Paris- Day 10

We had a long day of driving from Switzerland to Paris and arrived at approximately 6:30pm. Our apartment is settled in an ideal location at the center of Paris and, with only a 5 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, it offers a great view at night (apartment view on left).

Switzerland- Day 9

Sleeping in never felt so good. We had a late morning start and then Ruth was our "tour guide" for the day. We hiked up near Solothurn to view yet another gorgeous area of Switzerland, which offerred views of both the German and French sector. It was a crisp morning and felt it felt refreshing being at this elevated height. 

The Emmental cheese factory -- rural region surrounded by various farmers. Seeing the traditional cheese making process was so interesting. Fresh milk from the local farmers is boiled along with enzymes and proteins. Due to regulations, the milk must be boiled for at least 20 minutes. At this point, the milk has a yogurt-like texture and the cheese maker then uses a tool to begin splicing the thick milk mixture. The combination of splicing the milk and occasionally stirring the milk is repeated until the milk reaches a temperature of exactly 38 degrees. This is a delicate process for the cheese maker must be carefully in ensuring the milk mixture is transferred as soon as it's 38 degrees- no earlier and no later. In this occasion, the cheese maker used heart stencils to pour the mixture into. 

 In a different seminar, the cheese maker boiled the milk in a grand and rustic pot, added spices for flavoring, and then used a cheese cloth to gather the cheese and separate it from the liquid. This process was continued 3 additional times until 3 separate cheese piles was created, placed in a circular wooden box, and then stacked on top of each other to strain the liquid. It was interesting seeing the traditional cheese making process in comparison to the machinery the cheese factory uses today. 

 

Moreover, I enjoyed sampling the various cheeses -- from raw to mild to aged, they were all so delicious. We also had an assortment of fresh ice cream with bold flavors such as pear and raspberry to sweeter flavors like hazelnut and the classic chocolate. 

In the evening, we visited the  downtown area of Solothurn. Even though Solothurn has a small population of approximately 16,000 individuals, the downtown is one of the liveliest and offers numerous shops and restaurants and a grand church all along a river. Apparently, Ruth mentioned the number 11 is omnipresent in Solothurn -- 11 churches, 11 fountains, 11 museums, you name it. 

We finished the day with a tasty homemade dish of risotto, good conversations, and the fun game of "Spot It," which brought the inner competitive side in all of us (: I'm truly going to miss our "Switzerland family" - they were so compassionate and loving and made us feel at home. 

Switzerland- Day 8

Going on the gondola to the Swiss alps offered breathtaking views. As we transferred 

gondolas at 4 different stations, the temperature decreased and the fogginess transitioned to rain to snow. Each of the stations had a cute village with a market, shops, and residences. The top station was stark white due to the heavy snow and had a revolving restaurant, which is reminiscent of the 1969 James Bond 007 film (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) and therefore includes various '007' stencils on the restaurant's walls and occasional James Bond theme music.

After traveling to the Swiss alps, we headed to a nearby tobogganing location. The drive on the way was absolutely beautiful --- Everything looks just like a postcard, with the lush green meadows, villages, gorgeous mountains, and waterfalls. Upon arriving at the tobogganing location, we learned the toboganning was closed due to maintenance so we did zip lining instead. The location was high in the mountains and I enjoyed zip lining with such incredible scenery. 

We then visited the Bern -- urban (in comparison to the rest of Switzerland), high end shops, and a beautiful river running through the city. Right in the downtown area, there's a renovated park with brown bears roaming along and it's nice taking a moment to see the bears interacting with each other. Crossing the bridge to the shopping area, we browsed a variety of stores and then headed back home to relax.

Switzerland- Day 7

Switzerland -- what a picturesque country! On our way to Ruth's house, we had lunch in a cute town known as Stein am Rhein. This town is a popular tourist attraction in Switzerland and is surrounded by the Rhein river, one of the biggest rivers in Europe. For lunch, we had yummy crepes which were oozing with Swiss cheese, freshly cut herbs, sauteed mushrooms, and thinly sliced ham -- they were so satisfying! With the crepes being so big, Heather had some leftover crepe and once the waiter picked up the plate, a table of bikers (who had just finished their workout) asked the waiter if they could finish Heather's crepe -- It was quite humorous and both the waiter and us were definitely surprised :) 

 


After another hour or so of driving, we arrived at Ruth's house near Solothur. She was very welcoming and generous and is an amazing host. Her home is in a very rural region of Switzerland and offers great views of the mountainous region. Although it was chilly, we had a dip in the pool, which overlooked the surrounding region and then enjoyed a traditional Swiss dinner of Raclette, which is melted cheese with your selection of topping such as tomatoes, prosciutto, pineapple, pickles, etc. The melted cheese assortment is then eaten with a side of diced, boiled potatoes. The combination is absolutely delicious and is a must have! 

Upon completing dinner, we took a 5 minute walk to the local farm to pick up fresh chicken and quail eggs for tomorrow's breakfast. The owner's son was working in the evening and let us tour the farm and see the wide range of animals including the quails and cows. Even tasting the fresh cow's milk was incredible and tasted like no other -- the milk was silky, smooth, and clean. Being accustomed to going to a grocery store chain, it was definitely a great 


experience picking up your goods at a farm and having a personal with the farmer's family.