Switzerland is a fascinating country. Mixture of  French, German and Italian languages, cuisines and traditions creates a unique Swiss culture and spirit. Promenades along shimmering lakes, down-hill slides over snowy Alps, bell-chattering peaceful cows, numerous festivals,  breath-taking-away train-rides -  traveling switzerland can be as exciting as it is diverse. It all depends on a destination.

A voyage to sunny Ticino – a canton in Italian part of Switzerland – was a dream-like get-away. A feel of neighboring Italy was everywhere – Italian language, cousin and architecture  yet swiss hospitality.  The place named Lugano Paradisso was claimed to be a paradise on Earth. Surrounded by mountains and set on a lake -  Lugano is a blooming cozy town with mediterranean flavor and highest number of milliners per square meter in the world. It’s not surprising -  chic and easy-going lifestyle merged in picturesque Lugano. Rich-looking buildings, narrow sidewalks, villas and cathedrals nestled on sugar-loaf hills rising from the lake. Numerous fishing villages steeped around the hills drowned in blooming flowers promised a romantic experience.

And it hadn’t took a long time until a romance began. A boat trip to Gandria – tiny fishing village stretched along the lake – made it a Day! I loved the place immediately -  empty narrow streets, deep blue lake waters and warm terra cotta houses. We hiked the hill in search of promised Botanical Garden. After taking several wrong turns, we finally caught a sight of  Lost Eden -  an old villa, owned by a rich man long time ago and turned into a public sightseeing, welcomed us with countless sub-tropical plants, inviting terraces and splendid view. We were wondering around the garden – it was a rich blend of plants and art forms, around every corner there was a statue of resting Buddha, an African warrior, a temple or a fountain. Intrigued  in a dreamlike environment we were rushing to see what was behind next turn. After discovering all hidden treasures we spent next hour sitting on terrace overlooking paradise. Finally fed up with sights viewing we were starving  for a real meal. Lazy we left the Garden and headed to the lakeside restaurant. I happened to try a local fish speciality and it was the best fish I had ever tried! After lunch we thought about walking back to Lugano along the lake side, but tired and lazy we decided to take a boat.

To fully appreciate Lugano – the “Rio of the Old World” -  it’s a must to see it from above. We couldn’t miss it so in evening we took a funicular from Lugano-Paradiso which rode us up to the top of the mountain San Salvatore.  Complementing esthetic pleasure with gastronomic, we had diner in the restaurant on top of the mountain. While enjoying excellent food and astonishing  panorama we were busy planning the next day. It would have been nice to explore Villa Favorita and then have a meal in Piazza della Riforma and after that perhaps make a tour around old city. Yes it would all have been  nice especially if we would have an extra day Well, maybe next time!