"My home for the next 2 years" a Lugano Travel Page by ampcarlos

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Lago di Lugano

How I ended up here

My husband works for a company in SD that bought a company here in Ticino. He is assigned to train a certain group at this company and I have the difficult job of exploring this beautiful area and the rest of Ticino while he is in his office.

I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to live in another country for a couple of years. I'm hoping it will be extended for another year so we'll have more time to visit other countries. On our house hunting trip in December 2006 I took this picture. I just need to photoshop the cranes out of it.

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View from our closet

A pleasant welcoming surprise

This was taken from our bedroom upon waking up. Yay, it snowed. I must say this was a very wonderful way to be welcomed to our new home. Of course this has never happened to me in San Diego, so I was so thrilled. How funny to see snow on a palm tree! I was informed that this past winter was very mild and not a lot of snow in the lower elevations. Of course this would happen, the year we move here. Our neighbors told us a few years back it snowed like crazy in Lugano and many people were snowed in. Hmm, I think I would like to experience that!

The weather is similar to San Diego. Pleasant most of the time, but it can get very hot and sticky during summer. We've had thunderstorms in June & July and the lightning has been so awesome. To watch it with the lights out on our balcony is amazing! Sometimes it comes just a little too close to our place.

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A view towards the area I live

How I've adjusted

I must admit it has been a challenge to adjust to living in a foreign country. I come from a city where stores stay open until 9pm everyday and are open on Sundays, so it was hard to get used to doors closing at 6pm or 6:30pm. On Thursdays, they are open until 9pm, yay, but close on Sundays :( Only the touristy places are open as well as restaurants.If you do forget to buy something you can go to the train station market and get what you need. Also there's Munger, a bread and pastry shop that is open everyday of the week.

Since I live in a small village, the post office closes between 11:30 - 2:30, so that took some getting used to. Our village post is very, very small. In the city there's a large post office onf via della Posta.

I think I've walked more this year in Lugano, than the whole of last year in San Diego. We have one car, so I just take the bus down to the city. There's a lot of traffic during the week, so not having to drive is fine with me. In some parts the streets are narrow and it can be a bit nerve racking driving down some of the streets when there's an oncoming vehicle....especially when it's the bus!

Taking Italian classes has helped me, but I really need more classes. I only speak English, so it has been a bit difficult to absorb everything. I just need to find some locals to have conversations with so they can help me improve and correct my mstakes. Really, if you visit, you should learn some basic Italian words and phrases. If you move here, you should learn the language.

Okay, I just love the yogurt here! It is so smooth and creamy. You must try it if you ever visit. I just usually buy the COOP brand of vanilla bean. I used to buy the Emmi, Toni brand in the jar, but for me, it is a bit more sour than the COOP brand. I'm eating so much chocolate (bad for a chocoholic to live here), cheese (goat in particular), bread (olive bread is yummy), prosciutto, and drinking tons of wine, prosecco and Rivella!!

You want to make sure you keep the noise down between 12-2pm and on Sundays all day. Sometimes I hear some people in the neighborhood scream,"Basta" when a dog is barking and barking and barking. I think it's funny. Dogs are going to bark, that's what they do.

Now, this is something that's been very tough for me.....it's not having the variety of ethnic food I used to enjoy back in San Diego. There are some places that serve Mexican, Japanese, Thai, etc. but it is not that great. At least the places I've tried. I'll admit, I like the doner kebab, but there's no yogurt sauce that accompanies it, only the red sauce (I think it's just made with mayo and ketchup) : ( Well, some of the local foods here do make up for it...slightly. The rucula and marscarpone pizza is now my FAVORITE pizza. I try to make it at home whenever I can. I just love, love, love the luganighetta sausage. At a grotto near us, I always order the guancia di maiale with polenta, yum!