England

Alps
Agno
Agno La Perla Hotel
Agno-Lugano Airport
Lugano Lake with Rain and Fog
Lugano Lake with Blue Sky

Lugano Lake by Agno
Muzzano Lake
Around Lugano
Lugano Hotel by the Lake
Hilltop Restaurant

Cathedral San Lorenzo
Santa Maria Degli Angioli
Park
Race Walking
Clock
Food

Lake Lugano

I traveled to Lugano Switzerland for about 10 days for work to meet with Darwin Airlines and help with the presentation of our aiRES product. After the first week, Chris was able to fly out and join me.

I had beautiful sunny weather the entire week before Chris arrived and I kept telling her how beautiful the area was with the lake and mountains. Chris brought a big storm with her from England so here first two days here were nothing but rain and fog. It was so gloomy and I was really hoping she could see how beautiful the area is. On the day we left, we woke up to clear blue skies and snow capped mountains. I was so happy she got to see what it looks like without the fog and rain.

Lugano is located at the very south end of Switzerland. From Lugano, its only a short train ride to Milan Italy. The entire town is Italian from the language to the food. You really feel like you are in Italy rather than Switzerland.

Alps: This photo was actually taken with my Blackberry phone camera while flying in a Darwin Air prop plane close to Lugano

Agno: A couple of views of the town of Agno from my hotel room.

Agno La Perla Hotel: I stayed at the La Perla hotel in Agno. The second photo was taken from my hotel balcony and shows how close the hotel is to the small airport. The runway was about 100 yards away from the room.

This have some similar pictures from Venice Italy and this photo is just to remind us how they are framed.

Agno-Lugano Airport: These photos are of the airport the day after the weather cleared showing the snow capped mountains in the distance.

A Darwin Air prop plane taking off

Lugano Lake with Rain and Fog

This is me along with Sharau and Anup from IBS in Trivandrum India.

A storm came through with lots of rain and fog.

A lone Coot in the lake.

Lugano Lake with Blue Sky: After the storm cleared, we had a beautiful blue sky with snow capped mountains. I kept telling Chris how pretty it was here especially by the lake. I was very happy the storm cleared and she was able to see for herself. We were lucky as we were leaving the next day.

Lugano Lake by Agno: The lake actually wraps around from Lugano to Agno. These photos are taken by the part of the lake in Agno.

Muzzano Lake: Another small lake between Agno and Lugano.

Around Lugano: Lugano is good sized and these are some photos from around the town.

A small market selling vegetables, bread, cheese and meat

Various buildings

A small coffee/chocolate shop where we had Hot Chocolate, Coffee, Black Forest Cake, Truffles and other teats.

Another coffee shop

The city of Lugano around the lake is built on the steep mountains sides and there are many funiculars taking people from the upper areas down to the lake area.

Some shopping areas

Lugano Hotel by the Lake: Because my reservations changed due to work, I had to change hotels for 1 night. The first photo shows the view from my hotel room before the rain and fog cleared. The other two photos are taken from my hotel room the next morning after the storm moved out.

Hilltop Restaurant: One evening Ilario from Darmin Air took me, Anup and Sharu to a special family run restaurant located on the top of one of the mountains by the lake. This was a great experience as we got to experience local food and hospitality. The food was delicious and came in several different courses. We had pickles and pickled-onions, a plate of different sliced meats, beef cooked in 2 different styles, cooked rabbit, polenta (a dish maid from boiled cornmeal), various types of locally made cheese, bread cake, locally made merlot wine, home made liquor and home made limoncello.

View form the restaurant

Cathedral San Lorenzo: The church dates back to 875 AD with writing mentioning the a church called "Sancti Laurentii in Luano". It's facade is early renaissance (1517). Inside the cathedral there are frescoes from the 14th century to the 16th century on the pilasters. On one of them you can find the portrait (executed in 1346) of Bishop Bonifacio da Modena.

The altar was a project of Andrea Biffi, also architect of Milan's Cathedral. Above the altars you can find the portraits of Saint Lawrence and Saint Rocco in front of Saint Mary, all painted by Giovanni Battista Carloni da Rovio. The church became a cathedral in 1888.

To the rear of the cathedral, there is a beautiful stained glass window of Mary with the Christ child.

This is an area located next to the cathedral showing another funicular.

Santa Maria Degli Angioli: This 15th century church is located at the far end of the main shopping street, Via Nassa. Inside, the church is transformed with spectacular frescos by Bernardino Luini. The largest and most popular fresco shows seven episodes of the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ and evokes the style of Leonardo da Vinci.

Park: On of the parks around Lugano Lake. We liked the keep off the grass sign.

Race Walking: One day in Lugano there was a walking race going on, so we watched that for awhile. It was kind of interesting as I had never really watched that kind of race before.

The girl in the red won the race and the girl in the blue came in second.

Clock: This is a clock I saw in one of the shops. I had to take the photo through the window, so it's not very clear. The price was about 3000 Swiss Francs or about the same in GBP ($1500). This clock is identical to the one I have that my parents brought back from Europe when I was very young. Of course the big difference is that the one in the store works while mine needs some repair work to get it to function.

Food: This was a calzone from one of the local restaurants. It looks a little burnt, but you can't really taste it. I watched and ever other calzone served was exactly the same. It was still delicious.

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