Today I woke up with a little bit of sadness knowing that I would have to leave my favorite part of the trip so far. As Barbra was about to leave us at Plantahof, she had tears in her eyes. I will definitely miss staying with her and Albert and becoming a mini part of their family. Thankfully, I have their email address so I plan to keep in touch with them through the years.
Since we were going to do some major mountain passes today I decided to ride in the car after we stopped for lunch. We had lunch at one of Hans-Peter's sisters' restaurant which would have normally been closed but she was kind enough to let us eat there anyways. We then began our several mountain pass driving day. I was pretty nervous for the passes because of the ominous demeanor that many people had when they talked about them. I figured it would be tight turns one right after another. I was presently surprised that I was wrong. The roads were narrow and very curvy but there was usually a substantial amount of straight-ish road between the curves. One scary part about the drive was that we kept stopping every so often because the brakes on the van were getting hot and you could smell the rubber burning. After all of the passes I didn't think the drive was all too bad.
Eventually, we made it to Birkenhof which was a definite culture shock for everyone, especially from our weekends with the families. All 12 girls were set up in one loft style room... most of which were just mattresses on the floor. Also, there are only 2 showers for all 20 travelers to get ready. But, we quickly got that sorted out so that the rooms were more even so everyone felt more comfortable.
Today was another day of sleeping in and catching up on our rest. We ate breakfast around 8:30 instead of the typical 7 to 7:30 like we were used to at Plantahof. Our plans for the day were to visit Albert and Barbra's holiday home with Reto and Veronica and relax. We found out that Albert and Barbra spend some weekends or just Sundays and some holidays at this home high in the Alps. Their holiday home was redone last spring so everything was new and very homey. Lunch was not quite ready so Reto and Veronica took us higher onto the mountain to talk more about the agriculture and to see the ski resort at the top. At the point where the cars could no longer drive up it was at an altitude of 2,000 meters. I noticed that there were many small springs and streams the higher we drove.
After our tour of the holiday home neighborhood Reto and Veronica taught us a card game called Ciao Sepp. Roughly translated in English is means Goodbye Joseph. The game was a combination of crazy 8's, Uno, and hearts and after we started getting used to the rules we could only speak in German to win the game. Nothing like a little pressure to learn Swiss-German to win a game. Unlike most of the other days since we arrived in Switzerland we ate lunch late. Normally lunch is at noon but Sunday's lunch was a special occasion so it was pushed back a little bit. After lunch we started packing up to go back to the farm. A little bit before our departure, Barbra asked us to sign the guest book of their holiday home. Their guest book has been used since 2004 and any time they are there for an event Barbra or the guests sign it to remember the time spent there. Kristin and I were happy to keep a little bit of Minnesota in Switzerland and with our host family.
Today was a day to sleep in. We were not going to move the recently belled cows until 9am so our family let us graciously sleep in. After breakfast we watched as the farmers, neighbors and our host family moved the cows to the community pasture down the mountain. We were a bit confused as to what was going on because it was all in German and everything was happening so quickly. By the time we finished breakfast the guide strings had been put up and everyone had gathered near the barn to start the walk... only it didn't turn out to be a nice leisurely walk down the mountain... it was a full on run. I don't know why the cows decided that it was a good idea to sprint down the hill but they did. Kristin and I still didn't know what was going on so we were the caboose in the runaway cow train. Eventually we lost sight of them but we could still hear the bells so we knew we were going in the right direction. We continued to walk to find the cows just because we wanted to see where they would end up.
I find it very interesting that the people in this area do not complain, or at least to my knowledge, about the agriculture going on around them and even sometimes through their towns. The farmers are able to walk their cows to another pasture without the disruption of people getting upset because there is a little manure on the streets. The people understand and appreciate that agriculture is a large part of their economy.
After this adventure, Barbra took us to see the vineyards that they owned. We stopped by the red grape field first and she explained to us that next week they will have to walk through every row and put the vines between the wires so that the grapes will grow in the right place and so they don't break in the wind. Next to their first field there was a 100 year old wine making and tasting building. The Rouf family wine was sold at this restaurant along with many other local wines. We learned that the wine they drink at home they make themselves and the wine they sell another person makes for them. A drive by the white grapes finished our tour of the local vineyards. Albert had just sprayed fungicide into the fields so we weren't able to do any work in them today.
