Day 14
The original intent for today was pack, lunch at “Le Chalet” and visit an antique store or 2. But the key to traveling with us is tom maintain flexibility, so when we woke up and the weather was the clearest yet, we modified plans a bit.
Jill the packmeister spent a couple of hours getting everything strategically getting everything plus souvenirs back in our bags. I sawed a slab of bacon into thick slices and fried ‘em up, which made breakfast along with toast, jam, Nutella, the last egg, etc.
Jill also did her last load of laundry; I think we’re the only people who come home with more clean clothes than we left with! It was too nice out 75, sunny, no clouds) to spend any more time than necessary packing, so we went into town to call Continental, try to get bulkhead seats again, etc.
Jill the packmeister spent a couple of hours getting everything strategically getting everything plus souvenirs back in our bags. I sawed a slab of bacon into thick slices and fried ‘em up, which made breakfast along with toast, jam, Nutella, the last egg, etc.
Jill also did her last load of laundry; I think we’re the only people who come home with more clean clothes than we left with! It was too nice out 75, sunny, no clouds) to spend any more time than necessary packing, so we went into town to call Continental, try to get bulkhead seats again, etc.
bulkhead seats, forgot to confirm departure time – 0 for 3. Went to the TI and used their computer to get the departure time.
It was too nice for Le Chalet – we pictured it dark inside – so we had a nice lunch outside the hotel on the main square. My gazpacho was very good, My sausage just ok, Jill’s salad good, Kristen – what did Kristen have? 68 CHF
My choice was to take a Michelin “green” road over the Jaunpass so we drove past Gstaad and Zweisimmen one last time, then started the steep ascent up the narrow, lightly traveled road.
The views were spectacular, in a pre-Alpine way – farms, fields, trees, distant snow-capped peaks. And glory of glories – there were even some pullouts with benches on the ascent where you could pull over and enjoy the view! Nothing as radical as a picnic table, but still
Psycho motorcyclists, and even more psycho bicyclists were everywhere. Cowbells, steep slopes, and a very strong sun. Just about filled u[p the memory card on the camera. In the valley following the pass was a tiny church, candle burning inside, but unfortunately nowhere to park. A mile from anywhere… who goes here? Maybe 5 people can fit inside.
It appeared there were avalanche barriers on the steep slopes above and we wondered if any towns had ever been wiped out below. It looked like maybe, there were lots of crosses, etc.
It was too nice for Le Chalet – we pictured it dark inside – so we had a nice lunch outside the hotel on the main square. My gazpacho was very good, My sausage just ok, Jill’s salad good, Kristen – what did Kristen have? 68 CHF
My choice was to take a Michelin “green” road over the Jaunpass so we drove past Gstaad and Zweisimmen one last time, then started the steep ascent up the narrow, lightly traveled road.
The views were spectacular, in a pre-Alpine way – farms, fields, trees, distant snow-capped peaks. And glory of glories – there were even some pullouts with benches on the ascent where you could pull over and enjoy the view! Nothing as radical as a picnic table, but still
Psycho motorcyclists, and even more psycho bicyclists were everywhere. Cowbells, steep slopes, and a very strong sun. Just about filled u[p the memory card on the camera. In the valley following the pass was a tiny church, candle burning inside, but unfortunately nowhere to park. A mile from anywhere… who goes here? Maybe 5 people can fit inside.
It appeared there were avalanche barriers on the steep slopes above and we wondered if any towns had ever been wiped out below. It looked like maybe, there were lots of crosses, etc.
After the pass drive we suddenly smelled chocolate in the air outside Broc. That could only mean one thing – the Nestle Cailler chocolate factory. They gave tours, so we stopped in and paid our 8 CHF. (Kristen free.) The self-guided tour was just “ok”. We tasted some raw cocoa beans, hazelnuts, and almonds, but the highlight was that midway through you got to eat as much chocolate as you liked! Kristen and dad has 10-15 pieces each, Jill exercised considerably more restraint. They were good stuff – the kind you get in a fancy chocolate box. The table was about 40 feet long! I wanted to ask the girl working the table what nationality were the biggest chocolate hogs, but she was busy. Jill and Kristen bought more for souvenirs on the way out. The tour should have showed more factory floor; there was no packaging machinery on display.
