Cows are in abudance here. I'm pretty sure there are more cows than people. And they wear bells...loud, bells that seem to ring all. summer. long. Charming at first, annoying at last!
Every September is Alpabfahrt, cows coming home. The farmers bring the cows down from the higher elevation in the alps where they have been using the cream to make cheese all summer long. It is too expensive to haul the milk down to sell as milk so they sell the cheese instead. In the winter, with the cows at lower elevations, their fresh milk is sold as milk. This descent is ceremonial and quite impressive. We drove about an hour through, of course, gorgeous scenery to witness the cows coming down. This tradition takes place in lots of villages in Switzerland. We went to a more popular one...the crowds were crazy. There is a parade down the middle of the street with vendors selling, you guessed it...cheese and cow bells. These cow bells are VERY expensive! But the cheese is delicious! All the cows are decorated with flowers and greenery and it is very LOUD because of the bells.
Decorated Cow
Cheese
Farmer and his tractor
Yodelers
Alp Horns
Now I can say "been there, done that".
By the way...cows stink!
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