We pulled into town around 19:00, aka 7 p.m. (Europe seems to prefer what I think of as Navy time) looking for Tsui Fok Chinese restaurant. We’d read they have rooms to rent and this was confirmed by a friend who grew up in the area. But never having spoken to anyone who’d stayed there (and not knowing the friend’s taste in accommodations) we were unsure what to expect. The price was low, for Bellinzona (and for Switzerland), but more than the youth hostel (which was full). Would it be a find? Or would we find dark, narrow hallways permeated with the smell of fried egg rolls?
From the road, the building looked clean-lined, an ochre-colored stucco two-story with plenty of windows and balconies overlooking the quiet street just a block or so from the old town center. We walked into an airy foyer with a statue of a Happy Buddha grinning merrily at the entrance, and a brisk but smiling, round-faced, middle-aged Chinese woman showed us down the (well lit) hallway to our room.
Big sigh of relief.
Four beds, a sink and a wardrobe, whiter than white sheets and colorful comforters. Then, a big wow when we stepped onto the balcony: breathtaking views of the mountains and castles that embrace this little Swiss village.
This was a happy introduction to a short but very full stay in Bellinzona. That night we found the Corona, a restaurant recommended by our friends (thank you, Franca!). Aptly named—“Corona” means “crown,” and the town boasts three castles replete with kingly history—this spot also gave us a proper introduction to the distinctly Italian flavor of Ticino, this southern region of Switzerland.
Everyone here speaks Italian, including a staff of those young, good-looking waiters not only brimming with a mix of bravado and joie de vivre, but also with an infectious and inclusive spirit that makes you feel as though they’re about to let you in on all their inside jokes.
Our tables on the breezeway outside the restaurant was situated so that, just over Joseph’s shoulder, we could see the pizza man rolling, then throwing disks of dough and sliding them into the wood-burning oven built into the wall. Our pizza had eggplant and white asparagus, an unlikely combination that worked beautifully. There was also a carafe of the local merlot and insalata mista, something we’ve found at several places since but never quit as good: a selection of mixed lettuces, grated carrots, beets, corn and tomatoes. It all came together for that perfect European café experience you hope for: historic plaza, friendly restaurant, great food.
After dinner we wandered around town and walked along the lighted ramparts of the Castelgrande, carefully avoiding young couples smooching in dark corners and clusters of teenagers hanging out on the steps and in grassy courtyards. This castle and the associated city walls are so much a part of the town it seems their stones are as likely to pop up beside clothing stores and gelato shops as beside the castle gates, they are so integrated into the daily landscape.
The next day we took history for a walk through modern Bellinzona, renting audio tour phones from the tourist office and walking through the very much living streets of the villages founded around 900, steeped in centuries of long-aspt tradition, and still loyal to much of it. For example: the medieval market described by the tour echoes the present-day Saturday market in the square. And the fountain where we refilled our water bottles was the gathering place for villagers filling their vessels with the same mountain water back in Bellinzona’s earliest days.
Our audio tour took us up the white tower of the castle for sweeping views further up the mountain, where two similar castles guard the town. Then it was time to move on down the mountain to our next adventure: Locarno and Lake Maggiore.
From the road, the building looked clean-lined, an ochre-colored stucco two-story with plenty of windows and balconies overlooking the quiet street just a block or so from the old town center. We walked into an airy foyer with a statue of a Happy Buddha grinning merrily at the entrance, and a brisk but smiling, round-faced, middle-aged Chinese woman showed us down the (well lit) hallway to our room.
Big sigh of relief.
Four beds, a sink and a wardrobe, whiter than white sheets and colorful comforters. Then, a big wow when we stepped onto the balcony: breathtaking views of the mountains and castles that embrace this little Swiss village.
This was a happy introduction to a short but very full stay in Bellinzona. That night we found the Corona, a restaurant recommended by our friends (thank you, Franca!). Aptly named—“Corona” means “crown,” and the town boasts three castles replete with kingly history—this spot also gave us a proper introduction to the distinctly Italian flavor of Ticino, this southern region of Switzerland.
Everyone here speaks Italian, including a staff of those young, good-looking waiters not only brimming with a mix of bravado and joie de vivre, but also with an infectious and inclusive spirit that makes you feel as though they’re about to let you in on all their inside jokes.
Our tables on the breezeway outside the restaurant was situated so that, just over Joseph’s shoulder, we could see the pizza man rolling, then throwing disks of dough and sliding them into the wood-burning oven built into the wall. Our pizza had eggplant and white asparagus, an unlikely combination that worked beautifully. There was also a carafe of the local merlot and insalata mista, something we’ve found at several places since but never quit as good: a selection of mixed lettuces, grated carrots, beets, corn and tomatoes. It all came together for that perfect European café experience you hope for: historic plaza, friendly restaurant, great food.
After dinner we wandered around town and walked along the lighted ramparts of the Castelgrande, carefully avoiding young couples smooching in dark corners and clusters of teenagers hanging out on the steps and in grassy courtyards. This castle and the associated city walls are so much a part of the town it seems their stones are as likely to pop up beside clothing stores and gelato shops as beside the castle gates, they are so integrated into the daily landscape.
The next day we took history for a walk through modern Bellinzona, renting audio tour phones from the tourist office and walking through the very much living streets of the villages founded around 900, steeped in centuries of long-aspt tradition, and still loyal to much of it. For example: the medieval market described by the tour echoes the present-day Saturday market in the square. And the fountain where we refilled our water bottles was the gathering place for villagers filling their vessels with the same mountain water back in Bellinzona’s earliest days.
Our audio tour took us up the white tower of the castle for sweeping views further up the mountain, where two similar castles guard the town. Then it was time to move on down the mountain to our next adventure: Locarno and Lake Maggiore.
No comments:
Post a Comment