Our plan was to ride this bus from the Locarno rail station to the high end of the valley at the village of Sonogno. After walking downhill from there as far as we liked, we would simply catch another postal bus headed back to Locarno. The plan itself was solid; it was the weather that needed some improvement. As we headed up the valley, drizzly conditions followed us all the way to Sonogno.
The first eye-catching sight we glimpsed from our rain-splattered windows was the towering Verzasca Dam built in the 60’s. (Needless to say, this is a photo from the Internet.) The dam became popular for bungee jumping after a stuntman jumped from it in the opening scene of “GoldenEye”, a 1995 film. The height of the dam, incidentally, is 720 ft.
The architectural feature most acclaimed in this valley is not the Verzasca Dam, though, but this beautiful double-arched bridge:
It is close to the village of Lavertezzo and, indeed, our bus made a stop nearby. However, photos were impossible and, once again, the Internet to the rescue. While looking like something the Romans might have built, the bridge is actually a product of the 17th century. Smooth granite boulders along the stream are thought by many to be “perfect for sunbathing” --- at least in fine weather.
The drippy conditions were not the reason we stayed on the bus. It was the infrequent bus schedule of just one every two hours!
Eventually, our bus ended its run at Sonogno, an attractive settlement at about 2,800 ft elevation. It was extremely quiet, making us wonder if all the sane people were huddled indoors around a fire.
Determined not to let a little precipitation spoil our day --- after stopping at a convenient eatery --- we set off, hoping the precipitation would soon end. Luckily for us, it did and we found ourselves alone walking beside this stream. Ticino had had little rain recently --- as can be deduced from the water level.
Shelters for animals and rustic fences were common along the path:
All too soon we crossed back over the stream and headed for the bus stop:
Our late start and the few buses that run determined the length of our hike. Although a walk of six hours is possible along the whole valley, we finished at the town of Frasco:
How’s this for a nearly fireproof shelter?
Stone roofs are very common in this region, even on homes. On one house nearby, the thickness of its stone shingles is obvious below. This was on a home adjacent to the road having a roof at road level. We expect it provided good sound insulation from road noise.
