This morning was a rainy day but we got to sleep in because we only had 2 activities planned. We got up at 7:30 and had our Frosties (Frosted Flakes). I added a granola mix and also had vanilla yogurt. It was delicious. By 8:32 we were out the door and ready for the following commute.
- 8:36 – 8:48 bus from Krattigen to Spiez
- 8:54 – 9:24 train from Spiez to Bern
- 9:34 – 10:13 train from Bern to Aarau
- 10:24 – 10:32 bus from Aarau to Buchs, Industrie
Chocolat Frey
The bus dropped us off outside the door of the chocolate factory. This was the one tour that I was looking forward to. As we walked in there was a huge heart made out of chocolate bars. There were hundreds of different types of chocolate for sale in the store that we walked through to get to the area where we signed up for our tour. We were each given a tablet and headphones. When everyone was ready we were led through some doors that took us to a self guided tour. We used the tablet to scan different screens and areas. Some areas activated TVs that looped through a segment. You could chime in at any point and listen to it until you heard the entire clip. They also had chocolate beans that we could taste. Raw chocolate beans are disgusting! We watched videos on how the cocoa beans are harvested and which parts are used to make different chocolate. I learned that white chocolate is made from the cocoa milk instead of the cocoa bean powder.
My favourite part of the tour though was downstairs. At the center of the room was a large conveyer belt that had a never ending supply of various chocolates. We were allowed to sample as much chocolate as we wanted. It was the best tour ever! They also had a dress up station where people could dress up as chocolates. Ayva and Ari had a lot of fun int hat area. In another corner they had a smelling station where you pump air into a vile to enhance the smell and guess the correct flavour. Another corner had a game where you stand in front of a screen and had a set amount of time to virtually collect as much chocolate as possible. It was very entertaining to watch people. In the last corner of the factory was an actual demo of a factory worker making chocolate. It was a great tour! We all felt a bit ill when we left but it was well worth it!
After leaving the chocolate factory we made our way back home.
- 12:20 – 12:33 bus from Industrie to Aarau
- 12:46 – 13:26 train from Aarau to Bern
- 13:34 – 14:02 train from Bern to Spiez
- 14:06 – 14:18 bus from Spiez to Krattigen
On the way home we spent most of the commute teaching Terris how to play Carcasonne and Ticket to Ride. We relaxed and played Ticket to Ride for a couple hours. Then we made an early spaghetti dinner. At 5:20 we went down to a glass shop just below Terris and Sandra’s and watched them shape glass. They were making glass leaves for a customer. The two men making the glass explained the process to us while they were working. It was crazy to see them wearing sandals while they worked! Apparently they work in the morning, then have to heat the ovens for another 7 hours to get them up to temperature and do another run in the evening.
Festungsverein Hondrich
We weren’t able to stay long to watch the glass blowers because Sandra’s sister and brother-in-law came to pick us up at 5:40 to take us to a bunker tour at 6:00pm. What an amazing tour! We spent 3 hours walking through an actual bunker that was built in 1935 and used in WW2 and the Cold War. We saw the entrances and how they were hidden. It is crazy to think that these bunkers are hidden in the mountains throughout Switzerland. The caves are just hallways dug out of the rock. In some areas they are covered in concrete, and others are raw calcium. It was pouring rain outside and the tunnels were also very damp and cold. The tour was in German only but Sandra and Terris translated for us and there were 4 other people on the tour who spoke English and also helped translate. Half way through the tour we went to the kitchen and watched a slideshow presentation on the Cold War. Ari sat right up front and a man visiting from Holland enjoyed translating and explaining everything to Ari. After we got to see the living corridors, weapons, and hidden viewpoints where they stood guard. The tour lasted 3 hours and although it was amazing, we were all cold and tired by the end.
We got home around 9:15 and now we are going to bed. Tomorrow will be another early morning.