Gruyeres - the home of cheese

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I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep people update on me. I'm not sure if there is general fatigue with the eternal question of "where is Leanne?" or if there are people who are still interested. Now that pictures are entirely digital, and I want to post so many, instead of sending an email out, I decided to do this blog. So here is the first entry.


Yesterday, with my first non work related friend (what a victory!), I went to Gruyeres, which may be familiar to some of you who are cheesy people. Gruyeres is the region and city from which Gruyere the cheese comes from. Being that it is one of my favorite cheeses ever (quiche is not quiche without it, nor is fondue anything but gruyere (okay, and maybe emmental or vacherin, but still...), I was very happy to be going to its birth place.



At our departure, the weather was threatening, and we nearly canceled given that we were going to a higher elevation where the weather would be potentially worse. But, happily, we perservered, and ended up with a joyously warm and sunny day. While our itinerary was complicated (2 train changes!) We eventually found ourselves on 'La Gruyeres Express". When we got off the train, alas, a steep mountain awaited us - Gruyeres is at the top of a hill. After about 15 minutes of huffing and puffing, so really it wasn't that bad, we arrived in the village of Gruyeres. Let me tell you, this is a one street town. No really. And even worse, it was, as my friend Odile called it, a little Disney. Cobblestones, a little tourist train for those who couldn't make it up the hill, flowers in all the window boxes, tourist shops all selling the same things, a beautiful newly restored castle at the other end. Oh, and to make it a little interesting - the Alien (movie) set designer has a museum here, and there is a bar that makes you feel like you've been eaten by one of them and are drinking it up at a bar inside its stomach.



But after a lunch of fondue, bread, potatoes and wine, no complaints were heard from us. Perched above the cliff that is the hill of Gruyeres, we lunched while looking out on an alpine vista, complete with cows, quaint houses, and snow capped mountains. Really, what more does one want on a Saturday?



Later in the afternoon, the tour of the Gruyere cheese factory completed our day. We wrapped up by taking the "Panoramic train" home - which had all glass train cars to facilitate enjoying the vistas. It was a good choice, and for the most part, after being energetic tourists all day, we were able to stay awake and enjoy the view.

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Photos

Fondue Lunch
Doesn't that look scrumptious!

Gruyeres, the village
Gruyeres the village... or rather the street.

Odile and the Alien
A statue outside the Alien museum

Comments

[Senor Hand]

Mmmm Cheese
Nice little blog you have going here. Looks like you are having a great time...where is the part about missing your boyfriend! ;-)