Piove piove, la gatta non si muove

This is the song my little one has learn lately... well when it rains around here it does rain!!
Well, this weekend we went in suisse romande, but this evening when we were back it was still pouring! I hope all this will stop and we will enjoy spring again soon!

Easter in Lugano

Easter and spring, spring and Easter... ok the weather is still quite cool... but today it was sunny! And the town is starting to wake up from the long winter months.
We have decided to spend this Easter weekend here, and it is funny, lots of people leave to go somewhere else, but lots of tourists arrive here to spend the holidays too!
The town organizes some entertainments (see details here), this afternoon we were in town and it was nice. The sun, the market, and some typical songs (that I know as I've grow up not so far from here), well, a nice day!!

Ok it's spring but...

No need of all this rain to let us know :-) !
Some warmer days would be welcome...

Spring is finally here!

I love this season! There is light later in the evening, and in the air there is this wonderful smell... I cannot describe it, but I recognize it without doubt. And with this the town seems to awake again, people are walking around and are in a good mood.
What I like here is how quickly you can talk with someone in the street when you take the time to stop by a moment: an old grandma or an old grandpa, a small family or a father/mother with his/her child... it is really refreshing.

A day on the snow

Two Sundays ago, thanks to a friend, we discovered a nice and little snow resort for children, not so far away from Lugano, near the Gothard in Airolo-Luina it is totally not expensive, and really good for children that can practice quietly skiing and sliding. To find it, once in Airolo (exiting the motorway) you have to follow the (quite little need to be really attentive!) signs to the parking of the small resort.
We went there, had a sandwich, a pizza and something to drink. We had a small bob to go on the snow and had lot of fun! Our little one was a little frightened, but then she was happy throwing snow on everybody :-) There were lot of children between 2 and 12 even if the weather was not so good.
Well, the day had started so-and-so with a trip to Pin Pin Cavalin in Chiasso to discover it closed, but then ended really well!

Il carnevale di Tesserete

Yes we've been there! We missed the one in Bellinzona, because of a very very bad cough... but luckly in Tesserete, they finish later (http://www.orpenagin.ch/) like in Milan. We went to see the saturday afternoon's parade and our little one was frightened at the beginning, because of the noise... but later she loved it! All the masks and the music, and all the feathers and confetti! She would have spent hours just to pick them up and throw them to anyone passing by. The plus: the weather was wonderful, really a nice afternoon!

Pin Pin Cavalin

Ci siamo andati!
Friday was raining, pouring, awful weather. I did not know what to do with my little one so we took the car and went to Chiasso (http://www.pinpincavalin.ch/) , wanting to try something new.
We had a really nice experience, a clean, safe and playful environment, lots of children having fun, Anne enjoyed much the experience. We also had the possibility to have a chat with other parents, that is always interesting.
We stayed there over lunch, eat a nice pizza (Anne loved it, because it was very soft) and toast. Globally, really a nice moment.

Cosa fare quando piove

What to do when it rains? I remember this was the title of a book I had when I was a child. Now I'm the mom but I would really love to have some ideas.
When it rains, it is cold, where to go with a little one? Difficult when you've moved in a new place and you do not know lot of people and places...
Well this was my little complaint for today :-) tomorrow I'll start to look out for some solutions. Any suggestion welcome!

Favourite places to go

After some months here and with the help of some locals we've found some places were we like to spend some time all the three of us, and some places where we still have to go and try! So here our non-exhaustive list of to do or to test in the region, I'll try to keep it up to date!

"En plein air":
Parco S. Grato Carona. Beautiful place to go in the summer, wonderful view on the lake, playground for children and adults, and a good restaurant with very competent staff.
Parco Tassino Lugano. Really next to the Lugano railway station, a beautiful view on the lake and a well furnished children playground.
Parco Civico Lugano. Place to go on sunny days in all seasons. Near to the town center and on the lake shores, perfect for a walk and to rest. Very well furnished playground for children (more for those over 2 years).
Quartiere Maghetti. Lugano. We found there the only playground really adapted for very young children (reserved to those under 6 years). Closed on sundays. The good idea is that the playground is entirely closed and there is a café with a terrace on which you can rest having a good view on what children are doing.
Il sentiero del Castagno. Arosio. To be done during the autumn during the chestnuts season. Full of them everywhere! A really wonderful place.
Swissminiatur. Melide. A classic, good for children a little older than ours, but the small train strolling around is always an attraction. To avoid in really sunny and hot days (or bring along a good hat and lots of water) because there is only very little shadow.

Other Activities
We love the mom(or dad) & baby course (genitore-bambino from 4 to 48 months) in the swimming pool of the A-Club sport club in Savosa near Lugano. The teacher is just perfect, courses are not very expensive and children have lots of fun! In groups.
We visited once the Alprose chocolate museum. We went on Sunday but the museum is very small (ok, the entrance fee is low), and I would suggest to go during the week when the machines are working and it should be less crowded. The chocolate shop is opened on Sunday too if you have cravings...

Restaurants
Il Canvetto Luganese. via Simen 14 Lugano. Nice place, good service, very interesting price/quality ratio.
Ristorante/Pizzeria Commercianti. Piazza Dante 1 Lugano. In the very earth of the town. Always very good service and warm welcome to our little one. Good pizzas and good and big desserts.

To be tested in the future:
Carnevale di Bellinzona: we like the city a lot normally, let's see what is it like during the big event!
Pin Pin Cavalin: interior playground in Chiasso. A place to go in the winter? We will have to try it.
...

Where are the swings?

This was what first caught my (and my husband's) attention after the stress of moving was (partially) gone.
In Lugano, and nearby, there are lots of nice playground for children, with all what is needed, and especially in the summer it is really enjoyable to spend time outside. But with a child 20 months old, and coming from the Lausanne area, we were quite puzzled: even when 4 swings were available no one was adapted for toddlers or smaller children. What I mean is that we could not (and still not have after 7 months here) find a swing with a seat with a protection around (I'll try to put a photo) , the type in which our child used to go as often she could back in 'suisse romande'.
During our search we found a nice playground, entirely adapted for the more young ones in 'quartiere maghetti'(http://www.quartieremaghetti.com/ in italian) that we found lovely, but it is an exception, and all walks cannot end there...
This was the first change of habits.