Following lunch, which was again amazing, a small nap may or may not have occurred. I guess all of the manual labor and four days of continuous go, go, go finally caught up with me. Our next adventure would take us to a place that was truly breathtaking. Barbra, Kristin and I went for a walk on the Heidi trail up the mountain. Thankfully to save our legs a little Albert drove us part way up so our walk would be two hours instead of... the rest of the afternoon. As we walked up the mountain the view became more and more indescribable. Pictures and stories will never do the Alp Mountains justice on how beautiful they are. The hike up took us about an hour and a half until we came up to a resting point that was 1,111 meters in altitude. But this was not the highest point we walked to. We walked through a grass pastureland that looked like it was digitally enhanced. It didn't even look real it was so beautiful. Neither Kristin nor I can stop saying how beautiful it is here. At the end of our hike Albert came to pick us up in the car because we would've been walking for another several hours just to get down the mountain.
After dinner I asked if we could visit Reto and is fiancé Veronica at their home. Barbra showed us the way and in the end I am very glad that I asked to meet Veronica. Both Reto and Veronica speak English so we were able to ask questions that had come up in the day or anything that came to mind. Our discussions ended up being a comparison of Swiss and American cultures. We learned:
•How apprenticeships worked, number of years and schooling
•Schooling system and taxes
•Reto's village government job- Head of Agriculture and anything nature related. We think he is the equivalent of a city councilman.
•Their plans for the future for the farm and their family
oThey will be getting married this Saturday
oHaving a baby in August
oHaving a baptism and church wedding next year
oWe saw plans of the new barn they want to build starting next spring
•Family life in Switzerland
oMost couples live in the man's village, unless in the city sometimes
oFamily sizes are usually 2-4 children
We also learned about what happened to Reto during his bachelor party. Veronica explained that she slept very good last night because Reto slept on the couch because of his... contributions made during the party. Reto told us that they stopped at the pub for several hours and played games. A catch that happened with these games was that the loser had to take a drink... and Reto lost... every game. He said that good friends like his changed the rules so he could never win any of the games. This made for a sluggish Reto when we were moving the cows and a great story for Kristin and me to hear.
It was a very good experience to visit Reto and Veronica for the night. I enjoyed learning about their culture and everyday living... and the occurrences of a Swiss bachelor party :)
This morning I was filled with uncertainty about staying with Kristin and my host family. The language barrier was scary, staying with a stranger was scary, not knowing what kind of child labor they would put us through was scary, and most of all, it was scary being away from the comforts of Plantahof and the rest of the group. But, now after today I think this will be the best part of the trip by far. I have learned so much from today it is unbelievable. Kristin and I were picked up in the morning by Barbra, our host mom. We drove 5 minutes to the village of Jenins, thankfully, there weren't many curvy roads to make me car sick. After a quick look around the house and meeting Albert and their son Reto, they let us know that there was a nice hiking trail up to a viewpoint of the entire valley. So, we ventured up the hiking trail and we were still in awe of how beautiful the mountains are. I don't think I will ever be able to describe them and how beautiful they truly are. Barbra then made a wonderful lunch of, a pasta with steak and mushroom sauce (much like a stroganoff) and cooked carrots. I can say now, that I like mushrooms... well, at least when Barbra cooks them.
The next three hours included some very hard labor on the Minnesotan part of the work force. Kristin and I had the exciting job of raking hay... literally, with a handheld rake. No, this was not a made up job either. The grass is so precious in the mountains that every piece of grass is important to pick up. Our job was to follow the tractor to get anything that was left behind, get the edges of the fields and make the ends of the rows easier for Albert to start picking up with the tractor. By the end we had our jobs down pretty good. In total we raked about 6 acres of hay... all by hand. I think this definitely puts hard work into perspective for me.
Soon after we got back from our raking adventure Reto explained that we would be putting the bells on the cows to get ready to go higher in the mountains in a few weeks. To do this we herded the cows into the stantion barn to keep them in place because they are not exactly fond of getting noisy bells put around their necks. We found out today that the cows are not owned by the Rouf family. They are paid by the farmers to take care of them in their fields. Each farmer has their own bells that go onto their cows. The bells are basically a two prong collar with a bell attached to the bottom. Pretty simple design but very effective when you are searching for a herd in the mountains. Reto went around to each bell and used a zip tie on each latch to make sure that they did not fall of in the upcoming months.
