Day 28 - Cailler Factory and La Maison du Gruyere

Waking up to the view and singing birds, sitting on the deck with a cup of coffee...this is heaven.  Today I wanted to take a gondola up into the high country but the forecast was for clouds and rain.  I hope we made a wise decision by delaying our hikes a day, when the forecast is sunny.

Our rainy day plan was to see the Nestle (Cailler) chocolate factory and Gruyere cheese-making factory.  (Note - it didn't rain in Gruyere, but did rain 3 times back in Lauterbrunnen.)

Gruyere (town) is 90 minutes from Lauterbrunnen.  Driving through Switzerland feels like we are suspended in beauty and perfection.

Everywhere you look is eye candy for the nature enthusiast!

Our GPS had us climb a steep, windy road up to 4900 feet.

We started with the chocolate factory because it gets crowded with 2-hour waits.  We got there at opening and had to wait 30 minutes for the next English tour.

The Nestle factory is in a valley

At the entrance to the factory

They are smart to have the tour waiting area be the candy store.  Temptation is overwhelming.  But by the time you finish the all-you-can-eat tasting bar, you never want to touch another piece of chocolate again!  Even Chris, who is our chocolate fanatic, changed his mind after the tour...definitely not buying anything!

The candy store - every flavor chocolate bar!

The tour starts with walking through ~7 rooms, learning about the history of chocolate and how it came to Switzerland.  It is narrated, and kind of like a ride at Epcot.  They pipe in the smell of chocolate, and Kate says, "I can't stop smelling it!"  It smells so good, and we are getting hungry!

The next stage of the tour is audio-guided.  It starts in a room with bins of ingredients.  I see people chewing, so I reach in and taste the almonds.  Then I see someone take a huge handful, and drop them all back into the bin. Gross!  The audio says, "Feel free to touch or taste."

Then we get to watch them make chocolate up close - a candy line essentially created just for the tour.  They pack the chocolate in red, green and blue aluminum foil.  The audio says, "They all taste the same so we can't explain why red is the most popular."  Kate takes red from the sample tray.

We watch them make chocolate candies - and then we taste them!

You can stay and eat as much as you want - they just request that you take none of the chocolate with you.  Practical Chris questions if maybe we should have skipped the tour, and just bought chocolates to taste.  No ... where is the fun in that?!

In the final tasting room, you get to sample 8 different kinds of chocolate.  I was almost done - just three left - when I started breaking out in a sweat.  (Not kidding.)  Failure...we couldn't get through them all.  Can't say we didn't try!

The free tasting room

"I am going to be a little sick of chocolate after this."--Kate

Gruyere Chateau and Cheese Factory are just two miles from Cailler.  We started with the chateau because when we went to the cheese factory, the lady warned us that currently the only thing to do was the "museum" (not worth the pricey admission)  - the factory only has activity at 1pm and 2:15pm.

Apparently Kate's castle limit is four ... with one (?) castle in California, who knew?!  She did not want to go to the one at Gruyere.  (From here on out I should just call them "chateau's", maybe she won't notice.)  I can't say if it was worth the price of admission, but for me it was worth a self-guided visit!

The medieval town of Gruyere is quite quaint!

If you are an Alien fan, go into the HR Giger museum at the entrance to the castle.  Or at least check out the free bar - it is pretty cool!  (Pictures only allowed for customers.)

The castle's ramparts 

The castle's gardens

Then back to the cheese factory.  Since the cheese making process involves a lot of sitting around and aging, a cheese factory may not be the most exciting experience.

Cheese cellar at La Maison du Gruyere

In the museum, a cow talks you through the process.  We get free samples of cheese, too...these we can take away with us.

If you visit at 1pm, you can watch a worker stir the cheese milk.

On our way home, we stopped at a lake because its description is:  "Incredibly blue, clear lake set in the forest with a jagged Alpine horizon...a photographer's dream"  I wish I could show you how beautiful it is, but sadly we didn't get in.  It closes at 5pm.  We arrived at 3:45pm to a sign that said today it closes at 4pm for a private event.  Apparently in Switzerland they round time to the nearest hour.  If you are dying to pay your fee to get in, and drive all the way there to gamble whether or not they are open, then google Blausee Lake.

Our visit to Gruyere inspired us to try fondue for dinner.  I didn't have the correct ingredients - just a bunch of gruyere cheese - so doctored it up with what I had:  beer, vodka and pepper.  Absolutely delicious and devoured!  I love "The Melting Pot" but this fondue was better than anything I have had before!

Yummy fondue!