Dinner with the cousins

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Geo: 46.1445, 8.72654

Rain. Rain. Rain. It just poured down again today – the fog descended on Il Monte, and we cosied up in our little house, to enjoy some quiet time! It's a chance for the kids to do some school work, and Steven to do some work, and even if the sun had been perfect, we would still have needed these quiet times. But by lunchtime, we all needed a break – we drove to the top of the mountain (the road goes up even higher than our little house). The weather had at least stopped pouring rain, but it was cold – only about 7 degrees, when we got to the top of the (small) mountain, and whilst we tried to walk to the small chapel on the top, it began to rain – the kids didn't think this was any fun at all!

So we headed back down the Monte, towards our house – about halfway from the top to our house is a little Grotto which is a traditional Ticinese restaurant, with a limited menu – perfect for a wet miserable day! It also had a lovely terrace, which would be beautiful with a view over the lake and a cool breeze in summer! We had a fabulous time – the kids were delighted with their spaghetti, which came in a big pot over a small burner to keep it warm, Steven had soup (perfect for the weather) and I had colada – basically, polenta with gorgonzola, heated in the oven. Very filling, and very delicious – none of the others liked it, though! Then home for an afternoon kip – nothing like a roaring fire, and a tummy full of cheese to help bring on sleep!

That evening, Steven and I headed off to Porte Ronco, where Eurosia collected us for an aperitif and then dinner with the cousins. The bar where we went for a drink (the Beach Lagoon at Ascona) which was very funky and modern. Then, we headed to Locarno, to Lungolago, where we met all the cousins & spouses (except Tino and Eurosia's husband Gian Marc) for dinner. It was a great night – lovely to see everyone together. But we decided not to kick on to go dancing with Eurosia (lucky! She was out until 4am!) as Steven wanted to check his emails as there was a court hearing in Canada. It was a great night out!

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[Tracey Lucas]

Say hi to them all from Mark and I!