Second Time on the Olive Trail along Lago di Lugano (Lake Lugano)

Wednesday November 14, 2018 -- With my unfathomable inability to properly download or read a bus schedule, we once again had to resign ourselves to a Plan B, in this case a repeat of a short and easy walk we did in early Spring, but nevertheless pleasant, warm and enjoyable.

The original plan was to cross the border into Italy near Lugano on Lake Lugano (in the direction of Lake Como) to visit some Italian villages and castles on the sunny hillside there. But because the buses across the border are few and far between, taking the next one (after waiting at the wrong bus stop and watching our bus pass by not 100m from where we were standing) meant starting too late in the afternoon. But no matter, as we had just walked for 5 km around the city of Lugano, so starting from Gandria just this side of the border and walking back to Lugano (another 5 km) along the pleasant Olive Trail was just fine.

This North side of Lake Lugano has such a wonderfully sunny exposure that it is almost like being on the Mediterranean: Once again, as the flatlands in the North wallowed in fog, we were walking in short sleeves and the equivalent of shorts, just a 3-hour ride from home.

Last time we were here we learned a lot about olive cultivation, and this time we even got to see them harvesting.... bringing down the olives with toy-sized rakes. It was kind of weird....

Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, just below the train station in Lugano. We started with a visit to this cathedral

I've seen St.Peter's in the Vatican, and this is just as impressive, minus the masses of tourists!!!

Just as beautiful as St.Peter's in the Vatican!

Heading to the lake through the sloping streets of Lugano

Fine foods in Lugano

This unassuming church (Chiesa Santa Maria degli Angioli) in the middle of banks and hotels contains a famous mural painted in the Renaissance period.

This huge mural painted by Bernardino Luini (contemporary of Leornardo da Vinci) in 1529 is the most famous fresco of the Renaissance period in Switzerland

We walked along the lakefront past the palace and the park on the right, where we caught a bus to Gandria, 5 km further along the lake, and walked back again.

Just like when we were in Sicily

Walking along the lakeshore in the warm sunshine with a view to the distinctive profile of Monte San Salvatore

Walking through the Olive Groves of Gandria (in the background are the villages in Italy we had originally planned on visiting)

This is how olives are harvested

Olives are apparently not edible unless they are marinated

Gandria on Lake Lugano

Walking through the cool corridors of Gandria on the Olive Trail

This is my favourite place along the lakeshore trail

So warm we can walk in short-sleeves and no leggings

Along the way are public gardens called "The Olive Gardens" built on a steep hillside with many terraces and benches, where one can spend a peaceful afternoon

This has happened to us many times this year. Officially, the trail continues on the other side of the gate, which is locked. We had planned to continue upwards from the Olive Garden, but had to go back to the lakeshore path.