"HOME EXCHANGE: LUGANO FOR MANHATTAN! " a Lugano Travel Page by thinking

LUGANO, Switzerland --

I needed a cup of good strong coffee . . .and I go to my favorite coffee bar( Il Canape), to enjoy the warm lake breezes -- sweetened by a blend of mimosa, oleander, magnolias, figs, lemons, persimmons, and even palms -- that come wafting through the arcade.

Unlike the rest of Switzerland, the atmosphere here is mainly Mediterranean. Trust me when I say that the Ticino, Switzerland's only Italian-speaking canton, is where the country comes alive. It's Italian lifestyle with Swiss efficiency . . . the best of both worlds.

Lugano is for anyone who wants to be spoiled
with what I value most: peace & privacy.
It's a marvelous walking city dotted with palm trees, flowers, parks, and museums. You can stream across its sun-streaked lake or stroll for hours through gardens that border it, sit high above the lake on the terrace of a restaurant, sip an espresso or cappuccino at an outdoor cafe, or take a funicular to the tops of Monte Bre or Monte San Salvatore.

Ticino gastronomy is greatly influenced by the cuisine of Lombardy, Piemonte, Tuscany, and the Alps. It is pasta, polenta, risotto con funghi, sausages, osso bucco, crusty bread, and formaggini (the local goat cheese topped with coarse black pepper and olive oil). Food shopping is very basic in Switzerland. There is not much that is interesting in stores like Manor, Migros and Coop. My advice is to take the train to Pointe Tressa, Italy and shop there. Everything is better and prices are lower.

My heart has been won by this beautiful, tranquil spot from nature's best garden. For me it is a perfect place to live life. I was very happy to spend some of my time in the treasure city of Lugano.

I do not yet speak any Italian, and the people in this area rarely speak any English.

There is a lot of wealth and banks here.
All that wealth finds an outlet on Via Nassa, the Fifth Avenue of Lugano. It's a cobbled, pedestrian-only street lined with the glittering nameplates of Versace, Gucci, Rolex and Patek Phillipe. Price tags in the windows range from expensive to surely-you-must-be-joking. If you're looking to spend the price of a used Volvo on a wristwatch, you'll have no trouble doing it here.

Links

GALLERIA BAUMGARTNER
http://www.gb-trains.ch

GLOBAL VAT REFUND
http://www.globalrefund.com

CARDADA IMPIANTI TURISTICI
http://www.cardada.ch

MONTE GENEROSO
http://www.montegeneroso.ch

MONTE TAMARO
http://www.montetamaro.ch

11 Favorite Restaurants:
Principe Leopoldo International
Ristorante al Portone German/Austrian
Ristorante Santabbondio Mediterranean
Locanda del Boschetto German/Austrian
Grotto dei Pescatori Italian
Osteria Ticinese da Raffaele German/Austrian/Swiss
Motto del Gallo Mediterranean Nearby
La Tinera German/Austrian/Swiss
Movenpick Ristorante Parco Ciani
Ristorante Orologio Italian
Antica Osteria Italian

It is impossible to express how wonderful it feels to be alive in a clean, safe, prosperous jewel like Lugano.