Rain, rain, rain. We woke to news some parts of northern Italy and southern Switzerland would experience flooding this weekend. Yes, that’s where we are.

Undeterred, we walked the few blocks to collect our hire car. All the way I was psyching myself up so I would be able to get my brain to change gears to allow me to drive on the wrong side of the road. Mick tried it once in 2009 in Italy, but gave in at the first roundabout he encountered. We swapped drivers in the middle of the roundabout while his mum was sitting in the back. He claims he just can’t do it. As with most things, I bluff my way through. With driving in Europe I keep telling myself I am in the overtaking lane! However, having said that, I almost had an accident at the second intersection. It took Mick a few moments to calm down. But we were fine.
We had lunch at the local pizzeria just down the road from their home and explored the local area on foot until it was time for us to arrive. I’ll include some more photos in my next post. Dogs are welcome just about anywhere.
   
 
Mick wished this car was the one we had hired.

  
They are delightful people. He is Italian and she is English. Their three girls can speak both Italian and English and were very outgoing. Lillie the Staffordshire, was very excited to see us and showed off a treat for the first hour or so, jumping in the pool with the two youngest girls and then running around the yard, while Pixie, the Chihuahua , was standoffish. She is very very cute and later warmed to me. She may take longer to get used to Mick. Pixie is used to being treated like a toy or a doll, rather than a dog, by the youngest two girls.

We all went for a walk to a local restaurant for dinner and were both pleasantly surprised to see the number of restaurants and homes along the track beside the lake on which we are to stay. We are confident we are really going to enjoy walking the dogs while we explore this picturesque part of Switzerland.
Their home is three stories and recently refurbished. It looks like some thing out of a designer magazine. We have our own self contained apartment on the ground floor. The backyard opens directly onto a common pathway to Lake Origlio.

The family leaves tomorrow to go to Disney World for two weeks.