Castles!

I took a much needed break from notes-transcription/cooking-experimentation in the cute little apartment.  I realized that I haven't really taken any time to just do some sightseeing.  So sightseeing I went this morning!  I went to Bellinzona, in search of Castles (it wasn't hard to find them -well, two of them anyway - the three castles of Bellinzona are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and in addition to the castles, I found...

The Saturday Market!!

I'm still experimenting with the video part of my camera, so apologies for the shaky footage.  I was wondering where Switzerland was hiding their bustling marketplaces (Locarno doesn't have one and Lugano is a fairly long haul), and so I bought some honey!

After I looked at the castles.

If I had the castle of my choice, I think it would be the Castello de Montebello for creature comforts, trees, drawbridges, remaiins of moats, pets, vineyards, etc... but I would have to have some good friends at the Castelgrande for when the invaders attacked.  Which one would you pick?

Wall of Castelgrande through another wall in Castelgrande

Entering the Castelgrande from below.

And then up and around and up and around and...  Until you get to the top!

Is anyone else having a Dark Crystal moment?

Castelgrande from across the way

Castelgrande from Castello di Montebello.

You live over there.  I'll stay here, and we can communicate by pigeon.  It'll save us all the up the hill, down the hill, up the stairs, down the stairs involved in a cross-castle alliance.

Castello di Montebello from Castelgrande, with crane.

Castello di Montebello

a. Who parked their scooter in the castle?

b.  HOW did you do it?  Did you come up the same little path I did?

Lizard!

What is this?  I promise not to make spaetzle out of it!

That's it for castle pictures!  It was a gorgeous weekend and I'm glad I got to enjoy some of it outside!  Tomorrow I go to Geneva, got to check the weather. 

Snow boots?