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.