Walking through Ticino

Three days of hiking through Ticino region was a delight. The canton of Ticino (Tessin in French) is located in the south of Switzerland. It is almost entirely surrounded by Italy which lies to its east, west and south. Hard to believe it is still Switzerland it has such a Mediterranean feel, the climate and of course Italian language that is spoken here.  We headed to the Onsernone Valley, which is one of the least visited by tourists and covered with tick forests. We found some spectacular gorges and crossed a few times blue streams and the river Isorno. Many writers and artists found this valley the ideal place for inspiration, thanks to the extraordinary and up to this day intact natural surroundings.

Little train station of Intragna, where we took a bus to a small village called Loco (680 m altitude) where we started the hike.

We crossed many vineyards

Along our path, which led up to the hamlet of Calascio, there were some beautiful villages, built on sunny terraces with an interesting traditional architectural style.

 Crossing the tiny village of Calascio; a tiny, charming church in its center.

Summer house.

This is what I call an ideal place to relax...

The first night we spent at the eco auberge Monte Comino; I will write more about this wonderful place shortly.

The second night at the hamlet Ritrovo Mondada.

 Quiet, peaceful evening...

Village of Berzona, with flowers and gardens at every corner.

Summer sunshine and warmth...I hope it will last still another few weeks at least... When living so close to the nature, you want nothing else than to take advantage of all the sunshine hours you can get and nowadays its from 6.40 am - every single morning. Let is last.

Finding calm in the city - Bains des Pâquis

It is possible to find an oasis of calm and serenity in the middle of the city such as Geneva, at the open-air baths right on the right shore of the Lake Léman.  Bains de Paquis (bains-des-paquis.ch) is a real public institution with almost mythical reputation and a long tradition since its construction in 1872. Its a piece of heaven where you can unwind, lay down on the wooden deck and soak the sun, get rid of toxins in a sauna and hamam, get a massage and after all that take a refreshing dip in the sparkling lake waters. The baths are less chic and modern than this beautiful spa, but this is what makes them so special; simplicity, no-frills deco, fresh cut flowers, all essentials for soul and body comfort are provided. At the sunset there is a special vibe in the air of a social hub as the locals, a colorful, cheerful crowd of people of multitude nationalities come for a sun-downer. Paquis restaurant (buvettedesbains.ch) serves excellent freshly made lunches and dinners at very reasonable prices.

The baths are known for summer 6am music concerts at the time of sunrise, what a serene way to start a day, I hope to attend one yet this summer.

*Here is about another favorite relaxing spot in Geneva.