295. Fondue anyone?

Grimentz Village, Switzerland

Talking to the camp manager yesterday, she recommended ‎⁨Grimmentz, ⁨Valais⁩, ⁨Switzerland⁩ as an ideal location for a day trip, as the road there takes in three beautiful alpine villages, Vissole, Saint-Jean & Grimentz. It is quite hard to work out what to do without personal reference. Tim and Douglas have been the mainstays of info for Switzerland to date which is greatly appreciated. I certainly can see why people take months planning trips, it takes a lot of time doing it as you go along.

Fondue

While shopping for lunch I spotted Fondue cheese, two servings per packet. Rather than buying three for the six of us I hoped two would suffice and I wasn't wrong, we were all completely stonkered by the end of lunch. The slimy cheese with oily wine slid out of the packets like an eel and the children instantly declared their lack of interest in consuming but once softened and gently bubbling in the caldron frypan with its cheesy smell they soon gathered. A budget bag of bread, sliced, toasted and chopped into squares was the medium. The inductive hobs temperature control took away any dramas and it turns out you can eat a fondue with normal forks.

After lunch we went for the short drive into the mountains and were completely charmed by the beautiful villages where the rich play.

Noticed today that there are loads of Japanese cars here including Subarus not surprisingly. They are largely absent in EU countries due to import taxes but are prolific in Switzerland given a level playing field*.

Grimmentz

The hay/ grain barns in the villages are obviously protected
 occupying, untouched, prime real estate.
They sit upon broad stones well above the ground to keep vermin out

The barns dot the countryside. The hay is gathered loose, not bailed
and blown into the barns with a large electric fan a bit like a leaf blower
with a two foot chute

Water powered bullock nodding their heads

Chalets throughout

This ancient working mill was grinding grain and sieving it, powered by water
which was wonderful. Recently restored.

This type of thing charming but a bit tacky.
The actual sawmill sits in abandoned disarray twenty metres away

Wealth makes for beauty and we weren't disappointed

Back at camp

There is a dry ice hockey rink twenty metres away from the Giantavan. In the dusk Fyfe got the so far unused hockey sticks out of the roof box and they had a great time while I made dinner. Rinks are great as the tennis ball doesn't disappear into the distance.

*My little Swiss joke