Back home past Gruyere castle again, then we decided to stop in the little town of Lessoc for a petanque festival we had seen signs for. Of all things… I could (and did) see such a thing in France, but Switzerland?
Back home past Gruyere castle again, then we decided to stop in the little town of Lessoc for a petanque festival we had seen signs for. Of all things… I could (and did) see such a thing in France, but Switzerland?
the town did have the most lovely covered fountain (1793) so we parked ad nosed around a bit. They also had an Indian family, which must be a bit of a rarity in rural Switzerland, to say the least!
On the way out of town we got stuck behind the truck loading / unloading supplies fotr the tournament. A guy on a motorcycle indicated that we should turn around and go out of town another way, saw my dumb look (I was just going to wait), looked at our license plate, said “Ah Ha”, and drove off.
I was wondering if the plate somehow indicated “Rental” when I realized the car had Zurich plates, and he thought I spoke German. Then another guy came over, said very nicely in French again what we should do… but I choked and didn’t respond… then he too looks at the plate and says “Anyone here speak German?” to his buddies! Now guy #3 comes over, gives me the rundown in German, and I’m feeling like a total idiot, and to top things off, I respond “Da” like a Russian spy instead of “Ja” like a tourist from Zurich. Now they all must think I’m just a lunatic.
Which brings me to my self-criticism of the day… I do pretty well now with French in a structured situation, especially if I can think about the conversation in advance. But off the cuff – off the script – I still have problems. I must have looked like a deer in the headlights in Lessoc!
On the way out of town we got stuck behind the truck loading / unloading supplies fotr the tournament. A guy on a motorcycle indicated that we should turn around and go out of town another way, saw my dumb look (I was just going to wait), looked at our license plate, said “Ah Ha”, and drove off.
I was wondering if the plate somehow indicated “Rental” when I realized the car had Zurich plates, and he thought I spoke German. Then another guy came over, said very nicely in French again what we should do… but I choked and didn’t respond… then he too looks at the plate and says “Anyone here speak German?” to his buddies! Now guy #3 comes over, gives me the rundown in German, and I’m feeling like a total idiot, and to top things off, I respond “Da” like a Russian spy instead of “Ja” like a tourist from Zurich. Now they all must think I’m just a lunatic.
Which brings me to my self-criticism of the day… I do pretty well now with French in a structured situation, especially if I can think about the conversation in advance. But off the cuff – off the script – I still have problems. I must have looked like a deer in the headlights in Lessoc!
Back to Chateau D’Oex, where the Fete Au Village was underway. Why did we not know about this? No banner over the road, no note on the TI… did they want anyone to show?
We spent an hour or 2, there was a jazz band, and the accordion band was fun. A brass band was setting up. The sanglier (wild boar) was just about gone, and we debated eating raclette but settled for a Heineken instead. We only had about 20 CHF left and had planned a “leftover picnic” for dinner, along with final packing and cleanup. Too bad we didn’t know about the fete in advance, we would have planned better.
Back up the . driveway one last time, where we enjoyed the fete music from ther balcony followed by and early bed.
Up at 5 a.m. for the drive back to Geneva, stopping only for gas. Painless car return, at least 4 security checkpoints, high security due to some terrorist scumbags being caught in London last week.
Spent out last francs on a sandwich and some chocolate just prior to our secured herding area. And oh yeah, I did snag those bulkhead seats again – after striking out on the phone yesterday and at checkin today. It helps to be nice to your gate agent!
We spent an hour or 2, there was a jazz band, and the accordion band was fun. A brass band was setting up. The sanglier (wild boar) was just about gone, and we debated eating raclette but settled for a Heineken instead. We only had about 20 CHF left and had planned a “leftover picnic” for dinner, along with final packing and cleanup. Too bad we didn’t know about the fete in advance, we would have planned better.
Back up the . driveway one last time, where we enjoyed the fete music from ther balcony followed by and early bed.
Up at 5 a.m. for the drive back to Geneva, stopping only for gas. Painless car return, at least 4 security checkpoints, high security due to some terrorist scumbags being caught in London last week.
Spent out last francs on a sandwich and some chocolate just prior to our secured herding area. And oh yeah, I did snag those bulkhead seats again – after striking out on the phone yesterday and at checkin today. It helps to be nice to your gate agent!
On the road again...