Anticipating a long day's driving we made a relatively early start, having been told by Richard that we needed to help paint the outside of the chalet - so we did, as seen in one of the photos!! We drove along winding roads up through Le Biot and through to Chatel, then Morgins (no we didin't stop for a pie in the Tea shop!) and then onto the motorway along the Sion valley before ascending again on amazing winding roads up and over the Simplon Pass, 2005 metres up. Most of the journey was on very good roads apart from when we crossed into Italy where the roads were very narrow, even on the mountain bends with only just enough room to pass another vehicle coming the other way, and also very badly maintained. The descent took us down into Locarno and a lake, where we stopped for a drink and an ice-cream before continuing the rest of the journey into Lugano where we had a little difficulty in finding our hotel but eventually managed and had a celebratory beer in the garden before walking down to the lakeside to meet Ben, a Swiss friend Phil had made on his last swimming holiday and who had suggested this swim in Lake Lugano. We had dinner with Ben near the Lido, the starting point for the swim the next day, before returning, thankfully by taxi not fancying the 30 minute steep uphill walk, to our hotel and an early night's sleep ready for the Big Swim.