“ALL THE PLACES IN THE WORLD”

BY Clay Larroy

Traveling can be a great way to meet new people and experience other cultures. New friends are waiting to meet you in places you have only dreamed of traveling. It can be a wonderful way to see all that the world has to offer. Travel can be a hobby and an adventure that will lead you to unexpected places.  When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Where the Cows Are

by Sandy Zimmerman

The charming little village of Grindelwald offers a close-up view of life in the Alps. We were invited on a tour to visit a dairy farm to experience how cheese was made. I am a city gal and have never visited a farm before. Most everyone has seen pictures of the dairy farms in the United States, but this was very different. Grindelwald Mountain Cheese is prepared the traditional way, a ritual as the farmers did centuries ago. Recipes for this simple method were passed down from family to family.

The guide, Hans, drove along the one- lane road watching for oncoming cars until we passed the last local bus stop and reached the top of the mountain. After just 45 minutes and a climb of around 5,100 feet, we were surrounded by nature. He finally stopped at a wooden farmhouse with several exceptionally large cow bells hanging from the wall near the window flower box. We walked into the farmhouse to stand in a small room where the farmer’s wife was cooking cow’s milk in a huge iron pot. Hans explained that every day after the cows were milked, she was ready to make cheese.

As the milk thickened, the woman used a harp-like utensil to cut through the cheese because thick milk becomes difficult to cut. We tasted the thick and milky cheese before it became cheese, it was almost cheese! The only step of the process of making cheese that was not ‘Woman Powered’ was using a small mechanical mixer for 10 minutes. The lady placed a metal hoop inside cloth to make a primitive bowl/ bag as she reached down and scooped 20 pounds of cheese into the bag repeating this over and over again. Next she had to place the cheese in molds stacked on top of each other and she pressed them down into shape. We could hear the cow bells ringing while watching her. The cheese hut held all their stock of cheese each numbered with the date to identify the new and aged cheese.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

“Join cheesemakers in a high valley, try to call the shepherds on an alphorn, and hike through some of the world’s most stunning mountain scenery.”

-Rick Steves

Travel  have fun and create wonderful memories for your family!