Lessoc and Gruyeres

Dave was up and at it by 7 - walking along the very quiet roads of the countryside where we're staying. I slept until 10 or so. The owners of the B&B had moved their sheep - about 8 of them - to a different field as they're heading off to Italy for a vacation tomorrow. Dave watched them as they were walked down the road. 

We started our day by going to the hillside where the sheep were. Walking up to the tiny barn on the side of the hill was challenging since it was so steep. After visiting the sheep, we kept climbing until we came upon a very small  - seats about 10 people - Catholic chapel. It seems rather odd to have a chapel in this remote location but the B&B owners said their kids were baptized there. 

We took the road back to the B&B and sat in the front garden for a bit but the sun was so hot that we couldn't stay long. It got up to 75 today which we didn't expect when we were planning for the trip but it was glorious weather to be out and about. However, the heat and our car don't go very well together. It has a permanent sun roof - meaning you always have the glass exposed. It makes the car super hot and hard to see at times - with the sun shining overhead.

We drove a couple of miles to a small village, Lessoc, which was settled in the 1500's. In the heart of the village, the original, wooden homes sat along stone streets with the only green being vegy, and a few flower, gardens. Most of the houses appear to heat with wood. The large church had a cemetery beside it and it's the most unique cemetery we've ever seen - large, shiny tombstones with none older than 15 years. All of them have either fresh flowers or flowering plants growing on the stone. Moms were walking to the school to pick up their kids. 

On this our first full day, we went to a must see - a chocolate factory. It took a bit to find it. In all our travels, we're finding Switzerland the most challenging in regards to the language. Not many people speak English so it takes more effort to get the info /help that we need. At the Cailler factory we learned a lot about chocolate. The tour ended with samples - about 15 for each of us. Delightful! Of course, you end the tour in the gift shop where we got our favorite of the sampled chocolates. Those packages will remain unopened until we get home as they're for the family - not us!

Beside the parking lot a farmer was round baling hay - baling and wrapping it all at the same time. Dave was very impressed by this since he'd never seen this done before. In the opposite field were a herd of Holsteins - the cow of choice for the milk used to make chocolate. They all had bells on - the sound of which bounced around in the air. It sounds a lot like large wind chimes which Dave doesn't like at all. I don't know that he could live here with those bells ringing all the time.

It was now 6 pm and we were hoping to get into a castle that we could see in the near distance. We parked and had to walk up a steep path. This is what it'll be like here. Lots of walking up steep hills, paths, roads to get where you want to go. Of course, you also get to come down again but the legs are getting a work out that's for sure!

The castle was located in the small village of Gruyeres which is where the cheese by the same name comes from. It was settled in the 1200's. After climbing the the hill, we entered the very picturesque village square. Stone cobbled streets with shops and restaurants. The church at the top of a hill. We ate outside which is favorite thing for us to do. Dave had a local dish - ham, cheese, and egg toast. The whole thing was covered with almost 1/2" of cheese. He ordered tiramisu for dessert and got two meringues with more cheese for dipping. 

We took a walk through the village. On the side of a very steep hill were about 20 sheep that had recently been sheared. It's amazing they could stand on the hill due to the incline. They loved attention and wanted to be touched. 

Up the hill was a large Catholic church and the castle - which, of course, was closed since it was 8 pm. We'll go back tomorrow to see that. We were back to our B&B by 9 and settled in for the night.

One thing I learned today: When the Spanish explorers first brought chocolate to Europe, the people loved it so much that the monks declared it a sin to eat it. The pope said it was fine and the love affair with chocolate began.

One new thing I experienced today: We've seen many "deer crossing" signs but today we saw a "frog crossing" sign. It wasn't a joke but an "official" sign. What fun!

Most powerful moment of the day: The winding roads are everywhere which makes pulling out onto them very tricky. Dave was going to pull out in front of a motorcycle coming around the corner but thankfully I saw it the the mirror that was on the other side of the road. That got my heart thumping.

One pleasurable experience: Being "older" has it perks. It appears that we might be considered "seniors" and able to get discounted tickets for sightseeing spots. (Women can retire at 64 and men at 65.) We'll see how we make out with this tomorrow.