Sound and Taste of Swiss

On Sunday, August 2nd, the Swiss Volksfest was held in in a park on the outskirts of New Glarus. There was a lot of music, alpine horns, choirs, and yodeling, to commemorate the Swiss National Day. New Glaurs is a fitting spot such an event because the town was originally founded by Swiss from the canton of Glarus emigrating to America in 1845.

Blue skies. Puffs of clouds. Temperatures near 80. Another gorgeous day. Sandra and I sat listened to various performers. In particular, the Jodelchorli Alpsteinblick, a men's choir, from Switzerland stood out with their wonderful renditions of traditional Swiss compositions. You can find out more about the event with videos on the Swiss Center of North America blog. From the blog, I found this clip of the Jodelchorli Alpsteinblick performing in Chicago.

We ate at the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant and the food was excellent. In general, the local restaurants offer some very tasty meals, and if you are in the area, try a traditional Swiss dish--they're good!

We relaxed for the evening back at the bed and breakfast we stayed. I highly recommend the Hoch Haus Bed and Breakfast. The owners, Barb and Steve, live in the house. They are very friendly and also respectful of the guests' privacy. They also make excellent breakfasts. Each day offered something different and all the meals were delicious and satisfying. All of this for well under $100 a night.

Monday was "get back" day, as in get back to the rest of the world, but before leaving town, we stopped at the New Glarus Historical Village. It's a collection of buildings, some original structures, some recreations. There was also a lot of information about the history of the town. Most of this info can be found on Wikipedia: New Glarus.



Looking at the Village

Inside a recreation of a log church:



Set for Service

This next pair of photos showcases a one room schoolhouse. It's not originally from New Glarus, but it is a turn of the 20th century schoolhouse from Wisconsin.



School House


Inside School

Before hitting the road, we stopped at several of the local stores to stock up on food. There is a very solid bakery, which has been open for 99 years. I also find that Ruef's Meat Market is excellent. They make their own sausages and bacon, smoking most. We bought some Swiss-styled Mettwurst and Sauerkraut and Onion Brats. We grilled them for two good meals.

We also stopped at Maple Leaf Cheese and Chocolate. The B&B owners, Barb and Steve, own this shop. While not large, the space offers a good selection of cheeses from local cheese factories. I regularlay buy the Horseradish Cheddar from the Mapleleaf Co-op (I don't believe it's affiliated with the shop) and several varieties from Braun Suisse. Again, the key word to describe the cheeses: tasty. The shop also makes their own fudge. There are several selections, some with or without nuts, some with extra ingredients like rum and fruit. The Dark Chocolate, in particular, is chocolate butter; it's so rich and smooth.

The trip back was easier than the trip heading out. We stopped at a park along the Rock River in Beloit and had a little picnic. Even the expressway into the city was pleasant after a satisfying getaway from the city.

For things Swiss, check Swiss Center of North America.
For more about New Glarus, check New Glarus Chamber of Commerce.