Waking up in Domodossola
Waking up in Domodossola was like waking in a dream, a dream I never wanted to escape from! Another gem of a destination that you don't often hear about and one I certainly had never heard of until the very morning before I arrived there.
I awoke one morning in Milan before I was meant to take a train to Verona to catch a flight to Moldova (exhausting just to say!) Needless to say I had no desire to make such a journey on that day so opted instead to look into alternatives. While doing so I fell asleep and began dreaming of fields of green. When I woke up again I scrolled through IG, saw a post about Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland and decided at that moment I was going to change my itinerary and head to the Alps! I was researching train routes and I noticed a town on the border of Italy and Switzerland where I was to change trains, Domodossola. I decided that would be my stopping point for the night. I checked out Airbnb, found a property that was under $50 and I was on my way!
By the time I arrived in Domodossola the sun had already set, however, the train journey in was nothing short of impressive. The air quality started to change as soon as we left the cities behind, it was light and crisp and fresh. You could feel a chill in the air as the train began to climb in elevation through the Alps. The flat urban landscapes turned to towering mountains that the sun softly set behind... My Airbnb was only 15 minutes by foot from the train station so I opted to walk and finally get some fresh mountain air. As I walked up the hill to where I was staying I could see shadows of all the magnificent sights around me... Vineyards, mountains, churches, even the outlines of them looked so very beautiful bathed in the moonlight.
The Airbnb I chose by chance just happened to be a holistic center and if I didn't feel calm enough already, I felt even more at ease the moment I started walking down the driveway. When inside the villa was full of crystal lamps, good energy, and a very healing atmosphere. I spoke with the host, had some tea, and went quickly to my room to retire for the night as my day had been long already and I still had another long day of travel ahead of me the next.
The next morning the sweet chirping of the birds woke me, just at sunrise. The sight I saw out of my window that morning was one of the most unexpectedly beautiful ones I have ever seen. My heart stopped, this was bliss, this was the beginning of a new chapter of my healing. My heart had experienced so much trauma and loss in the year leading up to this point, this was the sunrise I needed to finally let all of that go. This was the moment everything started changing once again.
View from my bedroom window
Here I was, in the Gateway to the Swiss Alps, but I never wanted to leave! I could be content just perched there on the hill, overlooking this stunning display of nature's true beauty. This place, it truly had healing powers and was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen!
Link to the property: B&B Villa Moro
I spent the morning with the host, she told stories of the magic of the mountains and of the water that flows from them holding healing powers, maybe even the fountain of youth? ;) We had a natural bio-vegan breakfast all made from plants grown in the garden, sipped on some more tea, and I just sat on the terrace and enjoyed the views and silence, doing my own mini meditation and just relaxing my mind... This mini escape was exactly what I needed, and is surely a gem that is not to be missed! After these wonderful moments, I gathered my things and blissfully made my way back down to the train station, revived and ready for my next adventure in Switzerland.
