visit a new friend we met in Vietnam a few months back. Daniel, had
invited us to come visit his family on their farm when we cruised
through Switzerland and we did just that. After some help from a local
restaurant owner to local Daniels phone number, Daniels lovely sister
came to lead us to the farmhouse.
were amazing. On arrival we were given a brief tour of the old
farmhouse which has been there for 5 generation and then treated to
some traditional Swiss meusili for dinner. Daniel then arranged a
night out for us which was just over he border into germany in the
city of Konstance. A very old town that was not demolished during
WWII, Konstance was a very old world German town and so naturally, we
did the right thing and went for some good German beer to relax for
the evening.
The next day Daniel drew up a map for us to explore some of the
highlights of the countryside. Mrs. Werner was sweet enough to even
let us use the family car to navigate the roads that were not entirely
built (RV friendly). Much of our day was spent in the quaint town of
Appenzell. Appenzell was a very traditional Swiss town about an hour
southeast of Daniels house. It was full of souviner shops and during a
more tourist season, you can see people dressed in traditional
clothing and playing the instruments of the Alps. During the beginning
of October you can also see the mountain cows coming down from the
high altitudes into the valley’s for the winter. We spent most of our
time there walking the streets and after a stop in for some hot apple
cider, pizza, Brat and Rosti (Brats and Potato Pancake) we took a
brief catnap to recharge before heading back to the farm.
I definitely suggest this as a town for tourist to visit to see some
of the heart of the country. If it is a clear day, you can take a
cable car up the mountain to a rotating restaurant on the top of the
Alps! (we did not take part in this as the fog was too strong and our
view would not have been worth the ride) I imagine the heart of winter
or even spring would be the best times of year to experience this part
of the country.
On our return, Daniel toured us around the farm and introduced Nicole
and I to the cow milking process. Nicole was a pro ;) It was pretty
cool to see the inner workings of a small farm in the countryside. On
the Werners farm there are 2 live-in workers that work alongside
Daniels father. Arnold and Matt handle the cows, chickens and upkeep
on the grounds throughout the day. Nicole was really fond of the cows.
Especially the young ones that were extremely curious and freaked out
by the two of us. Maybe it was out English, our smell of our smaller
stature, but once they locked eyes on us, they never looked away.
That night Mrs. Werner cooked up some home cooked fondue. In true
swiss tradition, we even helped out in the kitchen in preparation for
the meal. It was a very special night for Nicole and I as we were
surrounded by Daniel and his family. We even had some surprise guests
who traveled just to see us. Silas, Daniels best friend and Daniels
older sister Roseline showed up to enjoy the night with us. After the
delicious dinner we sat fireside in the den and talked for a while
about our experience, the Swiss, and oddly enough, constructions which
seemed appropriate as everyone in the house seemed to be an engineer
of some sort.
The stop at the farmhouse was great and a most memorable time on our
journey. Thank you to the Werners for welcoming us into your home for
2 days and making us feel like part of the family. ;)
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