For once, we don’t spend our holidays in the UK, but in Italy. It’s only for a few days, but a welcome time away from the daily routine… before we drive to the UK again in April. 😉

We drive off around noon and have passed Lucerne soon, heading towards the Alps. The mountains around us get taller and taller as we make our way up the many bends and tunnels of the motorway. We then arrive at the portal of the Gotthard tunnel, the world’s fourth longest road tunnel. It’s wide at the beginning but begins to narrow soon. We cruise at a steady speed of 55 mph and soon realise that it’s getting warmer and warmer. After eight minutes, we reach the half-way point where the display shows 28°C / 82°F. That’s because where way below the surface and it’s warmer there.

After eight more minutes, we leave the tunnel in Ticino, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. We intend to make a stop in Bellinzona to visit a castle… but it’s forbidden to drive up the hill where it’s located so we turn around again. On the way back to the motorway, we get confused by the one-way streets and end up front of the Federal Criminal Court – I didn’t think this could happen so quickly! 😉

We continue on the motorway to Milan and arrive at our hotel in Trezzo sull’addo later in the afternoon. We check in at the wonderful palazzo with its own courtyard where we immediately feel at home. We then leave the hotel again to drive to the nearby supermarket.

We’re back in the hotel for dinner. We enjoy authentic Italien dishes in the small restaurant: Gabi has Ossobuco with risotto milanes while I have a type of raviolo with melted butter, bacon and sage. To start, we get two thick slices of fresh salami and foccacia – really delicious!