Day 6 - Monday July 22 - Zermatt to Lugano - Driving over the Alps

By Ellen Outten


We were up early this morning with breakfast at 7 am. Luggage had to be outside our door at 7 am as we were heading to the train at 8 am.    Zermatt permits NO cars in the town, but it's a bit phony since there are hundreds of electric taxis and work vehicles moving luggage, etc.  

We took the train out of town to Tasch where we met our bus traveled over the Simplon Pass of the Alps, the high notch in the Swiss Alps where, from 1801 to 1805, Napoleon constructed a road in order to transport artillery more easily through his expanding empire. 







Then we entered Italy, and stopped at a 30-foot eagle sculpture, a tribute to the the Swiss Mountain Brigade during WWII. 




No bench, but he found a wall.

From there we moved to Stresa, Italy, along the shores of Lake Maggiore, where we had lunch on our own.   

Pictures as we crossed the Alps on the way to Stresa.  I finally got tonid my Euros since Switzerland uses Swiss Francs.



This is the only sign that we passed the border crossing into Italy 



The Alps from the south, looking north 


Wayne wanted pizza and I would never argue with that.  Stresa, this town in Italy, brought back my memories from our recent trip to Italy and the Mediterranean.  Stresa is right next to the Swiss border but differs dramatically.  Much looser, everyone talking with their hands, women with much less clothing, better looking men.  A totally different ambiance.  Switzerland was great and we still have 3 more wonderful days left in Switzerland but they are more rigid.  

Fresh Italian pizza, mushrooms and sausage! Yes!


How can we be in Stresa Italy in an Italian restaurant and have cactus next to us?

After lunch we had two hours to shop and walk around the pedestrian only central square.  We were right next to lake Maggiore and the promenade was gorgeous.  The very upscale hotels across the street were amazing.


The painted doors and walls of old town Stresa

Some of the beautiful hotels fronting lake Maggiore 







Mosaic pavement in front of the hotel entrance.


Inside the lobby of the Grand hotel



Another scenic drive, this time through the  Italian Lake District, brought us back to Switzerland and our hotel in lakeside Lugano.












Dinner tonight is at 7 pm in the hotel restaurant  Lugano Dante  After that, a shower and sleep.  Tomorrow is Sunday, sleeping in until 7 am.

We are almost to Lugano and crossed back across the border to Switzerland.

Swiss-Italian border crossing 

First look at Lugano Switzerland 







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