Day eight of my Switzerland tour had Kim and I packing our bags once again and bidding the lovely town of Lausanne farewell. Our group gathered in the street outside our hotel, awaiting guide Tony's word to begin walking to our bus.
So onward our bus sped, through areas of flat farmland. I'd noticed lots of cornfields all around Switzerland, and finally learned from Tony that they used it to feed the milk cows. After about an hour of travel, we pulled into the parking lot of the Camille Bloch Chocolates visitor center. Upon our arrival, Tony had us divide into two groups. Since they were looking for volunteers, Kim and I joined group one and were then ushered into a large kitchen for our chocolate bar making activity.
Everyone donned paper aprons and claimed a spot at the rectangular counter. Spatulas, a plastic mold, and metal bowl were placed at each station, along with lots of paper towels.
The chef who was our instructor turned out to be a funny guy. The first thing he did was hold up each utensil at our stations and explain its use. When he got to the metal bowl, he proclaimed it was called a "chicken butt." Not sure the origin of such a weird name, but it drew lots of chuckles from our group.
The the chef/instructor walked over to the middle of the rectangle, where a large appliance with two faucets was pumping out melted chocolate. It looked like one was dark and the other milk chocolate. Kim and I both hoped we'd be sampling the dark variety, but our instructor went straight for the milk chocolate fountain. He filled a large bowl and then proceeded to walk around the perimeter, pouring a generous spoonful into the bottom of everyone's mold.
Once our mold had received its chocolate, we were to rock it back and forth to ensure the entire bottom was coated with a thin layer. Then we used our metal spatula to scrape any excess off the top.
 |
| Now it's Kim's turn |
Next came the filling - again more milk chocolate (sigh) mixed in with pralines. This nut-chocolate combination was hot and needed to be cooled before pouring it on top of the chocolate shell. To demonstrate, our instructor spread a generous amount of filling onto the countertop and began to scoop it up and respread it a few times to bring down the temperature. Once it had cooled sufficiently we were to scrape up the mixture and spoon it into our molds.
 |
| Demonstrating how to cool the praline chocolate filling |
Of course it looked much easier when our instructor did this. Although it was kind of fun to spread out a bunch of melted chocolate and scoop it back up, it did make quite a mess.
 |
| More chocolate! |
Let's just say I've never had the reputation of being a tidy cook. I got chocolate all over my counter space, on the floor, and smeared across the front of my apron. Everyone else seemed to accomplish this task without so much messiness.....guess I'm just special!
 |
| We got to taste the leftovers |
When the leftover praline-chocolate mixture solidified, we were able to eat the scraps. However, I'm not a huge milk chocolate fan and even less of a praline lover, so I ended up throwing away my extras.
 |
| I got a little messy |
After chilling our chocolate bars in nearby refrigerators, it was time for the final step in our chocolate bar construction - sealing in the praline filling with a top layer of milk chocolate. Again, our instructor doled out a small amount of liquid (milk) chocolate over the top of our molds, and everyone scraped off the excess. Then back into the fridge they all went.
 |
| Time to unmold our bars |
While our chocolate bars were chilling, everyone cleaned up their utensils and countertops. (I went through so many paper towels, the garbage slot began to overflow.) Then we all retrieved our chocolate creations and popped them out of their molds. Thankfully mine came out in one piece. Everyone ended up with a good-sized block of chocolate - about a foot in length and two inches wide.
 |
| My big chocolate bar |
Kim and I wrapped our chocolate bars with foil and put them in a special paper bag. Would the chocolate make it home without being consumed? Well, mine would since I'm not a huge fan of pralines. (However, don't worry - it was gifted to my family!)
