Friday, 25 March 2016

Worth their salt ( Switzerland - day 8)

We visited the salt mines in Bex where they have been producing sel des Alpes for centuries.


Early passages and caverns were chiseled by hand and the marks are evident.


We took the miner's train into the mine. These are working salt mines and the miners take these same trains into the mine at 6am every morning. They go another 2km past where we got off.


Sam loved the mining bulldozer


They age wine in one of the old rooms of the mine.


Salt crystals were evident on the ceilings on some of the rooms.


Spring water filtered down through the mountain was saturated with salt - equivalent to the Dead Sea. Mmmm, tasty!


Mining motorcycles.


Boring a wooden pipe for flooding the caverns to extract salt. Metal would rust. Today they use high pressure injection to dissolve the salt for extraction.


Hammer and chisel is tough work!


On the miner's train on the way back we got the outside seats. The tunnels are close quarters!


For scale...the tiny miner's train.


The entrance to the mine.


And a little treat for us on the drive back...snow!


Wine and Vine (Switzerland - day 7)

Another perfect morning for coffee outside.



With this view how can you not?


We took a relaxed morning to let the kids play...going to park was their choice for the day.


Then after lunch it was off to the museum of the vine and wine...in a chateau of course.



The crest of the town at the bottom of the mountain from where we were staying.


Emmy tested her "nose"


Sam looked for pests on the vines. They loved playing science.


A long walk up the tower.


And a little local fare afterwards.


A little lizard - the emblem of a local winery.


On the drive back we remarked at how green everything had become seemingly overnight.


And for dinner ... Cheese! Fondue...


... and raclette. 


Over the mountain... (Switzerland - Day 6)


We decided to take a drive to Interlaken on the secondary roads, over the mountain.



It was a beautiful drive ... until Emily was carsick! A quick stop at local grocery and we had it cleaned up and, armed with plastic bags, we were ready to go. 


Interlaken is a beautiful city but we quickly learned it is a summer city and many things are not open before mid-April. 


So we took a walk around one of the lakes. The kids needed the outdoor time after the long car ride.



Then it was time to learn about chocolate! The Swiss did invent adding cocoa butter back to the chocolate after all. 


With LOTS of tasting.


Sam nearly jumped off mom's shoulder's when the chocolatier offered the first taste! 


We got the finish our own chocolate pop.


Time for a bit of drooling over watches... I mean window shopping... before dinner.


Cuckoo clocks. The store wisely had them all stopped.


A day for the dogs (Switzerland - day 5)

We headed up toward the famous St Bernard Pass to the town of Martigny.



We had a chance meeting with some St Bernards out for a walk. 



Then it was play fighting in the roman amphitheatre. Daddy felt like lion attacked by the gladiators.


After a outdoor picnic is was on to the St Bernard museum (and kennel)


It was an hommage to the dogs and the auberge that have saved countless lives in the pass between Switzerland and Italy. 


Then it was "meet and greet" time


With Nevada...a ten month old St Bernard.


Sam warmed up to her quickly...and thinks she would be a great dog for grandpa. 


She loved to snuggle!