Ticino

Martha and one other motorhome are parked up in a leaf strewn car park near a funicular railway in the sleepy hillside village of Lumino. As you may have guessed from this name, we've reached Ticino, the Italian speaking Swiss canton.

The motorway exit signs have changed from 'ausfhart' to 'uscita' and the whole place has a distinctly different feel to it. People's dress, the colour and style of buildings and unfortunately the narrow, sometimes cracked roads all remind us of our time in Italy. The driving is still very courteous, although slightly less so than in the other areas of Switzerland. We spotted an orange tree and a sickly looking palm, heralding our passage south.

The journey constituted a series of tunnels and beautiful steep gorges. The road followed the valley floors instead of going directly because the terrain was so inhospitable for driving. It was well worth paying €38 for our motorway vignette!

We weren't able to stop at our first planned overnight spot, but Lumino was just 11km further and a calm place to stay. The urban areas were very quiet and the shops closed. It was a while before we worked out that it was All Saints Day, a public holiday where people remember and often make special visits to the graves of loved ones.Read more