The Blonde Diaries

Ever since I received a taste of culture and ways of life outside of the United States last month, I have been aching to travel again to somewhere new and exciting. I have a running list of places I would love to visit and have found a few others, thanks to cruise itineraries, that I hadn’t thought about but wouldn’t mind seeing either. One of the places I would love to visit is Switzerland. Switzerland seems like it would be a great place to visit and very picturesque with the Swiss Alps in the background.

I was amazed at all of the fun things you can do in Switzerland. I knew about hiking around the Alps and visiting scenic towns and lakes but there are a ton of different activities just ready and waiting for you to go enjoy them. Discover Swiss “Pearls” as they are called through the official tourist website, MySwitzerland.com.

One such “pearl” to catch my eye immediately when browsing was heading up to the countryside to make your own cheese. Making my own cheese is not something I have done before nor would I really think of it as a fun activity to try on my own. But, with an experienced cheese maker giving instructions and properly aging the cheese, it sounds like it could be really fun. The best part is that you can enjoy it after you make it. The cheese maker ships your cheese to your house directly so you don’t have to worry about food safety and customs!
Maybe cheese is not your thing, I know I’m a tad nervous about the work required to make my own cheese. Maybe making your own iron bell sounds a little better. I thought it sounded neat. Mike and I seem to go on tours or to events where people are demonstrating how to heat iron and mold it but we have yet to find a tour that allows us to make something of our own. This tour allows you to actually decorate your bell mold and then while you tour the factory, the iron is melted and poured into the bell mold resulting in a custom bell you can take home with you.

I am also a huge fan of stories: historical, fiction, and non-fiction. I also love visiting old castles and homes and seeing the way people lived centuries ago. There is a hotel in the southeastern part of Switzerland with a storyteller who captivates your attention. Now this sounds exciting as you sit around in a campfire setting and listen as old stories about Switzerland are told gleaming into their rich history. In addition to the stories you hear, there is cheese fondue melting away in a pot waiting to be eaten. Swiss cheese/fondue is something I have been wanting to make for a long time but have yet to do it. It seems hard to even think about missing it when you are in Switzerland!

I love to cook and use herbs and spices. They add flavor instantly to any dish. There are places in Switzerland which allow you to go and pick the fresh herbs directly from the fields in which they grow. You can then head to a restaurant and try your fresh herbs out on your selected dish.

Not sure about you, but I’m getting pretty excited about the possibility of visiting Switzerland and seeing what they have to offer. I have some great ideas for things to do and see. I even found one adventurous “pearl” that I will put on my to-do list: rafting! I never thought of Switzerland as being an adventurous place (other than skiing) but they do offer rafting and I have never been. I have heard how fun it can be and it is on a list of things I wouldn’t mind trying. Maybe Switzerland is where I should try it out!

Visit MySwitzerland and see what adventures wait for you!

Tags: Europe, Switzerland, Travel, vacation