Lugano

I never really wrote anything about Switzerland two weeks ago, but I'm leaving tomorrow for spring break and I thought I'd catch up! First of all, I've been sick since the middle of last week, which accounts for my lack of an update as well as my lack of news from this past weekend. I spent the whole three days in bed watching different TV shows online, lol, since my head hurt too badly for homework (maybe a little conveniently...). I did manage to make it to an Italian soccer game Sunday, though! Very cool, and hopefully I'll be able to go to another before I leave in May.

So anyway, two weekends ago my roommate Caroline and I went to Lugano, in the south of Switzerland, to see her cousin, who had moved there about 20 years ago and lives there still with her two daughters. We couldn't find a Friday flight that would work with Caroline's schedule, so we flew out early early Saturday morning and just came back Sunday evening. I had been a little afraid of it being awkward, since I had never met these people, but it was fantastic! Leslie, Caroline's cousin, picked us up from the station and we had the nicest, most relaxing weekend. She made us chocolate chip cookies that were so much better than our sad attempt a couple months ago. We spent some time Saturday hanging out downtown wandering around, and then we all watched a movie at Leslie's house before dinner - fondue - and getting to sleep.

Oh, so I don't have the photos, but at one point we ran across these little statues of cows in the road. They were decorated one with an apple on its head (means something, not sure), one like Swiss cheese, and one with tools out its back like a Swiss army knife. It was really cute! Anyway, Caroline goes,

"look at those pigs!"
"those what?"
"those pigs?"
"you mean the cows?"
"The cows! Look at the cows!!"

The next day Leslie made us American breakfast!! with pancakes, bacon, toast and everything. It was great. Then we drove to some old fortresses in the area so we could take a look at the valley - which is apparently the same valley that Hannibal came through when he crossed the Alps! Lol, Caroline was not impressed. We also saw a dam where they opened a James Bond movie with people bungee jumping off the side. It was such a relaxing weekend - just like visiting one of my own cousins.

Well, tomorrow I'm leaving for spring break, for Brussels first and then Bruges, Amsterdam and Prague. I'm really excited, though still feeling a little sick, so hopefully it'll clear up and I can enjoy my break. I hope everyone's doing okay! Happy Easter!