Since the cows were conveniently in the barn tied up the "cow doctor" came to check if a couple of them were pregnant. It was different because the vet drove up and was there for five minutes or less. He got out of his car, put on a glove, (his dog jumped out of the front seat), walked into the barn, checked two cows, washed off his boots, (called the dog to come back), and he was done. While this was going on there had been a commotion across the street. The neighbor came over and introduced himself in English, which was very much welcomed and appreciated after what happened next. I hadn't noticed at first but Reto was putting on what looked like a jousting or roman soldier. What happened next can only be fully understood by pictures. From across the street out of a garage this contraption appeared. We had no idea what it was and couldn't stop laughing. The best way to describe it would be a garden tiller pulling a small wagon that was decorated in a cow and sheep skull complete with sheep blanket to sit on and a trumpet type horn. Thankfully, the neighbor explained to us that it was a celebration because it was Reto's last weekend of being a free man... in other words... they were having a bachelor party. Kristin and I didn't know what to think of it, all we could do was laugh. Reto was the guest of honor and he rode on the wagon while playing the horn as his cousin drove him around the village. It is tradition that the cousins take out the bachelor the weekend before his wedding. After a couple hours we hear the contraption coming back and it was the bachelor party making another round through the village. Again, much laughter was in store for Kristin and me.
Dinner was spectacular as usual. At first I didn't think that the men of the household helped with the cooking and cleaning after dinner but tonight Albert helped prepare some of the food and set the table. To end the night we sat out on the balcony and saw the night view of the valley. This was the first time that I was able to see how the area looked at night. Most nights I was either in bed or in town so I couldn't see the valley. Barbra also served us a glass of their red wine. I am not usually a wine drinker but I enjoyed tasting this homemade one.
Today we did a lot of driving and touring, much like yesterday. We drove through the narrow mountain roads and enjoyed the view with every turn. I noticed that on the mountain side of the road, in most places there was a wall built. Very tall and impressive masonry skills type of walls. Hans-Peter then made a quick pitstop so we could see the magnificent bridges that spanned a small valley. I couldn't believe how beautiful, sturdy and daring those builders must have been. We continued to wind up the seemingly narrower mountain switchbacks. As we neared outer space, or so it seemed, we reached our first tour of the day at the Kuhe-Villa, the cow villa. This is a farm that provides tours to tourists about dairy farming and the milking process. It was interesting to see the breakdown of how that farm makes their money and what expenses they have. It is easier to understand how important the government subsidies are now.
Continuing on with our mountain excursion stopped at the tourist swimming pool because we were too early for our next appointment. Unfortunately, tourist season in that village wasn't until next week so no shops were open and the pool was not filled with water. But this did not stop us from enjoying the beautiful weather and still playing in the pool. I found it very interesting that the yearly population in the village goes from 300-400 people in the off season to over 10,000 people during tourist season. Many of the homes are holiday homes that only get used a few weeks out of the year. I think it is very similar to the lake "cabins" people have in my area.
We were still early to our next appointment so we stopped at the Plantahof summer Alp fields for their cows. It was quite a hike up but the view, like always was stunning. From this view we could see the "surprise" destination Hans-Peter had in store for us had tourist season been open. Had the surprise destination been open we would've been riding a toboggan down the longest and largest toboggan slide in the world. It looked like it could've been potential for a lot of fun.
Our last destination of the day was stopping by a farm/barn that is not typically found in Switzerland. This barn was owned and operated by three farmers. They work together to keep their costs lower than they would individually. By pooling their resources together they were able to build a magnificent barn. Each individual cow was still owned by the separate farmers but all three shared in the work it takes to run a successful dairy herd. I think it would be interesting to see if this system would work for the farmers in my area that still want to be in the dairy industry but do not have the resources to continue it by themselves.
Today was a very long day filled with many interesting things. We first toured a fruit farm that specialized in strawberries, raspberries, and plums. It was interesting to learn how they do their crop rotation. It is about a 5 year rotation including, strawberries, raspberries, a couple years of grain crops, and corn. The owner explained that after 5 years the strawberries or raspberries would be planted on the same field again. We were able to pick fresh strawberries out of the field and they were absolutely delicious! They were a lot bigger than those back home.
We then toured a farm that was a popular tourist destination and an overnight place for mountain bikers. Their slogan was "sleep in the hay" which people literally do. Then we walked down to the home of Heidi. It was quite the walk and I understand now why pretty much all of the Swiss people are very fit and healthy... a lot of walking and biking, and very fresh and healthy foods. After our walk back up the mountain we drove down to a small winery where we were able to walk through the vineyard and sample 4 of their wines. I tried all of the wines but decided that wine was not really for me. I couldn't really tell the difference between the tastes and they all left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Directly after our wine tasting we drove to the city of Chur. Chur is the oldest and biggest city in Canten. Hans-Peter gave us a walking tour through the streets and to a beautiful Catholic church. An interesting part about the tour was that we were able to witness a yearly tradition where the school children of Chur walk through the streets to go up the mountain to build a fire and learn mountain survival skills... at least that's what we gathered from the ash on the children's faces and the first aid training look the children were sporting.
