Remo and Christina returned last Friday – a couple of days earlier than originally planned. It’s been great to get know them a bit better – they are such lovely people. It’s also been a real bonus having some local guides to show us around! They took us to the markets in Thun on Saturday – the pouring rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm! The main river in Thun divides before in flows into the lake so there’s a little island in the middle of the city. Lots of bridges to cross – very pretty. One market was on the island, the other was in a cobblestone square sitting just below the Thun Castle. The castle towers over the city – a real landmark. We spent our time wandering from one market stall to the next buying up lots of goodies – bread, different vegetables, cheese. One very important purchase was a cheese fondue kit for our evening meal – traditional Swiss food. Something new for us. We also walked down some of the very old side streets in the centre of the city – lots of character, lots of little shops. Heaps of watch shops in Thun – of course – we are in Switzerland! Expensive – all of them cost in the thousands – some of them in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Not sure if I can get my head around that!
That night we watched as Remo and Christina prepared the cheese fondue – they add a few extras – their own little variations. Garlic was sauteed in a pan on the stove, then the cheese mixture added and stirred until it was melted and gently bubbling. The pan was then transferred to the centre of the table – sitting on the fondue base to keep hot – and the fun began. Bits of bread where dipped, cheese dribbled over boiled potatoes – yum! We drank white wine, black tea and Kirsch – a cherry brandy. It all worked extremely well together – one thing complimented another. A great evening!
The next day we walked down to the Spiez Museum of Heritage and Viniculture – housed in an old traditional chalet built in 1728 – not far from the marina. Very interesting to see the old rooms in the chalet – lots of wood everywhere, beautiful stone floor in the kitchen. Little snippets of local history in different displays upstairs – the many wars, disasters and good times of Spiez and its people. Also saw some old wine making equipment stored away under the house and in a nearby barn. Lovely old stone building, now also used for small parties and functions. The oldest structure in the whole complex was a wooden storage shed built in 1720 – apparently built by a single young man trying to show off his wealth and find a wife. The couple that worked in the museum were full of information and made a real effort to explain everything to us – sometimes in english sometimes being translated by Remo and Christina. We stopped off at a local hotel on the walk home to sample some of the local wine with a few nibbles – necessary research after visiting the museum. Lovely!!!
Well I think that will do for this blog. More coming soon.
Love Di and Reg
This entry was posted in Europe, House Sits, Spiez, Switzerland, Switzerland