Swiss fondue

The temperature had dropped a bit when I left Zurich and headed to Bern.  The train ride over was peaceful.  The scenery consisted of the most bucolic of rolling hills and pastures.

I arrived at the main train station in Bern where I was picked up by Zubi.  It was great to see him.  I would be staying with him and his family for only a night.  Since it was getting cold, Zubi thought it would be a good night for fondue.

It was the first time I had ever actually had fondue.  It seems like something which everyone "knows", but it isn't something that everyone has necessarily tried these days.  On the way to their place, we popped into a cheese shop named "Chäsbueb" (which apparently translates to "Cheese Boy" and bought a packet of fondue mix which consisted of a variety of different cheese which had already been prepared for a fondue.  Back at home, Zubi and Corinne pulled out their fondue set, something they said every Swiss person has at home, and made the delicious pot of melted cheese.

As Zubi and Corinne prepared the dish and cut up piece of bread, I asked them whether there would be any other food.  It wasn't a question asked out of greed, but I more curiosity as I wasn't used to taking a meal where there would only be bread and cheese.  Zubi immediately offered to make some potatoes and vegetables, but once our confusion passed, he explained to me that this was indeed the way any family in Switzerland would normally eat their fondue.  No additional accompaniments, just the cheese and the bread.  I was more than happy to eat it the way the locals did.  It is a "simple" dish, but there is a complexity to the makeup of the mixture that doesn't become apparent to you until you actually start eating it.  Different people will have different preferences and there will be a variety of different mixes and proportions that can go into making the fondue of your choice.  We cleaned out the pot fairly quickly and it was fantastic.

Zubi and Corinne lived in a converted barn about ten minutes drive outside of the centre of Bern.  Zubi apologised to me for living so "far way".  The barn was in a field next to a small mountain.  It was unimaginably beautiful and I couldn't believe he was apologising for letting me see his incredible home.

The inside was modern and well furnished, but the history and original purpose of the building was still very apparent.  It had been a long time since I had been anywhere so peaceful and I fell asleep faster than any time I could recently remember.