Lake Maggiore, Italian Switzerland

During our time in Portugal, we became friends with Remo, a keen motorbiker who lives in the county of Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland. He kindly invited us to visit him during our time there and we are so glad that we did.

The journey there took us over the Simplon Pass, into Italy, back into Switzerland and then along the twisty lakeside road to just beyond Locarno.

While making our way up hairpin bends to Remo's apartment overlooking Lake Maggiore, we quickly understood why he recommended that we leave the motorhome and trailer in storage! The views over the lake from his balcony were breathtaking with undulating hills and mountains dotted with small villages that shone like diamonds at night. We felt like celebrities!

Out on the bike, we spent a day doing a circular route which took us up hairpin bends and over the famous Saint Bernard Pass (not to be confused with the Great St. Bernard Pass that we had done previously) and then back via the Lukmanier Pass. Once again we were mesmerised by the scenery of lush greenery, high mountains, waterfalls, lakes and houses, whose balconies were dripping with colourful flowers.

Together with Remo, he introduced us to the two valleys behind Locarno - the Valle Maggia where granite villages cling to steep hillsides and waterfalls cascade down to the Maggia River below and the Val Verzasca where the Verzasca River has carved a deep 26km gorge through the mountains and is home to Corippo, Switzerlands smallest hamlet of just 13 people. The granite-built and thick slate roofs of the houses that dot the valleys are like taking a step back in time. Today some are still lived in and many are holiday homes.

We stopped at the 220m-high Verzasca Dam and watched the brave (or crazy) bungee jump for their adrenaline shot trying to emulate the opening sequence of the James Bond film 'Goldeneye' that was filmed there.

Unique to Ticino are 'Grotti', rustic inns or restaurants, that are open from around April to October serving traditional Swiss - Italian dishes, usually cooked in open kitchens with wood fires. They tend to each have their own specialities, of say, polenta, and we tried a couple for lunch during our stay. We were not disappointed as we dined al fresco in natural surroundings.

We had planned on seeing more of this beautiful country and ticking off some more of the famous mountain paths on the bike but, by the end of our week, it seemed as though the great weather we had enjoyed so far was starting to break. Time to head south.

We cannot thank our friends Michelle, Shaun and Remo enough for their hospitality and for introducing us to Switzerland. There is still so much more to explore that we shall definitely be back.Read more