The luxurious Hotel Swiss Diamond Olivella by Lake Lugano in
Vico Morcote is just minutes from Lugano. It boasts a nice swimming
pool, a first class spa and easy access to Lake Lugano.
Our lodging choice, Hotel Swiss Diamond Olivella offers the latest in
With its pleasant piazzas,
electronic amenities, a respected restaurant and a top-class health club and spa. We courtyards, cafes and
find that the hotel, like the rest of this Ticino, provides for our every need and desire
arcades, Bellinzona is the
capital of the Italian-
with patented Swiss precision and efficiency but with a distinctive Italian flair
speaking Ticino canton.
.
Italian is definitely the lingua franca of Ticino but many residents that we
encounter in shops, restaurants and museums, speak English and, for that matter,
German as well. Many Germans and German-speaking Swiss own summer homes
here and because they’ve caused a run-up in the price of real estate, they are not as
popular. Nevertheless, the ebullient Italian personality prevails and everyone is
warmly received.
Lunch at the hotel’s Ristorante Al Lago is our first order of business and as
the starter, a pretty platter of prosciutto di Parma con melone di Cavaillon, is placed
before us, we imagine we’ve arrived somewhere in the Mediterranean. It is a
perception reinforced by the palm trees that shade our lakefront table. Salmon in a
zucchini crust, followed by a luscious spumone makes for a delightful dining
experience and a good case for an afternoon nap and a swim and steam at the
hotel spa.
At dusk, we stroll along the curvaceous waterfront promenade into the heart
of Morcote. Lined with pastel villas and tile-roofed palacios from earlier centuries,
many of them converted to upscale inns and restaurants, it is picturesque but a
startling contrast to the fairytale mountain villages seen that morning from the train.
Switzerland’s surprising diversity is already apparent to us.
Parma ham with Cavaillon melon is a favourite Ticino Chefs prepare to serve a Swiss-Italian variation of the
appetiser. Spanish paella at a lakefront café in Ascona.
Lugano’s Italian facet is most apparent in the city’s delis, markets and restaurants. The most popular Italian deli
is Gabbani, near the central piazza.
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