A one-week vacation in southern Switzerland has once again shown me how wonderfully diverse this small country is.
Switzerland is small. It would fit three times into New York State. A drive from New York City to Albany is enough to cross the entire country. New York City has about the same number of inhabitants as Switzerland. What New York City also has in common with Switzerland is diversity. Albeit on a completely different level. While New York is primarily known for its diversity in terms of people, Switzerland is blessed with a variety of landscapes that is unparalleled. You don’t have to leave Switzerland to enjoy a vacation in completely different European cultures. This year, we decided to spend a week in Ticino indulging in sweet idleness the Italian way.
A week under Swiss palm trees
Perfect public transportation
One advantage of not leaving Switzerland is the country’s well-developed and efficient public transport system. It takes just over three hours to get from the center of Basel to our rented vacation apartment on the hill above Locarno, with a pool and a magnificent view over Lake Maggiore and Italy. A tram ride to the train station, a train ride with one change, and a ride on the funicular up the mountain, and eccoci qua!
A garden full of summer
One short hike and lots of laps in the pool
Dolce far niente was the motto of the week. Or almost. First, we took a trip to the Verzasca Valley and went on a short hike to a waterfall. Since I had been here several times before on vacation, even in the same vacation apartment, I knew the area very well and it was really about relaxing for a few days. The weather was at its best and thanks to the pool, the heatwave that was spreading across Europe was perfectly bearable. We just lived for the moment. First breakfast in the garden, swimming, second breakfast at the bakery, reading, sleeping, drawing something in my sketchbook and again swimming every now and then. In the evening, we sometimes went down to Locarno or Ascona to immerse ourselves in the Italian rhythm of life. Having a drink and dinner in restaurants on the street while watching people and enjoying life. Everything without a plan and without a schedule.
A day in the Verzasca valley
Letting the mind wander
It’s really good to just live in the moment. It creates space for new ideas and perspectives. I had brought some work with me, but in the end I decided not to do anything. The reward is greater once I’m back in the studio, full of energy and with a clear head, ready to devote myself to my work again. And that moment came sooner than I thought. On Friday, we headed north again and by lunchtime I found myself back in sweltering Basel, which didn’t exactly put me in the mood to work.
Letting thoughts wander on the shores of Lake Maggiore
Back to reality
It wasn’t until Saturday that I felt fully back to normal, and I took advantage of the early morning to go for my first jog in Basel while the temperatures were still bearable. I had to laugh when I noticed the barge called Ascona navigating alongside me on the Rhine. It was the perfect end to a beautiful and relaxing week in Ticino, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Early summer mornings in Basel
