Hotel Vapore Menaggio

... good for what you pay!! And awesome for a backpacker!!
Went for drinks at Frank's Bar which Patrick who owns the hotel recommended. Turned out to be a pretty trendy cocktail joint
where you pay for your drink at 1 place then get it at another. 10 Euro for a beverage no matter what you had so naturally I ordered a long island ice tea!!!

... out with anyone but the family. Luisa said she needed to know for sure when I was going home so they could find someone else, so that night I called the airline and set my flight for November 24th, so I could be home for Thanksgiving. We played Uno that night, and I won and Francesco screamed at me so loudly his pacifier dropped out of his mouth and I saw his tonsils. And she wonders why I sometimes distance myself from them? I ...

... quaint with beautiful villas. We walked the gardens of the Melza Villa. The canons in the photos are not toys....they are from the Napoleonic period...used to defeat Milan. The keys are to the city of Milan from the 1700's.

The food here is terrific. We travel back to Milan tomorrow to pick up our friends and head to the villa in Montanione. Forecast is for thunderstorms...yeah!

Love,
R ich and Kara

... hostel's provision of food and drink as well as beds meant that guests socialised a lot, and in the three nights Lyndsey and I stayed we made many new friends, all of whom enhanced the Menaggio experience. Nights were spent drinking cheap alcohol and playing cards on the ground floor balcony that overlooked the lake; Lyndsey commented that it was like being at University again which was a good comparison, although fortunately without my ...

... The weather was absolutely perfect the entire time we were in Lugano and it wasn't easy to leave behind. Every place I visit in Ticino, the Italian region of Switzerland, I love, so I am sure I will be back to see more of it soon.

On Monday morning my Canadian friend left us in Lugano on a train for Milan. I wish him a safe journey and an amazing experience on his first backpacking trip ever, and his first time outside of North America.

... and utilitarian. Once in we attempted to find some groceries for Sunday morning. The stores were closed and we did find a place in the square with some basic stuff, milk, small bottle of orange juice and a tea bag. Finally in we unpacked and checked out the view of the lake from our porch and got a decent sleep on a mattress that was comfortable. June 15, Sunday We started the day with limited food in the house and the ...

... and 20min to make her bed, we couldn't stop laughing. We had no idea what was going on. She didn't speak a word of English, but insisted on speaking to us in rapid Italian. At one point, once we were both in bed, we think she asked us if we had any music because she started singing and dancing. We tried to read and sleep but she just kept talking to us. Thankfully the smelly lady came back in and started speaking Italian to her. We fell asleep to the sound ...

... steep and rocky, and I got scared being on the cliffs. We found the path to Madri again but decided to head back down to the hamlet of Barna rather than finishing the last 3K. The sound of the church bells described in the hike pamphlet reassured us as we traipsed back down the mountain. Finally, we got back to the mill/trout farm, where we stopped for a well-deserved beer and ...

... stuffed to finish the pistachio and strawberry gelato we got for dessert. Michael noted that the service isn't as pushy here--they don't come to check in or refill water. It's not offfensive, but we sure will appreciate free tap water and not having to flag down waiters at home. We relaxed over the remainder of our red wine, watching the tables fill with other diners and the lights beginning to flicker on like candles across the lake.

... were in the Italian part of Switzerland. I’m continually amazed at the diversity within such a small country, so much so that I really don’t know how the 26 largely autonomous Cantons, each distinctly parochial, influenced in part in food and customs by their nearest bordering countries and divided by the use four official national languages, has ever been able to function effectively as a unified confederation since the original Cantons first joined together in 1291 ...