[Idyllchat] Ticino

[Walt Slazyk]

Hi, Shirley.
    My wife and I did the Heartland/Ticino Sampler this past summer and Jan
is right; there is a lot to do.  Here's what we did during our week there.
* Took the FART train up the Centovalli to Camedo, rented bikes and then
biked down the valley.  Don't do this on a week-end; there is too much traffic
and while drivers are respectful of bicycles, the road is narrow.  This was a 
high point of the trip - stopping along the way for lunch and hiking down to
the old "Roman" bridge.
* Short bus ride to the arts town of Ascona.  Lots of galleries and shops to 
explore.
* Train to Bellinzona exploring the castles. (full day trip)
* Cable car to Cardada for views of the lake and hiking.
* Bussed to the end of the Verzasca Valley and hiked down to Brione with
lunch along the river and little skinny-dippin' to cool off.
* Regrettable we didn't have time for a boat ride on the lake.  :-(
   You thing to expect is that Locarno will be very different than the 
Oberland area.  Sandy says that she feels we actually visited two different
countries.  The language, architecture and the culture in Locarno are Italian
and Mediterraen.  We haven't been to Italy so we can't make that comparison
but it a different experience than the Heartland and Oberland.
   We stayed in Motta #8 and found it small and sparse but serviceable.  It is 
located in the old part of the city with narrow winding streets that are more
like alleys or passageways than streets.  It is also located immediately adjacent
to the Central Plaza, Piazza Grande. That's where you'll find the COOP grocery,
shops and stores galore, and open air restaurants.
  You say you don't care much for big cities.  Sandy and I grew up in Chicago
so Locarno wasn't "big" to us.  However, it very much is an Italian and urban
experience compared to staying in a Heartland village perched on the side of 
an alp.  We enjoyed living in the heart of the centuries old city and how very
different it is than anything here in the USA. We spent our evenings with 
everyone else, lounging over a meal in the Piazza Grande engaging in people
watching or window shopping with our gelatos.
  That being said, it is easy to escape the city on the bus or FART to small 
villages, hiking trails and beautiful vistas.  You'll enjoy yourselves if you
take Locarno for what is it and not contrast it to the Oberland.  It a 
different experience.  
 
Walt Slazyk
Downers Grove, IL


>>> "Jan Knoll" <jkartist at chartermi.net> 11/23/2007 9:01 PM >>>
Based on our experiences, having been to Ticino several times, and staying 
at Rezidenza Motta, you will find much to do.  The Untours literature will 
give you many good suggestions on activities.  Figure out the bus schedules, 
and take day trips up into the valleys, leading to many small towns to 
explore.  For example, bus to the end of the Verzasca Valley, to Signonio. 
You will also find that you can talk to Urs and Barbara at the Rez. Motta 
for additional ideas and suggestions.
Jan and Ken Knoll
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shirley Gold" <msg610 at yahoo.com>
To: <idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2007 6:24 PM
Subject: [Idyllchat] Ticino


> We are planning an Untour to the Oberland area for 2
> weeks and then to the Ticino area for a week.  Never
> having been to the Ticino area we don't really know
> what to expect and would really appreciate any input
> we could get.  We will be staying in the Residenza
> Motta apartment in Locarno.  Are there many small
> villages to visit in that area?  We don't especially
> enjoy the big cities. What would be the main points of
> interest?
> Thanks much,
> Shirley from Arizona
>
>
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Be a better pen pal.
> Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how. 
> http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/
> _______________________________________________
> This message was sent by IdyllChat.
> To reply or send a new message, email to:
> IdyllChat at lists.untours.com
>
> Visit the IdyllChat archives:
> http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/
>
> Search Idyllchat Archives for any subject at: 
> http://search.dca.net/sites/untours/main.html
>>
> Read real Untourists' candid accounts of their Untours:
>> http://www.untours.com/triplogs.html To unsubscribe, change to digest 
>> delivery, or
> temporarily pause delivery, visit:
> http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat
> 


_______________________________________________
This message was sent by IdyllChat.
To reply or send a new message, email to:
IdyllChat at lists.untours.com

Visit the IdyllChat archives:
http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/

Search Idyllchat Archives for any subject at: http://search.dca.net/sites/untours/main.html
>
Read real Untourists' candid accounts of their Untours: 
> http://www.untours.com/triplogs.html To unsubscribe, change to digest delivery, or 
temporarily pause delivery, visit:
http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20071128/6aec2e08/attachment-0001.htm