Tuesday, 13 July 2010

On to Ascona Saturday Sunday Monday

Zermatt Tuesday

An easy introduction to Switzerland- fast train to Locarno, lunch by Lago Maggorie, ferry to Ascona with our hotel Art Hotel Riposa in the pedestrianised section of town and very cute. The Jazz festival was competing with the World Cup for attention. We settled for the World Cup- Paraguay v. Germany at a waterfront bar, and Germany went on to the semi final. Our hotel had a marvelous roof top terrace looking out on the lake . On Sunday we decided to ‘do’ the Jazz festival , starting with a concert in the piazza.

Everything was very accessible, bands roaming the street, music in restaurants spilling out on to the street. We had lunch at one of the participating restaurant and had a whole afternoon of Jazz-Paris Washboard. We looked for something similar for dinner, but ended at a lovely garden restaurant on the waterfront with jazz piano as a backdrop.

On Monday we visited the Isole Madre and Isola Bella by ferry calling at Intra and Stresa

At Isola Madre the Palazzo Borromeo was built in the sixteenth century, and surrounded by impressive gardens, covering eight hectares constructed in the English style and begun in the eighteenth century… There is one of the earliest camellia collections in Italy, parrots and peacocks, a family chapel, constructed 1858 and a notable palm collection, with specimens up to 125 years old.Then on to the piece d’resistance Isola Bella.Carlo III. Borromeo began to level the rocks and create on the island a palace for his wife in the 17th Century, The works continued till 1958 following the original plan.

Isola Bella is now one of the major tourist attractions on Lake Maggiore. The stately palace dominates one side of the island, while its elaborate, ten-tiered baroque-style gardens fill the opposite side. Connecting the two areas is the shell grotto. The series of six rooms were first conceived in 1685, by Vitaliano the Sixth, with the aid of the architect Filippo Cagnulo. It took 100 years to complete them. In the cavern-like coolness, now as then, the rooms provide a refuge from the summer heat. Every inch of space, including ceilings, floors, and archways, is cov

ered in a mosaic of black and white shells and pebbles.

We left from Lucarno by train over very steep mountains, back through Italy, then coming back into Switzerland at Brig, where we took the Glacier Express to Zermatt, the closest town to the Matterhorn. Not the highest in the Alps but truly spectacular. We went up on the cog railway to the glaciers and the view was breathtaking. People were just about speaking in a whisper it was so awe- inspiring. But this image is what it looked like from our bedroom window. Zermatt is a lovely picture postcard town with no cars and stone houses .The mushroom caps stop the vermin getting into the storerooms

Hong Kong & Milan

We had a fun day with Pam and Stan, going to Stanley market and back to the Jumbo Restaurant at Aberdeen for lunch, then finishing the day at the Intercontinental. It rained most of the day and was very humid. They met us the night before at our hotel, and had booked dinner at the Hutong, which was a great success. A wonderful place to see the light show and great food."This stunning restaurant, is about as far from a real hutong as you can get, since it's located on the 28th floor of a strikingly modern high-rise. The restaurant has a down-to-earth yet dramatic setting, with red lanterns providing the only splash of color against a dark, muted interior, and with birdcages everywhere -- hanging from the ceiling, decorating tables, and silhouetted against windows" The Beggar's Chicken was fantastic.

They went off to New York and we had another great food experience.We went to the cheapest Michelin restaurant in the world Tim Ho Wan, which means "Add Good Luck", and seats only 20 people in its tiny dining room. We had to queue for an hour but the dim sum were terrific. We handed the waitress a paper menu with our dish choices circled in pen, and were seated elbow to elbow at a long table crammed with other diners, the clatter of the kitchen to our backs. The Hong Kong restaurant is headed by Mak Pui Gor, the former dim sum chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, where he worked at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Lung King Heen. The chef decided during the economic crisis to branch out on his own and offer his dishes at bargain prices. It cost us $8 for 2 people.