One thing I noticed about the pace of the people in Switzerland is that they move and walk fast but it is not at a stressful pace. It sounds like an oxymoron but after you see it for yourself it makes sense. They move quickly and are prompt to everything but they seem to take their time and enjoy being together. Another interesting thing I noticed in our travels was at how small the streets and roads were. I'm not sure if it was because they are trying to conserve space because they only have a limited amount or if they are just being eco-friendly. Many times when cars meet one must pull over so the other can get by... and no one is upset that they must pull over. Everyone is very understanding and calm, which is unusual to see compared to American driving.... Go fast and get out of my way.
Today was a long day of touring around Landquart. This morning we had our first breakfast which consisted of homemade yogurt, bread, cheese, jams, honey and cereal. We then walked about 20 minutes or so to the local co-op where we toured the different areas of the garden center, drinks, agricultural needs, household items, and grain facilities. Coffee and croissants were served to us in true Switzerland hospitality. Lunch followed the walk back. They served: 2 types of cooked carrots, a pork loin in gravy, seasoned French fries, and a chocolate mousse dessert.
The afternoon proceeded with me falling asleep in our informational session with an agricultural representative from the southeastern part of Switzerland. I felt really bad but the lack of a continuous nights' sleep was greatly affecting my ability to stay awake. Next, we toured around the farm on the college campus. Obviously, the Brown Swiss was the breed of choice, and breed by contract. The founder of the college made a contract that only Brown Swiss cows were to be milked and owned on the college. The baby cows, were cute as always, as were the piglets. I think the most interesting part of the day came when we visited the second area of the college farm. Hans-Peter's brother demonstrated to us how they halter break the bulls that come down from the Alps, that have had no interactions with humans. Within 20 to 30 minutes he was able to keep the rope halter on the bull which had never been trained before. Our last event of the night was dinner. Bread, pasta and potatoes, and applesauce was served.
After dinner I took a nap because either jetlag or the lack of available water was making me feel sick. Hopefully tonight I will be able to sleep through the night and not wake up at midnight and 2am.
The style of clothing I have seen on the younger generation has been very "American" and stylish. I noticed that everyone, guys and girls, had their hair styled and their clothes were thought out and planned. When we were touring the Landi coop I noticed that the businessmen were wearing nice jeans and a button-up shirt, with no tie. The colors of the clothing all seem to be very neutral and calm. I haven't noticed yet any bright neon colors like we see all over in America. They seem to make their dress statements by the outfits and hairstyles they put together rather than the colors they use together.
I finally made it. Not even a 7 hour unexpected layover could get me less excited about finally making it on this trip. Some things that I noticed right away about Switzerland was how quiet it was and how much green was around even in the largest city of Zurich. It seemed that every place there could be a patch of grass, tree or flower... there was and I loved it. At the airport and later on while walking home from the pub in Landquart I commented to Hans-Peter, our guide, at how quiet it was for the size of the city. It felt like home, it was that quiet. The drive to Landquart was beautiful. The mountains were unbelievable. The sheer size of them is amazing.
The college we are staying at, Plantahof, is very small and eco-friendly. Recycling bins are almost everywhere, the toilet paper I'm pretty sure is either recycled or not as refined as home, and the showers turn off after a certain amount of time. A little hard to get used to but it makes sense when looked at from the energy point of view. There is also a lot of natural lighting. Most of the common areas are lit by windows or skylights.
Walking around Landqurart was very interesting. Every house and almost every apartment balcony had a garden, shrub or some sort of plant. It was refreshing to see so many green things around in the city. The roads were small and parking was crazy... cars parked on both sides going both directions. I can see how people would prefer to take a bike or the train to work.
The food has been very good so far. Nothing seems to taste much different than the food I am normally used to. I missed breakfast on the plane because I was sleeping but lunch and dinner definitely made up for it. For lunch I had a salami sandwich with baguette type bread, cucumbers, fresh greens and a seasoned dressing. The restaurant that served us had a motto of "Fresh, Healthy, Fast." And it was all three. For dinner we ate at the college and had a pasta with red sauce, a salad, bread and some sweet tea. The flavors seemed to stand out more to me, possibly because of the freshness of the ingredients. I have heard that most of the food that is used on campus is grown or raised by the campus.