.jpg) |
| Will the chocolate make it home? |
While group number two was having their chocolate-making session, the rest of us roamed around the visitor center, taking in their interactive displays and eating samples. Then we headed for the gift shop to purchase more chocolate. This time I went for the dark stuff!
 |
| Swiss truck stop |
Once both groups had their finished chocolate bars, we loaded our bags of goodies onto the bus and continued the journey to Mürren. However, it being a bit past lunch time, Tony had the bus pull into a nearby truck stop for a quick bite (after all that chocolate everyone was craving some real food!) Although not as fancy as the first one, this place did have a nice deli/convenience store with plenty of food choices. The negative - you had to pay a Franc to use the restroom, which had most of us scouring our pockets for change. The other interesting thing Tony pointed out - it happened to be Sunday, and in Switzerland most businesses are closed on this day. Truck drivers aren't allowed to drive on Sunday. If they're in the middle of a trip, the drivers are forced to stop and lay over. Most of them hang out at the closest truck stop - that's why this particular truck stop was full of parked semis.
 |
| One of the lakes near Interlaken |
From the truck stop, our journey to Mürren continued on, past the town of Interlaken and its two large, beautiful lakes. I began to see walls of mountains rising above the landscape. We were entering the famous Berner Oberland region of Switzerland, known for its spectacular alpine scenery.
 |
| Waterfall, Lauterbrunnen Valley |
Then our bus turned into the famous Lauterbrunnen Valley. A narrow passage framed by tall, snow-capped peaks and steep cliffs on both sides, the scenery here was spectacular. Waterfalls tumbled down vertical rock faces. The valley floor was a vibrant shade of green.
 |
| Mountain reflection in our bus window |
Our bus parked at the village of Stechelburg. It was here we'd catch a cable car and ascend 2000 feet to reach the small berg of Mürren. Everyone vacated the bus, taking our luggage with us.
 |
| Paraglider |
Standing in the parking lot waiting for Tony's next instructions, someone spotted a bright red parachute-like apparatus floating down from one of the cliffs. It was a paraglider. As it sailed downward out of sight, another appeared from the mountaintop. Then another. This was our introduction to one of the popular pastimes in the Berner Oberland region.
 |
| Spectacular views from the cable car |
As we'd experienced in Zermatt, Mürren was another Swiss village that didn't allow private vehicle access to visitors. Perched high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the town was located smack dab in the middle of the mountains. A large cable car provided transport to and from the place.
 |
| Our hotel in Mürren |
The station for the cable car to Mürren was under heavy construction. A new larger tram was being built that would take visitors from Stechelburg all the way to the very top of nearby Schilthorn Mountain. We had to weave through several temporary barriers and walk across a lot of dirt and gravel (pulling our suitcases) to reach the loading area for our uphill ride.
 |
| Front row mountain views from our hotel balcony |
When our tour's turn came to load, everyone crammed into the large cab, along with lots of other passengers. Several paragliders with huge backpacks on their backs (holding all their gear) joined the onboard crowd, taking up quite a bit of space. It wasn't an easy task, squeezing myself and my luggage into a very full tram. Kim, standing right outside the door, nearly didn't make it inside. She told me later that it looked like there wasn't any room left in the cab, and she started to worry about being left behind. Fortunately another paraglider came along and shoved her in at the last minute.
 |
| This is the life! |
The ride uphill from the valley floor was spectacular. I was close enough to a window to be able to take some photos of the journey. The green valley floor with wooden chalets scattered about began to shrink as the cable car rose. Rocky vertical cliffs and snow-capped peaks towered above the lowlands. The cable car windows were scratched up and sunlight glared upon the inside, but I snapped a bunch of pics anyway. My images weren't the best, but they served as a pleasant reminder of this gorgeous trip.
 |
| Mountains peep between buildings in Mürren |
And, oh Mürren was everything I'd hoped it would be and more! Upon deboarding the tram, our group followed Tony, with luggage in tow, up the town's main walkway. Adorable wooden chalets lined both sides, most decked out with colorful flowers in their window boxes. Cute signs and flags hung above doorways. Steep, snowcapped peaks peeped between the buildings. So totally Swiss! I felt as though I'd stepped into a fairy tale.
 |
| A wall of mountains |
Our hotel was a few blocks away. Upon arrival, Kim and I were delighted to discover we'd scored a room with a balcony overlooking the mountains. After several nights assigned to rooms with back alley views, it was a welcome change.
