Easter in the city of Lugano

Join the festive atmosphere of Easter in the City and explore the numerous intriguing and entertaining activities for young and old.

Every year Easter draws a myriad of vacationers and travelers to Lugano. In order to add some zest to the picturesque city center, the City of Lugano and their tourist center organize an event called "Pasqua in Città" (Easter in the City), which will take place from Friday, April 14th through Monday April 17th, 2017.

THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, THREE CUTE RABBITS WILL HAND OUT CHOCOLATE CANDIES PROVIDED BY MIGROS TICINO.

Here is a peak at the programme:

ENTERTAINMENT
14.04-17.04 / 10:00-18:30 / Piazza Manzoni
Wooden handmade games for all the family, creative workshops with recycled materials and face-painting.

FOLK MUSIC
14.04-17.04 / 13:30-18:00 / Centro Cittadino
Musical animation with Tacalà, Duo Nostranello, Tirabüscion and the Bagiöö.

EASTER MARKET
14.04-17.04 / 11:00-18:00 / Centro Cittadino

Over 100 stands with handicrafts, food and wine.

EGGS CHASE
15.04-17.04 / 10:30 - 16:00 / Piazza Manzoni
Treasure hunt for the whole family in the city centre, leaving from Piazza Manzoni. Those that find all the clues along the way will be given delicious chocolate eggs as a prize.

CONCERTS
14.04 / 14:30 / Piazza San Rocco
JUGENDMUSIK SCHWANDEN

15.04 / 15:00 / Piazza Luini - Piazza Dante
CORO CHIESA DI GESÙ CRISTO DEI SANTI DEGLI ULTIMI GIORNI

15.04 / 17:00 / Patio del Municipio - Piazza Riforma
FILARMONICA DI CASTAGNOLA - CONCERTO DI PASQUA

15.04 / 17:00 / Sala Teatro LAC
CONCERTO SPIRITUALE DEL SABATO SANTO
Con Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana e Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera

EASTER CELEBRATIONS
14.04 / 20:00 / Centro Cittadino
Via Crucis (start from S. Nicolao)

15.04 / 21:00 / Basilica del Sacro Cuore
Easter Vigil

16.04 / 09:30 / Chiesa Sant’Antonio
Easter Mass

Feeling at home

Once again we are back in Lugano and although it has been six years since we left - what was suppose to be our home for ever and ever - we remain attached to this magical place.

A town embedded by green hills with snowy peaks cascading into a crystal clear lake dotted with villages clinging close to the steep slopes. The stone buildings tightly aligned - dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries - embellished with frescoes and stucco decorations.

An area where - when the sun sets - the bird twitter is still more present than the traffic and the air quality is measured in terms of pollen not pollution.

A community that still greets you with a "Bun Dì" even though they don't know you. Cars stop for pedestrians with a smile and a hand gesture, the odd old boy cheers you on when you jog past and the postman leaves packages on your doorstep not worrying about them being stolen.

A town where you can still spot cows when you look out of the window and hear the church bells chime every hour.

It is a peaceful world where the stress of Paris dissolves in an instant. Where aggressiveness is replaced by courtesy and arrogance by discipline.

It is easy to slither into this comfortable lifestyle but ... then again ... I would miss the vibes of a bustling metropole.

Mac & Four Cheese Gratini en cocotte recipe

It has been a while since I posted a recipe. Here is one I discovered at the Manor department store browsing through Le Creuset's cookbook. Le Creuset "Mini-Cocote" cookbook features 25 specially created recipes for the mini cocotte and its versatile cooking and serving features.

You do know what a cocotte is, right? Yes, it's a shallow baking dish, but Le Creuset turns it so much more! Even Expat girl's friend exclaimed: "Ma questo è tutto un'arte!" when I served it for lunch today. She can definitely come back for lunch anytime!

Macaroni and Four Cheese Gratin

Ingredients:
300gr wheat macaroni
20gr unsalted butter
15ml cup heavy cream
50gr Gorgonzola
50gr Fontina
50gr Marscarpone
50gr Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Tip: Cheeses with higher fat content melt better than those that with a lower one! So combine your favorites: creamy Fontina, Gorgonzola, buffalo mozzarella, Parmigano Reggiano.

Preparation:
1.) Preheat the oven to 220ºC.
2.) Cook macaroni in boiling salted water for about 8 minutes; it should be al dente; not entirely cooked.  Pass the pasta under cold running water to stop them from cooking.
3.) Melt the butter in a small pan over a low flame. Add the cream, the gorgonzola, the Fontina, the marscarpone and the Parmigiano Reggiano (reserving 4 tablespoons for the top). Stir the cheese until all are well melted. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
4.) Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and divide into 4 mini-cocottes.
5.) Sprinkle the rest of the Parmigiano Reggiano over each cocotte.
6.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and crusty looking.

Magic tour around the lake of Lugano

Apart from Lugano itself, there are other places on the shores of Lake Lugano that are worth seeing. The best way is by ship, visiting one of the attractions of the region or dropping in for lunch in a typical grotto. There’s no better way to relax and enjoy your day.

From 8th April 2017, you can enjoy the new boat tours, for example the Magic Tour with four different stops: Leaving Lugano for the romantic village of Gandria and the Cantine di Gandria with the Museo delle Dogane then to Melide, where you can visit the Swissminiatur, the well-known park of Switzerland in a scale from 1:25 or walk along the lake to Bissone all the way to Morcote. This peaceful lakeshore village was once entirely devoted to fishing and is the winner of the contest for "the most beautiful village in Switzerland".

Check out the other lake tours Lugano has to offer: www.luganoturismo.ch