That was definitely our motive when we started off from our cottage in Switzerland. It was a small place in the Berner Oberland with views of amazing ski slopes (lush green due to the summer). We got into the car and like old style opened a big map of the beautiful country. All we wanted to do was just explore the country side. And there we were on the road to nowhere..! Singing to the tune of 'Hum jo chalne lage, chalne lage hai yeh raaste..!' we headed off in the direction of Lausanne.
Instead of taking the motorway we decided to take the smaller roads off the main motorway. Without a destination in mind it was a journey to explore the country.
Just a few miles into the journey and it was a sight of lush green fields with amazing winding roads.
It was time to pause and breathe in the fresh air and observe the nature around us. It was such a peaceful place with hardly any vehicle passing by. With a sweet sound of cow bells heard from a distance adding to the dreamy feeling of the place.
We paused for a while, felling happy for the peaceful beginning of a week's holiday. Then headed off again on the road following the course of it, turning as the road turns with amazing scenic views around.
A bit ahead on the road the landscape was completely alpine with meadows and houses with slanting roofs and cow bells heard at a very long distance. About an hour and a half into the journey the stomach woke us up from the peaceful dreamy state of mind. It was time to hunt for food. And we realized we were in complete luck when we saw the L'etivaz board. :)
It was L'etivaz cheese shop. It not only sold the cheese but also offered cheese tasting. There was an informative video on the process used in making this cheese. The hard work that is put in by the farmers, the natural fodder i.e. the alpine meadows on which the cows graze and the natural heating done on wood fire makes the cheese amazingly delicious. We had a tour of the cellars where the cheese is stored. Although the final cheese is very tasty the cellars are a nightmarish experienc
e due to the ammonia smell. The ammonia formed due to the natural reaction of the cheese with air. In spite of the smell, it was a place to see as there were hundreds of cheese discs weighing twenty to thirty kilos being kept on the wooden racks. The cellar employs a robot to turn the cheese weekly and to wash it with salt and water in order to maintain the firmness of the cheese.
The last step in the entire experience after understanding how the cheese is made and maintained in the cellars was tasting it.
We were given not one but four different types of cheese to taste. The variety being young cheese made each year and sold withing 3-4 months of making it, a year old cheese, two year old cheese, a three year old cheese and a soft cheese variety special to the region. I loved all of them but relished the soft cheese and the white wine. The white wine was to aimed at cleansing the palate after eating one type of cheese so that all tastes can be felt differently. It was an amazing meal for both of us. We relished every moment and bite of the cheese. After such a delightful experience it was time to move ahead to explore the region even further. The journey was beautiful and the cheese tasting was fantastic. The day was already made but what lied ahead of us was even more exciting but that calls in for a different post.
Instead of taking the motorway we decided to take the smaller roads off the main motorway. Without a destination in mind it was a journey to explore the country.
Just a few miles into the journey and it was a sight of lush green fields with amazing winding roads.
It was time to pause and breathe in the fresh air and observe the nature around us. It was such a peaceful place with hardly any vehicle passing by. With a sweet sound of cow bells heard from a distance adding to the dreamy feeling of the place. We paused for a while, felling happy for the peaceful beginning of a week's holiday. Then headed off again on the road following the course of it, turning as the road turns with amazing scenic views around.
A bit ahead on the road the landscape was completely alpine with meadows and houses with slanting roofs and cow bells heard at a very long distance. About an hour and a half into the journey the stomach woke us up from the peaceful dreamy state of mind. It was time to hunt for food. And we realized we were in complete luck when we saw the L'etivaz board. :)
It was L'etivaz cheese shop. It not only sold the cheese but also offered cheese tasting. There was an informative video on the process used in making this cheese. The hard work that is put in by the farmers, the natural fodder i.e. the alpine meadows on which the cows graze and the natural heating done on wood fire makes the cheese amazingly delicious. We had a tour of the cellars where the cheese is stored. Although the final cheese is very tasty the cellars are a nightmarish experienc
e due to the ammonia smell. The ammonia formed due to the natural reaction of the cheese with air. In spite of the smell, it was a place to see as there were hundreds of cheese discs weighing twenty to thirty kilos being kept on the wooden racks. The cellar employs a robot to turn the cheese weekly and to wash it with salt and water in order to maintain the firmness of the cheese. The last step in the entire experience after understanding how the cheese is made and maintained in the cellars was tasting it.
We were given not one but four different types of cheese to taste. The variety being young cheese made each year and sold withing 3-4 months of making it, a year old cheese, two year old cheese, a three year old cheese and a soft cheese variety special to the region. I loved all of them but relished the soft cheese and the white wine. The white wine was to aimed at cleansing the palate after eating one type of cheese so that all tastes can be felt differently. It was an amazing meal for both of us. We relished every moment and bite of the cheese. After such a delightful experience it was time to move ahead to explore the region even further. The journey was beautiful and the cheese tasting was fantastic. The day was already made but what lied ahead of us was even more exciting but that calls in for a different post.
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