Fun & Fromage (Day 26)

We woke up on Day 26 with heavy clouds and a lousy weather forecast. We were all starting to feel a bit squirrelly, but what to do? No point in heading to the mountains just to go look at clouds. We didn't want to drive too far but we've seen most of the sights around Vevey and Mont Pelerin. Finally, we remembered that although we had visited the Gruyere cheese factory near the beginning of our trip, we hadn't actually wandered uphill into the town. Plus, we thought that maybe, just maybe, if it didn't rain we could hit the bobsleds at nearby Mont Moleson. Off we went...

Here's a lot of Swiss Gruyere cheese (see below). I wish it were possible to give everyone a taste of this wonderful stuff. The suitcase just isn't big enough.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We had a chance to see all this cheese only after the downpour in the village. It was dry when we got to Gruyere and during the short walk up the hill into the charming little medieval village, and then the rain began. So much for bobsledding. The most obvious place to seek shelter was in the cheese factory down the hill, which we hadn't yet "officially" toured.

Below is a shot of the entrance to the village. No cars allowed here.

There's a wonderful courtyard once you're through the gates and a fountain with a beautiful display of flowers. I'm not sure how many of our photos have captured the flowers here, but they (the flowers) are everywhere. Underneath windows, on fountains, beside the road, hanging from lamp posts - everywhere. Not sure who the gardener is, but he/she must be busy.

Here's one of my favourite photos of the girls. This is one to frame.

Lucia and I exploring along the inside of the city walls. I was amazed that visitors were allowed to climb around here (both because of the potential hazards as well as preservation of the structure).

Before I forget, I should mention that the whole center of town (of course, it's not large) smelled of cheese. I guess that this has something to do with the town's namesake. This may conjure up some bad images for some, but please try to understand, this is no Velveeta. Every restaurant in town must have been offering cheese fondue, and this was the smell of all that melted bonafide Swiss goodness, wafting through the fresh air, creating an olfactory experience second to none. Mmm....

Here's a view of the countryside from on top of the hill. That grass is what feeds the cows that make the cheese. It's all connected.