11/11/24
We were so close to Italy we could smell the coffee. When we left Disentis we were under the misguided impression that over the pass would be Italy. That the terrain formed the border. Easy to defend and all that. But it’s not how Switzerland works. The canton of Ticino is basically entirely south of the Alps. It’s a little insert into what you’d expect to be Italy and surrounded by impenetrable terrain, so we had to traverse it.
Leaving Bellinzona, the capital of Ticino, wasn’t easy either. A mini pass called the Monteceneri stood in our way. It started at Cadenazzo and wriggled its way through a gap in the mountains about 330m up. Down below we were in the luscious sunshine and on the flat lands of the river valley. As we approached the pass we had to go back into the south of the valley where it was dark and chilly. Arguably a good thing, as we were about to get a little hot.
It was early and the pass was very busy. There is also a motorway and train line that traverse the gap but locals were definitely using this road a lot! It was a steep and consistent climb and for most of the way there was at least a suicide lane. You know, those dotted lines that say cycle path and drivers then think they should go as close as they like to you. An hour later we reached the top. Rolling down to bask in the sunshine, slip off the main road and eat breakfast. Some bread, peanut butter and agave syrup.
In the sunshine we felt buoyed. Half the elevation of the day was complete in one fell swoop too! We had discussed making it to Italy and Valmorea to see Chiara but it wasn’t possible for us in a single day and we’d have to stay in Switzerland just one more day. We decided to head to Novazzano, where there was a nice Airbnb.
First we needed to leave the valley, it was full of motorway and we spent around 5km on a gravel track with a fence separating us from the speedway. We did dip into a pretty riverside path occasionally but the sound of cars still dominated the mind.
Once we’d got to Agno the journey improved considerably. We were taking a less crowded route around the southern tip of a piece of land that sticks into Lago di Lugano. Next to the lake we passed hundreds of fancy houses, often with outdoor lifts to take you down to their lakeside homes. Lots of MAMIL’s passed us greeting us with the now usual chorus of “ciao”.
We had no choice but to stop at Morcote for an expensive espresso. This was a stereotypical Mediterranean paradise. The road was lined with tall houses on one side and the lake on the other. Outdoor dining continued for about a kilometre. The hum of conversation and the occasional sound of a speedboat only adding to the serene mountain backdrop. It was 18C in the Sun.
When we had to leave it was unfortunately not long till we were back to cycling next to the highway. It’s impossible not to think how peaceful and interesting these places once were before the four lane motorways were mashed in on overbearing concrete overpasses.
We left the lake and soon came upon the town of Mendrisio. Two orange liveried people stopped us to tell us we couldn’t cycle through. We were on the Eurovelo but they’d commandeered the space ahead for a farmers market. This was happening more frequently with the Italian culture. Diversions weren’t marked. We got chucked onto a busy main road earlier, the city worker merely telling us something about 2km. This may be a sign of things to come.
The farmers market was incredibly expensive. We really wanted to spend 8 Francs on a jar of delicious fig jam. But we went to Aldi at the top of a steep hill instead. The route then took us through pretty cobbled streets and past beautiful ornate towers and churches.
We were staying just off the route in the most affordable, and hopefully last, Swiss airbnb we could find. We’d got very used to the comfort of a bed and the places we’d been and routes we’d taken had not been tent favourable of late. Our accommodation even had a grand piano! The green surly had been creaking. We put it down to the bottom bracket needing tightening and set about a quick repair.
We made a mountain of tomato pasta with tofu, red cabbage and mushrooms. Tomato’s and red pepper as an accoutrement. We also were trying a very popular condiment here called Senf. It’s basically mustard but in a tube we’d be more familiar with for tomato paste. It was surprisingly moreish! We went to sleep thinking excitedly that we would finally make it to Italy tomorrow!
Surly They Won't Make It 