Another Day in the Rain (aka More Wet Fun in Switzerland)

The same day that we hiked through the gorge, we spent the afternoon at an open air museum (Ballenberg) in Brienz.  And no, it hadn’t stopped raining.    (A side note about open air museums in Europe.  They’re everywhere and they’re great.  They are usually created by moving old buildings to a central location and restoring them.  Often they are grouped according to origin, so, for instance, in this one there was a grouping of buildings from the Bernese Oberland (where we were staying), another area that represented the Southern (Italian) part of Switzerland, a  French Swiss grouping and so on.  Usually open air museums have live exhibits as well, for instance, we watched someone weaving, someone cooking on a wood burning stove, someone operating a flour mill, someone operating a wood mill, someone carving a crucifix, someone making chocolates, and someone spinning yarn.)  Anyway, it was pouring rain when we arrived but by the time we left the skies had cleared enough to pull out the camera and get some nice pictures……and here they are. 

Our first glimpse of the mountains around us.  We had no idea that the area around Brienz was so mountainous until the clouds started to lift.

There was an enchanted forest for the kids to explore in one of the buildings which they liked so much, they did it twice.  The masks are probably for a Fasching celebration.  I was disappointed that they weren’t part of a hands-on display… 

I’m a sucker for half-timbered buildings…

                

Yet another giant wine or olive oil press…

                

I love that the reflective surface on Ian’s jacket glows in every picture that is taken with a flash.

Another fine example of traditional Swiss architecture.  I posted both pictures so that you could see the entire front unspoiled by our presence and so that the grandparents can get another grandchild fix.

   

A functioning wood mill.  Ben is standing by the wheel (which was turning – you can see the water pouring in at the top) which powered the saw which was, in turn, trimming logs.  The power of water is amazing.

    

The kids could have sat and watched this for hours.

                      

Ian and Naomi in front of another village grouping.  Note that the water spout is also functioning.  The kids just didn’t get why they couldn’t lean over and take a drink.

                                             

Another peek of the mountains.  Throughout the afternoon we got continually better views as we walked around.  You may wonder at the seemingly inadequate fencing – there was also an electric fence.  Not terribly authentic, but apparently quite effective.  We wondered what would happen to a child who wandered under the fence and into the field.  Fortunately we didn’t find out.

                      

                      

                      

Naomi loved all the animals we saw.  If we had let her, she would have spent her afternoon chasing these poor chickens.  Fortunately for them, we did not.  I wonder if she would have been able to catch one…

                      

Ian and Naomi really enjoyed trying out the period tools at this house.  We only spent the afternoon at Ballenberg, but you could easily spend a whole day there.  It is a fantastic place.  I’d love to go back.

     

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As we were leaving the park, the clouds disappeared and we (FINALLY!!! ) saw the beautiful blue Swiss sky and caught a view of the tops of the mountains.  This is why we went to Switzerland.

 

That’s it for now – back soon with pictures of our one sunny morning in Switzerland.