It was raining this morning. Light misty rain, but moving into an all day steady drizzle. I searched google maps and apple weather for patches of dryness to see if anywhere close was a better way to spend our day. Rain. Check again. More rain. Eventually, I found dry patches high in the Italian Alps.

Actually my handsome chauffeur needs very little encouragement. Sometimes I can’t believe he is so agreeable. I love that about him. So with our trusty google maps we head for the Alps.

We drove about 90 minutes. Through mountain tunnels and little towns, our car chugged along. The Ticino area followed the banks of the Toce River. Back and forth across the river we went, hugging the steep mountain roads.

The towns were charming. Some presented themselves as pristine resort areas for hikers and skiers, others were largely abandoned. Structures with collapsed roofs were refuge for cows with enormous bells tied to their necks. Their gentle mooing and the tinkling of the bells made me smile. I asked to stop the car several times, so I could sit with the window down and just listen.

At the top of the mountain, we found Cascata de Toce. The waterfall is the start of the river that winds its way through the Ossula Valley. Sitting alongside like a proud parent, was a lovely yellow hotel and cafe. Sipping cappuccino by a pellet fueled heater, I almost forgot it was barely 40 degrees outside. Cloudy with high visibility, it wasn’t raining. My weather app was correct. The waterfall was spectacular. The Panini fresh. Life was as it should be lived. At least in my world.

Next to the restaurant, stood an old Walser chapel. The Walkers are people of German descent who have lived in Northern Italy for generations. This road was once a primary trade route. The hotel was a way station and the chapel a place to give thanks for safe passage over the mountain. Today the road isn’t used much with the addition of autostradas and super tunnels, but the chapel is still a small and beautiful reminder to give thanks for our many travel blessings.

On our way back down the mountain we hiked to the foot of the waterfall, dodging cow patties and muddy tracks of livestock. Old men made makeshift paddocks out of string for their cows. Sheep wandered down the road. I was ridiculously happy. Like a small child on their first trip to the zoo, I clapped my hands and repeatedly rolled down the window to listen for the jingling of the bells.

We also stopped at the Premia Baths, a modern geothermal pool facility at the base of yet another waterfall. We bought the swim caps as they are mandatory. We dressed in our respective locker rooms and reemerged into the pools. I went the wrong way and was chased back by the attendant to the correct entrance. You are required to enter through a long corridor of shower heads. You must enter the pool already wet. Maybe the shower cap doesn’t look right unless it is wet.

For the next hour, I was in heaven. Hot water with massaging waterfalls of water treated my back. Jacuzzi jets, lounging water massage tables, cold baths, hot baths….all under the shadows of glorious alpine mountains. With waterfalls in view and an abundance of trees and flowers. I thought I had entered paradise. A hot bath with messaging jets in nature is about as close to heaven as I could imagine.

The drive back was simple enough. We stopped in Crodo to see the historic baths but the building was closed and the grounds were in disrepair. Cows had taken residence on the lawn, content to lay chewing in place. So, back down the valley we went.

Today was an alpine adventure with wonderful, hidden delights at every turn. Rainy days are sometimes the best days, especially if stumble into a paradise you didn’t even know existed just a few hours before.