Gruyere - Not Just a Delicious Cheese
Bonjour all!
Work was extremely busy this week. I have been finalizing my eLearning lesson for publication on the internet. Though the software I'm using has proven extremely tempremental and tends to close and delete my work whenever it feels I've made some progress. So I've done the same work at least ten times and had to switch software/download new software in the middle. Thankfully, all that was left were audio touch-ups, but it's really frustrating to still be working on the same thing when I've been so close to completing it for the past week. My work week ended on a delightful note as, upon completion of Part 2, I spilled half a bottle of orange juice on my laptop and spent the next hour frantically drying it and praying. (I also made my way through five gaufres avec perles du sucre - waffles with sugar chunks - which I meant to last for the next week but due to stress only lasted three hours.)
One of the Famous Gruyere Cheese Cows with Bell
Thankfully, my computer has healed. I put it in rice yesterday and then spent another hour this morning digging the rice out of the keys, but it works! I'm very happy.
Gruyere Castle Gardens
In terms of leisure... This week I visited Gruyere - the home of Gruyere cheese. I had heard of a mideval fair that was going on in Gruyere's castle so, joined by the lady I'm staying with and her son, I took a train to the very small, rural town of Gruyere. The scenery there is amazing. It's the first place I've been that hasn't bordered a lake (aside from Paris, but Paris has the Seine). Gruyere is a green, open valley, surrounded by the Gastlosen mountains. It's the kind of place you imagine when you read Heidi. The castle is on raised land surrounded by a tiny medieval looking village. Also on the ridge is the Geiger museum: an exhibit of paintings done by the man who designed the movie Alien. It's not my style, but it was neat to see something different. Afterwards we visited the Geiger bar - which looked like the inside of a skeleton and sold Alien coffee.
View from Castle
The castle was lovely. I think I like the Chateau du Chillon better, but this castle had medieval reenactors making goods like embroidery, leather work, wood carvings, yarn, etc. Several of the men were practicing fighting skills: I saw sword fighting, wrestling, and a crossbow demonstration. And, of course, we made time to enjoy a cheese platter with the famous Gruyere cheese and various sausages on bread. It was a great day outing. If I ever go back, I would like to visit the cheese factory, though, and maybe take the cable car up to the mountains. There's supposed to be good skiing in the winter.