Lugano, Switzerland

Likens posting on Louises balcony (Lake Lugano)

The first weekend of Europe has been such a great, relaxing, and eventful start for team america (Andrew Likens, Pat Driscoll, and I).  When I arrived into the milan malpensa airport, Likens and Driscoll where already there to pick me up in our rental car to cruise up to Lugano, Switzerland.  We have been staying with Louise Dunlea, my former baby sitter and still current neighbor from Altadena.  She works for Reef and Vans in Lugano and has quite a job.  Her apartment looks over Lake Lugano and monte bre, which is quite the location.  Our first night was pretty low key which was nice to cure Pat and Andrews jet lag......  we cruised out to downtown Lugano for some fine wine, great italian pasta, and some night caps at the local bars (Lugano is in Switzerland but being so close to the border to italy everyone speaks italian).  

Team America swimming in lake lugano

Saturday involved renting boats and cruising around Lake Lugano.  We were with a couple friends of Louise's, including my bud james petrie who I met when I came to visit Louise two years ago.  The lake water was absolutely amazing and it was really cool swimming around the lake drinking beers, eating dank sandwiches, and listing to some great music.  Later that night, our boating group took a train out to Locarno for a wine festival near one of the Swiss castles.  Our group consumed about 30 bottles of wine which led to a great night filled with great stories and lots of dancing.

We had a late start on Sunday, but was well needed.  Two friends of Louises from New York, michael and dawn, came on Saturday to stay with Louise and eventually became part of Team America.  We made breakfast burritos which was so clutch because I have not had mexican for about a month and lets just say, I creamed my burrito with guacamole.  In the afternoon, Louise drove Team America to one of the dams in Locarno, which they call the goldeneye dam because it was in one of the james bond movies.  There is a bungee jump there and it is the second largest in the world (around 700 feet).  just being on the bridge give us the creeps so ventured more into into the mountains and stopped at the river to go swimming.  The water was extremely cold, but it was very refreshing and really clear.  We also did a little cliff/rock jumping which ended to me jumping off a HUGE cobblestone bridge.  Dinner involved grabbing risotto in the mountains near the river.  Its hard to describe the atmosphere because it was so breathtaking, but we were in the high mountain above Locarno where everything was so green, the air was crisp and cold, and the food was so bomb.

Hope all is well, Team America cruises down to Cinque Terra next then off to Florence.

-Alex

I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.  ~Mark Twain