After a bit of research in the Osterie d' Italia book we found a small Osteria named Ul Furmighin that also has rooms upstairs in a small hill town called Sagno. Arriving at 20:30 on Friday after winding up and down a few narrow spaces between houses that are euphemistically called streets, we realized that what we were looking for was right in the main parking lot of the town. If you've ever wondered why Italians love the Fiat 550, all you need to do is drive through a few small hill towns.
We walked into a very small restaurant with a large table in the middle, a wall sized fireplace (equipped with two chairs inside to warm up) on the left and a kitchen on the right. The two guests were talking and called for Anna, the chef. We confirmed our reservations and went upstairs to set our bags down and freshen up. By the time we were downstairs we found our places set and some lardo and bread set out. As we sat down, Cindy struck up a conversation in French with the waitress and I did my meager best in Italian. The other couple there joined in and we started a long evening of talking and joking. We started off with a mixed salumi plate(including Fidighela) and an amazingly fresh salad with local ingredients. Our main courses were brasato di bue (braised beef) with special red corn polenta found in Ticino. For wine we had a fantastic red wine by Agriloro in Switzerland called Sottobosco. We later found out that Maximo and his wife bought our wine for us. For dessert I had a pepper goat cheese that was one of the best cheeses I've eaten in a long time. Beautiful thick rind that was soft and pliable with a faint yellow cast. Inside it was dry and slightly chalking with crushed pepper corns. It was made a few hundred meters away by Anna's husband's family. Cindy had a wonderful apple tort with lots of cinnamon. After some limoncello, bay leaf liquor and some grappa - we ended a very long evening of talking and enjoying the company of those in the restaurant.
The next morning we slept in until 10 or so. We went downstairs for a light breakfast (coffee, sweet bread with honey and homemade preserves) and planned our day. We decided to visit one of the high mountains (Mount San Salvatore) near Lugano via a gondola and hiking. Unfortunately - it was closed until March 15th. So off we went for a hike along the lake to old town Lugano. We ate at a great restaurant called Bottegone del vino in the old town near the main square. After lunch we continued our walking through the old town. We stopped at an antiques fair - Cindy found a brass box for a colleague at work and a foot rest for her house in California. We headed back to Sagno. In the evening we walked through the town and watched the sunset. What a spectacular sight.
We headed back on Sunday via the back roads (read paved goat trails) that took us around the lake and over the hills to Lago Maggiore. We had lunch on the lake and continued home to Basel. We arrived tired, but very relaxed after a wonderful find in Ticino.
Looking up at the Church and some of old homes
Sunset overlooking Switzerland and Italy
Entrance to the Osteria con loggio
Some beautifully lit buildings in the village
Panarama from the hill over Sagno
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