scathing up - the boys finding that Skylanders is universal, and Taira shyly showing us her art. Poor Barbara, though - her mother has MS, and is in the final stages, and Barbara is not sure whether to hope that she lingers until Christmas or not... Hopefully, they will come to Australia in the next couple of years.
Back to Ronco - we were early for dinner but thought we could quietly do our
emails etc from the Bar Lucca before dinner, but Zio Romano was already at the bar with Zia Natalina and Zio. Luciano having an aperitivo. So our dinner with the Lamberti family commenced 30 minutes early! We had a lovely pizza dinner and the very nice staff at the bar forgave us when Steven didn't have cash and they didn't take card - back tomorrow to pay the bill!!! It was good to talk with Raissa, who has excellent English, and Eurosia and Steven had a chance to talk at length with Tino and Zio and Zia, which has wonderful.
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