Lago di Lugano

Without a passport for the littlest guy, we were stuck in Switzerland for the four-day Ascension weekend and decided to head down to Lake Lugano. There is a great "familotel" on the Swiss side of the lake, Hotel Lago di Lugano, where we envisioned afternoons spent lounging poolside while the big kids swam and Oliver napped at our side...it didn't go quite like that, but we had a really great weekend nonetheless.

We got on the road early Thursday to avoid Gotthard tunnel traffic and arrived at the hotel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (yeah right) at 7:30am. We were lucky to be able to check in right away and enjoy a buffet breakfast. Eli and Ethan were excited to find bunk beds in their room, a kids buffet table with sugary cereals and a playroom off of the dining room. But the big hit was the Pinocchio kids club, where they enthusiastically went in the mornings and evenings, allowing Mom and Dad (and Oliver) time for coffee, naps, and dinner dates. The Kelly family was also visiting from Basel, so the kids had friends to play with, and we enjoyed spending time with Shannon and Tim.

The weather was threatening all weekend, so we didn't get as much pool time as we had envisioned. But we managed to get out and about and avoid rain for the most part. After baking biscuits in the Pinocchio club on Thursday morning, we took a water taxi to Lugano for lunch and gelatos. Though not as quaint as Sirmione on Lake Garda, where we went two years ago, Lugano definitely had Italian flavor--and some pretty fancy stores, which were unfortunately closed for the holiday weekend. We spent the afternoon by the pool, ignoring the sprinkles and enjoying some fruity vacation drinks, before sending the boys off to a pirate party and enjoying a date night.

Friday morning started bright and early again--at least for Ben, Ethan and Oliver, who took a sunrise stroll through Campione, a tiny Italian municipality that strangely resides in Ticino. The boys enjoyed the kids club again later that morning, and in the afternoon we ventured to Ascona, a really charming town on Lago Maggiore where the Landskroners were staying for the weekend. We enjoyed some "boccalinos" (small ceramic wine pitchers) with Anne and Kyle, while Eli, Ethan and Max threw stones into the water. Then we all met up with the Kellys for a family dinner at an outdoor grotto. The kids had so much fun running around and playing in the rain, and after buying glasses of wine for the other patrons, no one really seemed to mind their craziness!

The rain came down heavy on Saturday, so we were inside for the most part. We took the kids to the Alprose chocolate museum nearby--nothing notable, except for the free chocolate samples at the end. Then we took a ridiculously steep funicular up Monte San Salvatore for a scenic lunch overlooking the lake. That evening, Ben, Oliver and I enjoyed a nice dinner on the water in Bissone, while Eli and Ethan attended dinner and a clown show at the hotel. We arrived a little early to pick them up and they didn't want to leave!

It was a perfect little getaway for this crazy newborn phase we are in, with just the right balance of family and quiet time. These family/kinder hotels, that are scattered throughout Europe, really have it all figured out; and with Eli and Ethan already begging to go back to one, I guess we should figure out where we'll head to next!