Castle

L patrolling the castle

When we woke up in the morning T wasn't feeling well. We suspected an infection, and E took him to the hospital for antibiotics. We'll see how much that ends up costing. He took L, too, since the stroller situation makes them travel as a set.

The girls and I wandered around Lugano while we waited. It isn't the prettiest city aside from the lake view, but it was still very nice to walk around together. Since it was Saturday there were lots of people around and little street stands set up. Of course, there were roasted chestnuts. Chestnuts smell so good when they are roasting! The aroma just travels the whole street, and every time I am tempted to buy some, thinking they smell so good it can't really be that none of us could choke down even one. We also saw a man who was making a marionette play a string instrument and a polenta stand. It was kind of like a chestnut stand, with a big steel drum-like cooker, except it was full of polenta. Also, in a little plaza there was a jet. I couldn't have been easy getting that in there.

The chestnut vendor was so busy S could hardly get a picture.

But he was ready - look at those huge bags of supplies.

The girls and I went to H&M to get some leggings for L. All our clothes were dirty at this point in the trip, but L had fared worst. We bought her a dress at the farmer's market in Orvieto and she needed something for her legs. While we were there we found a super cute lace dress for R for Christmas and whatever else comes up before she outgrows it. It is her first adult sized dress! We also browsed some playmobil advent calendars and decided it would be more fun to maybe get a Christmas market scene for T and L and make our own advent calendar out of it than buy a calendar with an unfestive theme like horses or museum robbery. That set off a huge discussion of our Christmas plans, Thanksgiving plans down to the menu, and lamentations that they will be in school on Thanksgiving and there is no Halloween! They cheered up when we went to a very nice cafe for some hot chocolate and pastry. It's fun to travel with the girls because they enjoy doing so many different types of things. They are up for adventure stuff, museums, sights, or just soaking up the atmosphere.




Finally it was decided that the girls and I might as well continue to Bellinzona and meet up with E and the littles later. Bellinzona is known for its three castles which are UNESCO world heritage sites. We only went to one, figuring we will go back sometime. There is a museum there, and there might be tours, but we didn't make it that far. It was too much fun just to explore the castle and climb the towers and walls. It was a gorgeous day. When E arrived, all the littles wanted to do was climb, too, and play on the big open lawn. I don't know how many times they rolled down the hill.

View of the mountains, view of the castle across the way.

Then we went home and did laundry.