Milan Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday

The overnight flight was OK and our hotel Palazzo delle Stelline was where we remembered it opposite the Church of the Last Supper and even better our rooms were ready at 9.30am. The hotel was just as it was in1984, which isn't surprising as it started as a monastary in the 15th century.So soon we were on the tram into the centre to the Galleria Victor Emmanual and the Duomo, just as stunning as ever. I hope you remember this Nicole

The shoes are for Dulcie and Stacey-they are the latest in Milan

The weather was really hot and steamy so we fell quickly into the Italian siesta mode.Later in the day we did a canal trip The history of Milan is closely connected with the system of canals, that pass through the whole city. .

The oldest canal Naviglio Grande takes its water from the Ticino river. Tha canal was constructed from 1177 to 1257 and is about 50 km long. In the past it was used as transporting goods, particularly for the blocks of marble that were used for building the Cathedral.

Typical, old Milan houses, old wash-houses with wooden beamed roofs and craftsmen’s workshops are still there. Today you find boutiques and artists of Milan, cafes, restaurants and old moored barges fitted out as bars.

So off to Switzerland First stop Ascona

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2010 Giro d'Italia - 2010 Tour of Italy

Day 6 of the 2010 Giro d'Italia sees the pelaton still in the Northern part of Italy where many of the Italian families that migrated to this area originated. Yesterdays stage finished in Novi Ligure in the Piedmont region. For more info from Wikipedia

The riders were transported to Fidenza in the Emilia-Romagna region to start the race. This is an intermediate stage that will finish by the sea at the Marina di Carrara.

After 3 days in the north this race continues to head South. The race heads back North again and finishes 30th May in Verona in the Veneto region.

The festa has its own cycle race on the last Sunday of the festa. The race is a handicap event co-ordinated by the Ballarat/Sebastopol Cycling Club and takes in 60km of undulating countryside providing participants with a small taste of European riding. Prizes for top ten finishers.

Painting, cooking, cycling, rolling and kicking - Entry Forms

Get painting, cooking, cycling, rolling and kicking - the festa entry forms are starting to be uploaded. Visit the website Program - Events Page for the forms. Today the family bocce, boccia, soccer and cycling forms have been loaded. The page looks busy because the festa is a busy place.

swissinfoch Reporter Visits Hepburn Springs

Earlier in 2009 Luigi Jorio visited Hepburn Springs to report on Swiss-Italian migration to Hepburn Springs, Victoria, Australia for www.swissinfo.ch and how this history is celebrated annually by our very own Swiss (and) Italian Festa www.swissitalianfesta.com.

www.swissinfo.ch is the Swiss news and information online channel and they have an online research project called "We shall not stay long" - The story of Swiss-Italian Migrations.

This article features a photo from the parade and interviews with locals.

Why not visit the swissinfo.ch site and learn more about the colourful history of migration from Switzerland and Italy behind this festa.

Committee member gets her own space in My Space

Maria Viola, a long-time member of the Hepburn Springs Swiss Italian Festa Committee, was featured in last Saturday's Age in My Space. It's a great story about her commitment to her history and her family. More details at www.macaronifactory.com.au

Dont forget another very popular local event this weekend Sunday July 27

The Glenlyon Fine Food and Wine Fayre held in the Glenlyon Hall

SIF has a MOU with MIF

So what does all that mean. On Friday 26th June the Hepburn Springs Swiss Italian Festa (SIF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Melbourne Italian Festival (MIF).

"This historic partnership with MIF will give us a great opportunity to promote our festa and shire under the MIF umbrella." - Rob McDonald SIF President

The MOU was signed by Franca Smarrelli the MIF director and Rob McDonald the SIF President and was sealed with lunch at The Old Macaroni Factory in Hepburn Springs.

MIF (MIF 2009) is held between May and June each year to coincide with Italy's Republic Day on June 2nd.

The 2009 Hepburn Springs SIF will be held between October 9th and 18th.

Hope to see you there.