Chalet Coco has a Tassimo coffee maker. I wasn't familiar with this style, though it's similar to the Keurig, which is very popular in the States. I used YouTube to figure out how to use it. The main difference is that the coffee servings (called T-cups) have bar codes on them, and the machine reads the bar code and knows exactly what beverage is being made, and adjusts the amount of water, pressure, brewing time, and air. So if you put in an espresso T-cup you even get a nice crema on top, like so:
You can't escape the amazing views here. While I was eating breakfast, facing away from the glass sliding doors, I could still marvel at the view reflected in the oven behind Bella.
On our way down the mountain from the chalet, we pass a house with these cow bells displayed. These are a traditional decorative item sometimes used on the cows. I liken them to the decorated oxcarts in Costa Rica. Not everyone uses one of those fancy oxcarts in their everyday farming, but they're often used as decoration.
Today's plan was to drive to Lake Lauenensee. Or maybe it's just Lauenensee (or Lake Lauenen?) Whatever you call it, it's a pretty lake with a gorgeous waterfall, ringed by spectacular mountains (did you expect anything less?). To get there, we drive through a town called Gstaat, which apparently is one of the nearby places the rich and famous come to get away from it all (Madonna, Phil Collins, and Grace Kelly back in the day).
Here's an interesting bit of tid: the homes here have to conform to a certain look. A chalet is a house that has a specific look: the pitch of the roof, the materials used, the number of stories, the size, etc. So if Phil Collins, for example, wants a summer house in Gstaat, he can't just build a 8000 square foot mansion on the top of a mountain. Not to mention that a house like that would call attention to itself, and that's usually what the celebrities are trying to avoid when they come here. So the chalet that Mr. Collins might stay in would look like any other small chalet on the mountain. But the amenities are below ground. They might have four underground levels with their fitness center, swimming pool, home theatre, recording studio, etc. and the rest of the world wouldn't even know it.
We met a friend and neighbor of Karin and Stefan, Heinz and his daughter Olivia, in Gstaat. They were joining us on our trip to the lake and would spend a night at the chalet.
The path loop around the lake. The day was sunny and warm (dare I say almost hot?)
Beauty that no camera can do justice. Even though this is a popular tourist destination, note the lack of commercialism. So visible billboards, signs, vendors, stores, cars, etc. Switzerland really does a nice job of keeping the country looking clean and natural.
Stopping for a snack. The loop is about a 45 minute walk.
The water was cold!
Yes, Alex went for a swim in an Alpine lake. The lake wasn't as cold as the running water, which is pretty much melted snow. But it was still cold. I think he and Roben stayed in for about 15 minutes. Linda joined them too.
We were fine just taking pictures of it all.
We stopped in Gstaat to look for rice and black beans for our attempted Costa Rican dinner. We thought since Gstaat has more tourists that they might have more choices in beans. Alas, no. No black beans in Migros, Coop, or Denner. And for some reason, tortillas are crazy expensive, like a dollar per tortilla. And most of the rice is parboiled and comes in 1kg boxes. We did find non-parboiled rice at Migros, which was labeled as Carolina rice. And Denner had the cheapest tortillas. So we'll replace black beans with red kidney beans and make the best of it.
What better way to end a day of hiking in Switzerland than a dinner of fondue? Tonight's was meat fondue. You cook slices of meat in a simmering broth and then dip them into a variety of sauces. That's Heinz at the end of the table. He's a fellow teacher (4th grade).
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