Engelberg Day 2

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It is our second full day in Switzerland. After a good night’s sleep I awoke to the sound of bells clanging in the distance. The bells really got going and I realized that I was hearing the clatter of cows as they started up the hillside to graze. They really can make some noise, but I’d take it any day over sirens and cars.

We enjoyed a beautiful breakfast replete with fresh fruit, granola, eggs, meats, cheeses, and an assortment of freshly baked bread. The coffee here is so good, and the students have been very game to try most anything. I grabbed an orange for later at breakfast and then we headed out the door to tour a Benedictine monastery. We had the best tour guide, Brother Thomas, who seemed glad to have us and really connected to the students (as much as a Benedictine monk can). Its easy to see why someone might feel called to join the monks in Engelberg - Their baroque monastery was founded in the . IT is a tranquil, gorgeous place with thick white plaster walls and wild flowers. It occurred to me as we were visiting the sanctuary of the monastery that the Protestant Reformation was truly an incredible time in history. To say a baroque sanctuary is different than a reformed Anglican one is an understatement. There really is no comparison. If Scott’s Art 280 students could see the two churches side by side they would never miss the questions on the Baroque period again on tests. In the 19th century, many of the Baroque paintings were stripped from the church in favor of the more pleasing neo-classical style. Just two baroque paintings remain at the monastery. In addition to giving tours of their home, the monks make cheese in a little factory on the grounds and also have a boarding school. You can stay there for $80 chf a night (about $80 American).

We were scheduled to have a tour of the Hotel Europe at 1:00 so I decided to grab a sandwich from a local bakery and went to the park for an impromptu picnic. Many of the students opted for a hot lunch at the coop. Everything here is much more expensive than in the States- lunch averages around $20 per person. Dinner is usually around $50. The grocery stores are quickly becoming our friends!

I visited two groceries today. I can’t begin to describe the gorgeous pots of jam that gleam like jewels, or the 40 plus choices of yogurt, chocolate and other dairy products. The groceries are really on a much smaller scale than in the U. S., and I’d say prices are pretty comparable to what you’d find at home. I can’t understand why the Swiss stores stock Philly cream cheese or Activia yogurt. Why would anyone buy those things when they can get local dairy items. Talk about happy cows!
Our later tour was cancelled so we had a free day to enjoy the perfect sunshine and weather. Some students rode a cable car up the mountainside, others shopped or just took in the mountain air. I discovered a small history museum (of course) that had absolutely no labels in English. The museum was officially closed because they were having an exhibit opening later today. Because I couldn’t read the sign on the door, I just walked on in. Thankfully, the director took pity on me and let me walk through the museum. It was so much like the small history museums I’d worked in before- it even smelled the same- the same displays of cultural history from times gone bye: embroidery, tatting, faded photographs and ….stacks of recent newspapers?? I had this eerie double déjà vu feeling of previous visits to both theBaltimore Historical Foundation and the Getty Museum. The exhibit the museum was getting ready for was a modern art installation that was integrated into the existing collection. It was intriguing - the antique seltzer bottles in a mini-fridge, the stacks of newspaper below carefully preserved handwritten letters. It took me a while to catch on, and the director offered no explanation when she let me in. Once, when Scott and I were in Baltimore, we visited the historical museum there and someone entered one of the galleries from the exit. As we stood there looking at a large dollhouse from the turn of the 20th century, we began to notice that the African-American dolls were depicted revolting against the white dolls. It was bizarre and thought provoking and we finally realized we were viewing an art piece, not a straight material culture exhibit. The other flash from my memory that bounced through my head was the time that my pal Carl and I snuck into the Getty museum 2 days before it officially opened in 1995. We were in L. A. at the American Association of Museums conference and had taken a taxi all the way to the Getty only to find it closed. Not to be deterred, we just acted like we knew what we were doing and strolled through the museum and grounds with the place essentially to ourselves….but I digress…

This evening we took a short drive to Lucerne to visit the Grand Casino. The casino staff showed us how to play roulette and blackjack and of course I promptly lost $40. At least I can say I drank champagne in a European casino with a lovely lake in the background..For dinner, I went with the other instructor and a student and ate fondue and weinersnitzel. They were both wonderful and I am going to bed with a head full of good memories. Next up - another cheesemaking facility and more time in Lucerne. Hooray!-

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Comments

[sonnie]

Your adventures
sound marvelous! I can't wait to see more entries. :)

[MaryT]

Yay!
Chay, this sounds unforgettable! I wish I could have gone on the trip with you. So far everything I like and nothing I don't (except maybe the price of meals?). It sounds like you are in a dairy and baked good wonderland! My high school was a Benedictine school and visiting Monte Cassino, a Benedictine monastery in Italy was a an unforgettable experience for me; I am sure the one you visited was too. If you're feeling nostalgic when you get back, I will bring over my cuisinart electric fondue and we'll dip in and you can tell us all about your trip.