Lago di Como and Sorroundings

decision changing

It looks like I will stay in Switzerland for another week. I haven't changed the flight yet but I will do it soon if everything goes as expected. This country isn't leting me go!

Lugano: A Long Way from Hell

Mountains that block the sun

Yesterday I stumbled upon Patricia Highsmith story as an expatriate in Switzerland on Swiss info. She is most known by her novels Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley from which I love the movie adaptation but never read the book. It turns out she lived in Ticino for many years, and actually died in Locarno in 1995.

She only wrote one short-story set in Ticino under request from Le Monde. It was called "A Long Way from Hell". It is discribed in the Swissinfo aritcle as:

...tells the tragic story of a peasant excommunicated by the village priest over a property dispute. He sets off on foot for the long journey to the city to see the bishop. The story also paints a vivid portrait of life in rural Ticino: "The story of Luigi's walk to Lugano and back became known as Luigi's pilgrimage to the bishop of Lugano. Then and to the end of his days, Luigi was not only the sole man in Riato to have seen Lugano; the fact that he had done it on foot elevated his adventure to the supernatural.

Now I am curious to read it. Perhaps I should start with Mr Ripley. Probably I'll have time now that I'll be in Mexico writing the thesis, I can't do that 24x7.

pros and cons

This is what I love about Lugano. I can never get enough of the awesome landscape, sunny, with clouds, foggy, it always looks very impressive. Especially after being away a few days somewhere without a constant scenery.

This is what I don't like about Lugano. Empty streets all the time! This was on a Saturday afternoon, I still don't get why Swiss cities simply seem empty all the time, they just don't have any people! and of course forget about finding anything open.