There's no question that Switzerland is a country of unparalleled beauty. I've written a lot about the scenery over the last month, but I cannot forget the beauty of the people, as well. As we have come to Switzerland on a home exchange, we have been fortunate enough to be able to get to know and spend time with some of our hosts' friends and family. This has included phone calls to ask general questions about getting around and things to see/do, "pop-ins" for coffee, being able to borrow a stroller for the month when ours went missing, a day-trip to a zoo, etc. The warmth, kindness, and generosity of the people we've had a chance to meet (especially Corinne's stepmom, Colette, and Serge's parents, Gil and Chris) has been amazing.Our final full day in Switzerland was an extra special treat as we were invited to Gil & Chris' home for lunch to enjoy a traditional Swiss fondue! Of course, we had gone out for fondue at a restaurant in Vevey about a week earlier, but this seemed just a bit more authentic. What a fantastic afternoon! (And what a way to cap off our trip!)
Gil obviously loves children and he handily entertained Lucia and Elias during our visit. I think that's a Smurf mushroom house, serving as a temporary hat, falling off his head in the picture above. I remember playing with Smurfs when I was a kid. Funny to see my kids being introduced to them now!We began the meal with a sampling of smoked and cured meats (ham and beef) that are specialties of this and neighboring regions, along with bread and crackers. And Swiss wine, of course. Then on to the fondue! That's the pot of unmelted cheese on the right! At this point, I'm sure I was starting to salivate.
This is a picture of Colette and Chris. I think they both never stop smiling. It's impossible to not enjoy being around people like this. Before we arrived, we didn't know that Colette would be there, and in fact, thought that we had said our last "goodbye" to her. What a delightful surprise to meet her again!
The cheese has melted! The fondue begins. (At around this point, Gil taught me that the way to really enjoy the fondue is to dip your bread into your white wine before dipping it into the cheese. Wow.)Elias felt right at home with our new friend. I wonder if he might have picked up any French words during our visit?
The pot is not quite empty. We learned that the cheese that bakes on at the bottom of the bottom is especially yummy. This is the stuff to fight over! Needless to stay, I think we cleaned up the pot pretty good, despite our aching bellies.This experience will be one of the highlights from our trip - both for the excellent food and the tremendous hospitality of the hosts (folks that had only met us weeks before!). We were even sent home with a huge Lindt chocolate bar and a framed picture that Gil had made himself with bits of folded paper (he's a very good artist). Extraordinary generosity. It's great to know that we will be returning home to Canada with great memories, photographs...and new friends.
Before I sign off, here are a few pictures of the place that we will fondly remember..."Likir". We don't name our houses in Canada, but it's not a bad idea. I think it was Gil that suggested that we might name our house "Leman" (for the lake) when we returned. I like that. Another option might be Cailler (for the chocolate).
The "chalet", with our wheels for the month (a Toyota Picnic). We have had a great time exploring the roads of Switzerland in this car/van. (It's bigger than a car, but not quite a van.)And finally...the view from the dining room. What a dream it has been to wake up to this every morning for the last month. We have been blessed.
To the Weber family...thank you so much for a wonderful home exchange. It's been an experience of a lifetime for us, and we hope the same for you.Ciao!
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