Where We Be
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| Our one notable stop in Fribourg was to visit the Jean Tinguely Museum, where we stepped on red buttons on the floor to bring his strange art contraptions to life. Shown above is the most impressive, said to warn of the dangers of consumer society. It made an eerie, wheezy calliope sound when it came to life. |
| Gruyeres, Switzerland |
Gruyeres is one of those groomed, expensive,
but undeniably pleasant places that's on the
tourist map for good reason. Whether you want
to taste gruyere cheese at the source, or visit
the nearby chocolate factory (they even have a
chocolate train), or partake in fine dining while
soaking up the ambience of a picture-perfect
Swiss town, Gruyeres has it all. A magnificent
castle lords it over the town, offering dramatic
views of its "fiefdom" below. Chic shops line
the cobbled streets. Nothing is cheap, but
that's not to say it's not worthwhile. The most
decadent meringues with double cream you'll
ever taste can be had right here.
We spent two days in Gruyeres, the first
focused on sightseeing, the second a rare rest
day where we ate well and hung out on the
patio sipping wine and watching the day go by.
Our B&B, called La Ferme du Bourgoz, was a
working farmhouse at the foot of Gruyeres.
Ten minutes uphill took us into town, and ten
minutes downhill took us to the train station.
but undeniably pleasant places that's on the
tourist map for good reason. Whether you want
to taste gruyere cheese at the source, or visit
the nearby chocolate factory (they even have a
chocolate train), or partake in fine dining while
soaking up the ambience of a picture-perfect
Swiss town, Gruyeres has it all. A magnificent
castle lords it over the town, offering dramatic
views of its "fiefdom" below. Chic shops line
the cobbled streets. Nothing is cheap, but
that's not to say it's not worthwhile. The most
decadent meringues with double cream you'll
ever taste can be had right here.
We spent two days in Gruyeres, the first
focused on sightseeing, the second a rare rest
day where we ate well and hung out on the
patio sipping wine and watching the day go by.
Our B&B, called La Ferme du Bourgoz, was a
working farmhouse at the foot of Gruyeres.
Ten minutes uphill took us into town, and ten
minutes downhill took us to the train station.
| A walking path heads down from Gruyeres. At its base is the town's parking lot, and to the right (hidden from view) is Ferme du Bourgoz B&B |
| We had a fine dinner on our second day in Gruyeres. By the time we finished eating, the day-trippers had pretty much cleared out. |
| Restaurants with outdoor patios line the street on both sides, tempting you with chalkboard menus and delicious aromas |
| The town's pedestrian-only cobbled streets are a pleasure to walk (cars park near the base of town) |
| This is how we spent most of our second day, lounging on the patio at Ferme du Bourgoz B&B (a working farmhouse) and sipping wine. We did venture up the hillside and into town for dinner -- and meringues! |
| Gruyeres' castle (far left) is dramatically situated |
| On our way to Gruyeres we stopped in Fribourg, stored our bags at the train station, and had a look around. Fribourg is a vibrant university town that sits right on the “rostigraben” or linguistic divide, where inhabitants on the west bank speak French and on the east bank speak German |
| This colorful cow welcomes you to a cheese and dairy demo near Gruyeres' train station |
| Little touches like this vibrant flower box make Gruyeres welcoming |
| Here's something that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of Gruyeres: the H.R. Giger Museum, which showcases the talents of native Swiss surrealist H. R. Giger, the Academy-Award-winning designer of the Alien films |
| A loop trail circling the castle offers commanding views of the surrounding countryside |
| Gruyeres is a picture-perfect medieval town with a 13th century castle on top |
| Gruyeres meringues with double cream are to-die-for! But NOT something to eat regularly! [Not my photos] |
| Fribourg |
