This morning, the mists had settled over Lake Lugano and the
the mountain tops - which was both atmospheric, chilling and
a bit of a spoiler of the view from the lake view room at our
hotel in
Lugano
. After an excellent breakfast at the Hotel
Splendide, we headed out to have a quick look around.
Sadly, the weather wasn't playing ball today and the lake had misted up overnight. None-the-less we took the five-minute walk along the promenade of the lake and stopped in at the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli on Piazza Luini. Structurally Gothic in style, the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli is home to what, in my opinion, is a masterpiece of Renaissance art. The Church exterior is plain enough but don't let that fool you - the interior is an absolute artistic and religous delight. The star "attraction" - if an object of religous importance can be described as such - the the fresco by Bernado Luini which depicts the Passion of Christ and the Crucifixion.
After the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli, we headed up
the dog-leg lane in the old town of
Lugano
and up the hill
to the Cathedral. The Cathedral of San Lorenzo sits above the
city itself. The noted Renaissance-style façade overlooks
the city and lake of
Lugano
. The interior shows examples of
Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance periods and much of the
interior decoration remains. The chapels on either side of
the Cathedral are beautiful and worth spending a little time
looking around. The cielings of the chapels are quite fine.
This evening we headed to Lugano-Paradiso - a short walk along
the promenade from our
hotel for dinner. Being an extended holiday weekend, many
places were closed. We did, however, stumble upon the Restaurant
Al Faro (riva Paradiso 36) which a well known seafood restaurant
run by a former surgeon. We ate in the Piano Lounge, which
is somewhat less formal than the adjoining dining room. The
four of use where all delighted with our meals, the Tuna with
mustard and veggies (my dish) was very enjoyable although,
as a matter of personal taster, I prefer a stronger mustard.
The cream of Violet Potato, which I did sample, excellent.
Sadly, I didn't get a go at the Bison but the Pork in a Barolo
sauce was pretty good too. Personally, I can recommend any
of these dishes and the the Al Faro itself.
Switzerland - places not to miss - Sixteen places not to miss around Switzerland
Bellinzona - Church with a mountain backdrop - Swiss Alpine view: Church seen from the walk down from Castle Sasso Corbaro in Bellinzona, Ticino
Bellinzona - what not to miss - What not to miss in and around Bellinzona
Bellinzona - UNESCO-listed Castelgrande - The imposing UNESCO listed Castelgrande in Bellinzona
Lugano - what not to miss - What not to miss in and around Lugano
Lugano - The waterfront promenade at Lake Lugano - View of the waterfront of Lake Lugano in Canton Ticino, Switzerland
Switzerland - recommended hotels - Recommended hotels in Berne, Fribourg, Lugano, Neuchâtel and Rapperswil
Como - Villa Olmo - Brief information on and about the Villa Olmo in Como, Italy
Italy - 10 places not to miss - 10 places you shouldn't miss in Italy
Switzerland - Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau - The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau seen from Bergrestaurant Harder Kulm
Ticino Tourism - Official wesbite of the Ticino Tourism Office
Mark Sukhija is a travel and wine blogger, photographer, tourism researcher, hat-touting, white-shirt-wearing, New Zealand fantatic and eclipse chaser. Aside from at least annual visits to New Zealand, Mark has seen eclipses in South Australia (2002), Libya (2006), China (2009) and Queensland (2012). After twelve years in Switzerland, Mark moved back to London in 2012. You can follow Mark on Twitter or Facebook