McAfee's Knob on Steroids

Switzerland is beautiful. After a smooth flight from Washington D.C. and a breathtaking drive through the snow-covered mountains of Switzerland, we arrived in Lugano around noon on Friday.

My new home, the Montarina, overlooks Lake Lugano with an incredible view from the balcony. You may be surprised to know that there are palm trees all throughout Lugano. It is rather peculiar to see palm trees and the snowcapped Alps in the same line of vision.

I spent most of Friday and Saturday butchering the Italian language, exploring Lugano, and getting to know the other 47 Hokies on the trip. I am rooming in the Montarina's penthouse suite with my longtime friend from middle and high school, Trip, as well as my good friend and former Pritchard hall mate, Taylor.

On Sunday, all 48 of us hiked up Monte San Salvatore, in the northwestern part of the Alps. It can best be described as Southwest Virginia's McAfee's Knob on steroids. Our hike lasted nearly seven hours, but the view over Lake Lugano was well worth it. I could see all of Lugano and as far as Milan, Italy from the top of the mountain. The weather was a perfect 13 degrees Celsius (56 degrees Fahrenheit). We spent about an hour at the top taking pictures and soaking in the scenery. Our goal is to return to the top of the mountain at the end of our trip.

We learned the hard way that most restaurants only serve coffee and tea between lunch and dinner in Switzerland. After nearly an hour of searching for a restaurant that served dinner before seven o'clock, we found AnaCapri, a restaurant conveniently located across from the train station near our new home. I ordered the Scialatielle bianche con verdurine e menta, which is homemade pasta with grilled eggplant, zucchini, roasted tomatoes, and mint along with a Feldschlösschen beer. The food was so good, that I literally cried. I expect I will be back there very soon.

Classes start this week, including Italian and Consumer Behavior! Stay tuned for updates!

Ciao!