On the train to Andermatt, Goschenen, Bellinzona and Lucarno

We took the Train to Andermatt, then Goschenen and then on to Bellinzona. 

Scenes along the way:

The scenery is much different here; much more rocky and not snow-covered as it's further south.

 Our train.

This is the Gothard tunnel which spirals through the alps.

A vending machine had this terrific pick-me-up offering.

The orange route is the path we took today.

You can't drive through the Gothard Tunnel; you have to put your car on a train to get through. 

Our table was waiting for us at "Internazionale" Restaurant in Bellinzona. Gnocci was on the menu which is not a favorite of mine (but IS of the Swiss...). Today's gnocci was served with tomato sauce and was quite good.

Castle Grande in Bellinzona:

Looking up into one of the towers.

The guide explained how the various "openings" in the sides of the castle were for different kinds of bows or cross bows.

Later we arrived in Lucarno, the lowest part of Switzerland which used to be quite poor. After the flood of 1868, they began to invest in the infrastructure to prevent floods. This helped tremendously. The opening of the Gothard Tunnel caused the population to explode.

Finally, we checked into our hotel, Geranio du Lac nestled among the palm trees. They  have AC! I am thrilled. And it's right on Lake Maggiore. All the rooms have spacious patios, and we can talk to each other from our patios. This area is called Ticino and is very Italian since it's so close to Italy.

Our hotel.

Dinner was at the nearby Lago Maggiore and was the best dinner we've had - salad, mushroom soup, tasty salmon and a whole plate of vegetables. Dessert was panna cotta with fruit, which I don't think I've ever had. It's sort of a white creme caramel without the caramel and was delicious.