 |
| Main street Mürren |
After getting things settled inside, Kim and I sat out on our balcony and enjoyed the sights. The weather was sunny, and afternoon light illuminated the nearby peaks perfectly. The craggy wall of snowcapped Alps was most impressive. Such pretty mountains!
 |
| Another paraglider |
Checking the forecast, I knew tomorrow's weather wasn't supposed to be very nice - rain was predicted. So Kim and I decided we'd better do our town sightseeing now and take advantage of the sunshine and views. I grabbed my camera and we set out for a walk around Mürren.
 |
| The town's scenic overlook |
The main street (sidewalk) through town was lined with a few hotels, many retail shops, and a handful of restaurants. The stores seemed to cater to outdoor activities - skiing in the winter and hiking during summer months. (Oh how I'd love to come back here and ski!)
 |
| Close-up mountain view |
We came upon a large patio with benches. A panorama of mountain views stretched from one end to the other. This was the town's scenic overlook. A perfect place for lots of photo ops!
 |
| The Alps were simply amazing! |
Wandering onward from the overlook, Kim and I found some fabulous views from - of all places - the far end of the town's tennis courts. From this vantage I could look all the way down into the green Lauterbrunnen Valley, a couple of thousand feet below.
 |
| Looking down into the valley from Mürren |
 |
| Adorable wooden buildings stacked on top of each other |
After a bit more exploration, Kim and I hurried back to the hotel to meet up with our tour group. Tony had scheduled a short orientation walk around Mürren.
 |
| Most of the buildings were colorfully decorated |
On our walk, Tony pointed out a few more places to eat, and some uniquely decorated buildings. One had an entire row of cowbells strung below its eaves. Another had a couple of sled runners and an ancient saw blade attached to an outside wall.
 |
| Inclined rail station |
We wandered up to the Allmendhubel, a funicular that took tourists to the summit of a nearby hill. Hiking trails and a restaurant were the attractions to see. I made a mental note to check it out tomorrow, if the weather cooperated.
 |
| Clouds beginning to move in |
The towering mountains and charming buildings made for such wonderful photo ops, I was clicking my shutter like a woman possessed. I've run out of superlatives to describe this wonderful place, so I'm just gonna let the next few photos speak for themselves.....
 |
| Our tour group on a town walk |
 |
| This place was so charming! |
 |
| Evening light on the mountains |
 |
| This building had antler decor |
 |
| The town chapel |
 |
| One of the many hotels |
 |
| Loved the red accents on these buildings |
 |
| Mountain views were everywhere |
 |
| Town view from the hotel balcony |
 |
| Souvenir shop finds |
Dinner that evening was in our hotel's dining room. We were served genuine Swiss fondue. Since it was the type of fondue that mixed the cheese with white wine, Kim was given an alternate meal. We sat with tour friends Karen and Cindy and had a fun time chatting while dipping our bread into boiling hot cheese (and trying not to get it all over the place.)
 |
| Fondue dinner with Cindy and Karen |
Since I'd had fondue the previous evening, I compared it to the beer cheese fondue Kim and I had enjoyed in Lausanne. I liked the Lausanne restaurant's fondue much better. Also, the service in this restaurant wasn't the best - our waiter was really rude to Kim because of her dietary restrictions.
 |
| Dipping the bread |
Tony warned us that the combination of cheese and bread would expand in one's stomach and he wasn't kidding. I got full much sooner than anticipated. I nearly didn't have room for dessert (but I did manage to find a small bit of tummy space!)
 |
| We nearly polished off the entire pot of cheese! |
Before sunset, clouds were beginning to gather, and the weather forecast for tomorrow didn't look promising. Our tour had breakfast reservations atop the Schilthorn and then we were on our own to explore the Mürren area. I had my fingers double-crossed that rain wouldn't spoil our fun.
Tune in to my next post and see what happened!
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't be shy! Please leave a comment.