The food in Switzerland deserves it’s own post. They are most well known for their chocolate and cheese. And we tried plenty of chocolate and a little cheese too. It all started about an hour after we crossed the Swiss border, we stopped at an autobahn rest stop*. The kids were restless from the long drive and so we hopped out for a little snack. We ended up with cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and ice cream. It was my first look at the Swiss chocolate selection but I held off on buying until we found a grocery store in Zermatt, because grocery stores are cheaper for the same items. I found a bag of crackers called “Goldfish” and was curious how close they were to our beloved American cheddar fish. I was pleasantly surprised to open them up and find soup crackers (like oyster crackers) in the shape of fish. Which was perfect because Darla and I planned ahead and brought frozen meals to cover dinner every night, one of which would be Beef Barley Soup. We did make it out to dinner one night, the R family’s oldest daughter is babysitting age and bravely watched 5 little ones so us adults could go out for some fondue. Darla and I shared fondue and the men ordered meat and potatoes and beer. The fondue was just okay, I guess I’m not a big fan after all. I think it’s because I don’t like alcohol in my food? Alcohol? Yes. Food? Yes. Together? No.
*Side note: European rest stops along the major highways are awesome. They are laid out almost exactly the same every where you go. You pull off the autobahn/autostrada but not completely, so that you aren’t actually exiting and don’t need to pay your toll yet. You park and walk into the building. There is always a café and at least a small restaurant, but usually a good size restaurant. You walk to the back or downstairs for the pay toilets. You want to pay for the toilet, it means it will be clean and TP stocked. Now it’s time to eat. Back into the cafeteria-style food area where you make your selections, including from an area where hot food is made to order for you. There is almost always some sort of kids meal that comes with some toy or coloring book for the kids. You wait in line to check out and then secure a table, drag over a high chair for the wiggly one and dig in. The food we’ve had (in too many rest stops to count over a 4-country area) has ranged from pretty good to amazing! There is one brand of rest stop in Italy that has the most delicious focaccia bread. When you are finished eating, you take your tray to the tray stacking shelves and then play a fun game called ‘where’s the exit?’ I’m not kidding either, you have to wind through a sort of high-end convenience store stocked with all sorts of snacks, drinks, fruits, meats, cheeses, books, toys, candy, roadside supplies, etc. At the end of the impulse buy maze is the checkout counter where you pay, since during the maze you inevitably wound up with an armful of items: gummies, a cola light, a hot wheels Ferrari, soup crackers, a cookbook written in Italian, and windshield wiper fluid. Then you are back in your car, time to gas up and then back onto the road. American marketing firms should study these rest stops and get a chain going in the states. It’s seriously so awesome. The only thing comparable in the states is a grimy shell station with one of those nasty looking Wendys inside. You know the kind. You say a little prayer for your safety when you enter, and then another one for the cleanliness of your food, and then another one for the cleanliness of the toilet you’re hovering over. Back to Switzerland…
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