Switzerland in Fall

Before: Misbehaving deer

 I'm not sure why the deer above is sticking out its tongue at its dad, but it is inexcusable. So we ate him!

After: Very nice dinner

 Well, it is Fall and deer hunting season in Switzerland. We spent a few days there earlier this month visiting my Mom, siblings, and friends. Fall, and only Fall, offers delights like Suser (slightly fermented, unfiltered grape juice; new wine), Vermicelles (a desert made from chestnuts), mushrooms, and venison.

Lee Ann liked it

 What's on the plate above is not the one in the top picture, but close. The one above lives on a deer farm run by a former butcher. The one on the plate was shot nearby in the wild. We got to meet the hunter who, the rest of the year, is a bus driver where my brother works. If you are not a vegetarian you should try it. It is expensive but very delicious with the sauce, all the vegetables and other sides.

An old house in Murten

 Speaking of vegetarians: I would be one, if I was any more involved in the process of turning picture 1 into picture 2. Being a city boy has its advantages. Salad is pre-washed, milk comes in cartons, and meat comes cut into pieces that betray their origins.

On the way back home, we missed the plane and had to spend an afternoon in Zurich

 Of course, the Swiss are also very good at living off their animals without killing them. Anika found this story with incredible pictures. I want to learn how to make pictures like that. Americans label one of the over 300 cheeses made in Switzerland, Swiss. Gruyere, the topic in the story, is also widely available in the States, but I bet many Americans think it is French. The sad part is that almost none of the other Swiss cheeses are available. No Vacherin, Appenzeller, Raclette, Tilsiter, or the incredible Tete de Moine.

Winter has started early this year in Switzerland

 The situation here in Ireland is almost worse: Cheddar of any kind, but not much else. There are a lot of small farms that produce interesting cheese, but the products are hard to find. There are a couple of shops that sell cheeses from other parts of Europe, but it means a trip into town and spending quite a bit of money.

Once a column in the huge Roman theater

 The land of cheese has other things to offer as well: medieval towns like Murten and old Roman settlements like Avenches. The latter is a favorite field trip destination when you learn Roman history in fourth grade. I think that may well be the last time I have been there.

The remnants of the Roman theater in Avenches

 We are back in Ireland, getting ready for Halloween. I've already seen a (grown up) Superman (stocking up for a party in a liquor store), a tiny (and crying) Buzz Lightyear, and a girl with fairy wings attached to her thick winter coat. The Irish celebrate Halloween with candy and costumes, but also fireworks; starting early in October!
It has gotten a little cooler, the leaves are turning, and we had some nice days this month. This is a three-day weekend and we are setting our clocks back, a week before the USA. I had hoped to get out this weekend and take some colorful pictures of sunlit trees and leaves, but right now it is raining and predictions are it will continue like that for the next few days.

Wet roofs in Murten

 The weather in Switzerland wasn't great either. When looking for shelter under the arcades in Murten with found the Irish pub below. The remaining, few, pictures from this trip are, as usual, on picasa.

An Irish pub in Murten, Switzerland.