Switzerland Part 3: Gruyères and Le Moléson

On Saturday we went to Gruyères, the small town known for its exceptionally delicious cheese. Our friends came with us and since they had already explored the old town, they enjoyed a mineral bath while we went to the castle. This post is mostly going to be pictures, but just so you don't get lost I'm dividing it up into two sections. PART ONE: old town and castle.

The old town is exceptionally cute.

 

With exceptional views.

 And this delightful castle!

We spent a really long time in the castle. First because we didn't realize how much it held, and then because everything was so much fun to see we couldn't stop looking. 

Including every view out of every window

And dramatic pieces of history!

This center courtyard is just beautiful

The interior was also really spectacular, parts of it still decorated from various centuries. For a while the castle was sold to a bunch of 19th century artists of the Romantic era, so one of the rooms is covered with flowery pastoral murals. This room (the knight's room) has instead violent historic murals.

With a big table for feasting. Or discussing the next battle.

How the ladies of Gruyères drove away the attacking armies with flaming goats

PART TWO: Going up Le Moléson. If we were tough people or in better shape or owned hiking boots on this continent, we would have climbed up the mountain, but we didn't. We took the funicular train, (which is basically like the first part of a rollercoaster, a little train that goes straight up the side of the mountain), and then a cable car (for when the angle is just too steep).

Getting into the funicular!

And I'm gonna try to go easy on the pictures from the cable car, but it's tough, as Owen was the one snapping pictures, and I was falling over myself looking out the continuous windows of the glass box we were inside. 

Why am I this happy? 

Because this is what I get to see.

When we got to the top of the cable car there was still a bit to climb and I was eager to make it to the very top, so I raced ahead of everyone else. 

taking time to look back across the magnificent views

I was already eating pretzels by the time everyone joined me. I think I've eaten pretzels at lower altitudes on airplanes. Our sweet friends were disappointed about the clouds on our behalf, saying "the peaks beyond those clouds are much higher than we are here, shame you can't see the whole view." Owen responded with, "so you're saying the clouds are conspiring to make us feel like we are on the top of the world? That's okay with me." We had been afraid the heavy morning clouds would prevent us from making a trip up at all, so we were absolutely delighted it became so clear. 

A hiker took this picture for us.

After soaking it all in for a while, we headed back down. Cablecar to the midway point, and then on foot the rest of the way down.

Dutch cows have less developed leg muscles than the Swiss. 

Owen's written the other three blog posts, so I just want to say what a pleasure it was to spend time with our friends in Switzerland. It doesn't seem at all fair, and we don't feel like we deserve it but we are heavy with gratitude for all the opportunities we're having. Thanks for coming along for the pictures. If you'd like postcards from our next adventure, let us know!