Making the most of it. I hope.

I'm trying to leave Chicago, but the weather is not cooperating. Lots of delays and planes aren't landing. Instead of stressing, I'm going to reminisce about nice, fun vacations that doesn't involve sitting on the airport floor watching an enormous thunderstorm roll by.

While we were hiking around Locarno, we came across these people:

From Ticino, Switzerland

This was pure class. We heard these people coming down the mountain singing at the top of their lungs well before we could see them. The one woman lost her shoe and couldn't get up, and they were laughing too hard to help. Good times.

We went to Ascona. It's a small village on the lake right next to Locarno.

From Ticino, Switzerland

From Ticino, Switzerland

More picture-perfection, lots of stairs to climb and alleys to explore. Safe, clean, non-threatening Swiss alleys.

From Ticino, Switzerland

From Ticino, Switzerland

The scenery was so amazing, it made me almost forget that you can buy nice fat Cuban cigars there.

From Ticino, Switzerland

From Ticino, Switzerland

While meandering around, I found this:

From Ticino, Switzerland

It was an abandoned church and tower (filled with generations of pigeons)with a vineyard and a garden. It was on a steep hill that overlooked the lake. I was about to pay cash for it right then and there.

From Ticino, Switzerland

What a great little fixer-upper.

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Well, the sun just came out, which nicely illuminated the oncoming thunderstorms. Miles of them. Simply fabulous. I feel better now.

Ticino

I have a whole arm-chair of knitwear that I've finished but I've been too busy to show off. I'm in Chicago this week (if you are ever here, check out Loopy Yarns) so I'll talk about some recent travels instead.

I started out in Zurich.

From Zurich June 2010

Zurich was so gray and dreary that I switched my camera over to take black and white photos. I couldn't get any color in my photos at all, and the constant cold drizzle was getting me down.

The Man with the Plan had the idea to outrun this depressing weather, so we took a train to the Ticino canton. Ticino is a part of Switzerland that dips down into Italy. It's in the Alps, but situated so that it gets sunny, Mediterranean weather complete with palm trees and balmy weather.

We stepped off the train in Locarno and were instantly charmed by the quaint village, steep hillsides and snowy alps.

From Ticino, Switzerland

It was clean and neat and orderly, as Switzerland tends to be, but more relaxed and friendly, as Italy is.

From Ticino, Switzerland

Instead of climbing up and down the nearby hills on a winding road they had staircases that got you there a bit quicker, passing quaint houses and taking in views of the nearby Alps. You could climb staircase to an ancient church.

From Ticino, Switzerland

From a height, you can see into Italy and far up the valley where there are (surprise!) more Alps.

From Ticino, Switzerland

From Ticino, Switzerland

Naturally, there was knitting involved.

From Ticino, Switzerland

The Travelling Woman shawl came along for some fun. The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight in the Footzy Foo colorway. This is part of my A-Z stashdown challenge, a gift, and some super-easy mindless knitting.

More to come- I am in meetings and the internet is too slow to get anything done. I hope my boss finds my blog so he can be informed exactly what I'm doing right now.