Switzerland Saturday Schau Kaserei Springs

Saturday was a fun and busy day.  We actually slept in a little bit and left at 9:45 to go to Schau Kaserei-- or the cheese factory.  This was in Emmental which is the area Grandpa's family was from. It was a beautiful part of Switzerland.

We watched videos about how the cheese was made.  They called it Emmental Cheese-- the kind with holes-- what we call Swiss Cheese.  Clearly they don't call it Swiss Cheese becasue they make half a million different kinds of cheeses here. A building next to it had a demonstration of the old way of making cheese.  It was done in a big vat over an open fire.

When we went to the Springs later on for dinner, Christy Spring came from the Valais area which is in the mountains.  She said that people take their cows up to the alps for the summer and make cheese there all summer long and it's done the old style.

This was real easy trip-- one train.  One bus out.  There was a display of sculptures done in bronze. They were maybe 1/2 life size.  They each showed part of the life of a Swiss Emmentaller.  A boy with a dog pulling a cart with milk to the cheese factory.  A woman making bread.  A man herding sheep. A beggar.

There was a bakery close by and we bought some treats for later-- Napoleon, blueberry tart, apple strudel, and almond paste filled croissant (mandelgipfeli).

We got back to the bus stop too early so we sat on the bench and ate our lunch of bread, cheese, and landjaeger. One bus.  One train-- and we were back in Uetendorf by about 3. We did a little shopping since all the stores close Saturday afternoon and don't open until Monday.

At 4:45 we got on the train, changed at Thun, and arrived at Spietz a few minutes after 5.

Hans Spring met us with his SUV and we all piled in-- 5 of us and 2 alphorns. It was a titch crowded, but better than walking or taking the bus. They rent an apartment on the grounds of the church and the castle and have a spectacular view of the harbor and lake Thurn.

Hans is a Doctor and head doctor for the Swiss Ski team. So he's been all over the world. They were amazingly gracious hosts.  We had appetizers in the yard overlooking the church and the castle. Sue and Steve played their Alphorns to the delight of the Springs and the neighbors.
(photo from train window going to Uetendorf)

 Then we went down to the lower level that used to be the bakery room with a LARGE fireplace.  There we had raclette (roasted cheese) with potatoes, pickled vegetables-- including her home pickled zucchini and pumpkin.  We had two salads cucumber/dill and tomato.  We ate and ate.   Then they took Sue and Steve up to the church yard overlooking the lake and had them play their alphorns again.  People gathered to listen.  As a boat went out from the Spietz dock, you saw smiling people listening to the music. It made a perfect Swiss day.
(One of the train transfers... not the racing one.)

Hans took us back to the train station to catch the 9:54 train.  But the train was 5 minutes late and we had 4 minutes to catch the connecting train at Thun.  We were sure we'd miss our connection and have to wait a half hour for the next train.  We made a brisk trot to catch the next train.  Mom had chosen to not take the wheel chair, but she hoofed it down the ramp pretty briskly.  Sally raced on ahead to see if she could hold the train.

As Mom and I climbed the steps, we could see the train was still there!  We hurried to the top.  There was Sally, spread eagle in the train door.  We hoisted Mom up and collapsed in the first seats we came to.  Giggling and gasping for breath. "How's your heart doing?" Sally asked Mom?  She said her heart was fine, but her legs were like jelly.

We called it a blessing that the train waited for us. We walked tranqually home from the train station... and we all slept well that night.