Hills and cheese and chocolate and cows

 How does T start his morning? His sisters wake him up at 7:45 and 8:00 and 8:15. By then he is cooperative enough to go to the bathroom and get at least partly dressed. Then he naps until it is time to go. He gets in the stroller and naps until we get on one of the trains out of Zurich. Then he has to wake up so we can all sit together in the upper level of the train by the play area. He manages a polite "Good morning" to Grandpma and Grandpa, but otherwise doesn't talk much other than to ask when we will be getting off the train. Later he will slide a bit and play in the boat, but first where is his breakfast? He pulls out his tray and waits. Once he's had something - today, an American muffin - he can start his day. He might as well start drinking coffee. He already has the stereotypical "don't talk to me until I've had it" behavior down pat.

This morning more bad weather. We went to Bern with the Paul Klee Zentrum in mind but changed our plans and ended up at a cheese factory instead. But first we saw some of the sights. I've been meaning to go to the bear pits but never managed due to time or temperature. I'm glad we went with Grandma and Grandpa, because the littles loved it. L was dancing around. As soon as he realized where we were, T jumped out of the strolled and said, "I love these guys!" There's a very nice view of Bern from the pit. All the mild temperatures and rain have everything green and blooming.

 L has gotten very attached to Grandpa. She is always looking to hold his hand or sit on his lap.

We saw a good amount of old town, including the clock tower, some of the fountains, the federal palace, and views over the river. I was forced to interrupt a chess game, though, when I saw that train delays were expected on the way to the cheese factory and so we should take an earlier train than planned. We ran to the station and just made the train (with the fasted stop ever at Bretzelkonig.) The trains ran perfectly, but the cheese demo was earlier than we thought, so it worked out perfectly.

We watch out for cars and buses while Grandma takes a photo.

Here is something odd. Someone was poised to take a picture of the bear, so I hurried over to move the kids. But she didn't want them moved! I have never wanted to take pictures of strangers' kids, but plenty of strangers have wanted pictures of mine. Is this something that happens a lot and I don't know about it because it has never come up in conversation? Please comment, because I wonder!

We'll never know who would have won, but R played it out in her mind and thinks she knows.

The Emmenthal show dairy was awesome! It's in a beautiful setting and it has chickens, a playground, and historic buildings. I thought it was much more charming than the cheese factory in Gruyeres. The whole place just seemed cozy, friendly, and old-fashioned. We had some drinks and then went to a cheese making demonstration in the old 1950 dairy building with its pretty vintage machinery. 

The demonstration was in German, but they did it in High German rather than Swiss so R could translate for us. There was also a poster on the wall explaining the process from cow to table. The milk used in the demo was brought in in a milking can which looked like it could have come straight from the cow. The milk was heated and enzymes added while the cheesemaker explained about the temperature, enzymes, and what makes Emmenthaler cheese special. There was a longish wait for the curds to form, but the cheesemaker answered questions and we were free to wander around the room and look at the old machinery. Then the kids all got to stir the cheese and after the curds were poured into heart shaped molds we all tasted runoff whey. It is better made into Rivella than straight up. L seemed to like it at first and was guzzling it down, but then something happened - maybe her thirst was quenched - and she suddenly decided it was gross and backed away from it making a funny face. Grandma thought it tasted like buttered popcorn jelly belly jelly beans, but that it didn't work as a drink. The cheese still had to be pressed, but that was all. No salt bath or aging - it was a soft farmer's cheese.

Chickens at the show dairy.

Waiting for enzymes to curdle the milk.

R and Grandma pass the time in deep conversation.

S helping L stir, but L thinks she's helping S.

Molding the cheese

L guzzles some whey

 View from the cheese making room.

Grandma and Grandpa treated us to a shopping spree at the gift shop. We got cheese for E, S's new favorite cheese, yogurt for the ride home, and a souvenir cheese keeper to keep cheese fresh and confined in the fridge. We also went to the bakery and got a treat for each of the kids, including Grandpa. 

See where the stroller is. The man who gave me a boat to take out alone when I was nine; took me for my first driving lesson when I was 13 - on a highway; and used to let me ride in the back of a pickup, in a truck dangling over a hole in its floor, and in a milk crate strapped to a moped was afraid the stroller wasn't safe enough on the sidewalk!

Grandpa says the back of the bus is for the mature people!