Is this real?

Our group of fondue sharers...
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Our hotel is like something I have seen in movies, calendars or posters- but never a place I thought I'd go in real life. I'm a girl from the farmland- you either live on a farm, or your parents work in Washington D.C. and you live in a community. I've seen lots of nature: trees, animals, parks, beaches and more. However, this is paradise in a nutshell. The view from our balcony is a crystal clear green-bluish lake bordered by the snow capped Alps stretching as far as the eye can see. It literally feels like a moment frozen in time.

A fun table...
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The day continues to get better as we finally get to hang out with locals- my favorite part about traveling. I think it's the best way to learn about the culture and what I should really see in an area- and we should all strive to know as much about and experience as many cultures as possible... so when the children of this small town were all waiting for us singing and ringing cowbells- I knew this was going to be an amazing night.

It felt like a little piece of home...

Dancing on the table with the owner...
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We entered what looked to be a larger home- not a restaurant or theater or anyything- but they made it in to one nonetheless. Right off the bat we were served tradition swiss fondue of cheese and bread to hold us over while the meals were prepared. The children took our drink orders while older ones told us stories with a band playing in the background (a bass and some sort of guitar looking instrument). We were all invited up to meet everyone- apparently the whole group that was involved was the ENTIRE town! They all come together to share their culture with those who come to visit and everyone was involved in the process from three year olds to eighty year olds- it was really heartwarming. It felt like a little piece of home right in the middle of Switzerland.

Courtney learning how to bullwhip...
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Our meal came out and made us feel even more at home with a homecooked meal right from mom's kitchen. The meal consisted of turkey and gravy, a sunny side up egg, hashbrowns and steamed vegetables. A very classic homecooked meal which the mothers of the town were in the kitchen making!

The fathers took this time to tell funny stories about the kids and the importance of things such as the bullwhip and alphorn in Swiss history. They had the kids yodel for us and teach us a traditional Swiss dance which involved us running through the kitchen- out into the streets- back up the stairs and through the dining room a few times! It felt like a work out, but was so much fun!

Larry trying the traditional snuff machine...
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Finally the adults and older teenagers shared the art of doing snuff with the travelers. They didn't force anybody to try it, which was great because I wasn't comfortable with putting anything up my nose. However, it was great to watch. They taught everyone, whether you participated in the snuff or not, a Swiss chant- which it seemed to be something like our Pledge of Allegiance. I was truly happy leaving here (sad to leave, happy for the experience) because as much as I have loved being a tourist, I also loving breathing in a culture and experiencing it first hand- which is exactly what this great town allowed us to do.