Cheese and Chocolate

Today we are headed to Maison de Cailler and to Gruyères for a chocolate and cheese day.

The medieval village is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river, and gives its name to Gruyère cheese. The medieval town is located at the top of an 82-meters-high (269 ft) hill overlooking the Saane valley and the Lake of Gruyère.

Gruyères in French, Greyerz in German, is one of the best preserved medieval villages in Switzerland.

So, from the Interlaken West station we took the train to Bern where we changed to a train direct to Broc-Chocolaterie.

We finally have a sunny day with a few scattered clouds. On the hillside in Spiez,  I can see the boxes placed on the ground just waiting for the people to start cutting the ripened grapes. 

I use the time while on the train to start my writing for the day. I look out the window most of the time and just enjoy the scenery or look for certain locations. Now, every time I go by Spiez I look which pasture the sheep are in. This is harvesting time so I also look for what is being dug up or pulled out. Surprised me yesterday, they were harvesting potatoes in the Emmental region. Today, in the area between Bern and Romont, farmers were harvesting potatoes and haying. 

The cows grazing on the hillsides probably have their milk used for Gruyère cheese. 

Michael usually takes the time to read books he has downloaded onto his IPad or study Korean while we sit on the train. 

The name Broc- Chocolaterie has been changed from Broc Fabrique.  This will be the first of two trips here. It’s too much to carry chocolate bars, baking chocolate, and bags of hot chocolate all at once. I can hear the laughs now from people reading the blog. Today we bought bags of hot chocolate and a box of Branches for the girls taking care of Izzy and Jellie Beanie at boarding at our vet’s office. 

In the past, Michael and I have taken “chocolate” classes at Cailler.  I wanted to take their Gourmand baking class but it was not offered in September. Cailler also had a Dubai chocolate class but it filled up quickly.  

Looks like the setup for a chocolate bar class. This is the 15th anniversary of holding classes.

Naturally, we had enough time for a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream topped with shaved chocolate and a small piece of chocolate on the side. 

Dark or milk chocolate?

There are some new flavors for the chocolate bars. New ones: Chocolate-Nut , Pralinato, and Caramel. If you want to try a new flavor instead of the ones I usually have at home, then let me know. 

The bus we were on from Broc Chocolaterie circled around La Maison de Gruyères where they have a show dairy where you can watch them make Gruyère cheese.  

The picturesque village of Gruyères lies at the foot of the Pre-Alps in the canton of Fribourg. Pedestrianized village, its cobblestones and its fountain offer an invitation for a gentle stroll. The medieval town gave its name to the region of La Gruyère and its tasty cheese, the Gruyère AOP.

In 1980, HR Giger, a Swiss artist, won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for his participation in the film "Alien". The museum is located in the St-Germain castle, in the center of the village. It contains the biggest existing collection of the works of HR Giger: paintings, sculptures, furnishings, film sets.

The museum is located in St-Germain castle, in the centre of the medieval town of Gruyères. It contains the biggest existing collection of the works of HR Giger: paintings, sculptures, furnishings, film sets. Between reality and fiction, past and future, HR Giger takes you on a journey into the fascinating world of your imagination.

The HR Giger bar is opposite the museum.

Went a little further up the hill to take a picture of the outside of the castle. 

No matter where you stand, the view over the green hills into the Fribourg Pre-Alps is unique.

This little pooch was exhausted and just plopped down and looked up at its owner. What an adorable face! So sweet! 

Michael and I always go to the Hôtel de Ville for raclette. We get at discretion so we have two pieces. Michael has the raclette with either bread or potatoes while I also add pickled onions, gherkins, and lots of crushed black pepper. You have to have white wine with the raclette. We wanted Vully but they ran out, so we got the Fendant from Sion. It’s just as tasty.

Raclette has been produced in Switzerland since time immemorial. Derived from the French racler - to scrape - raclette is the name given to a traditional peasant dish: old ends of cheese are melted over an open fire and poured over hot potatoes. Raclette is historically a dish originating from the canton of Valais.

"Classic raclette is served with a trio of sides: potatoes, pickled onions and gherkins. Add a pepper mill and perhaps a special mix of raclette spices."

I especially love it when the cheese bubbles and browns. 

Michael wanted raspberries with double cream for dessert but they only had blueberries so Michael will wait until we get back to Unterseen as I have this in the refrigerator. 

I dropped into Au Filet Gruyeres to see what they had new in the shop. The owners from Poland recognized us immediately. There are more clothes and less tablecloths this year. I did pick up gifts for my two great nieces. 

Even got to sound out the Korean on the bus sign. 

Fascinating door knocker