Old stomping grounds

"What's that?" Scooby II wanted to know.

We told him it was our new TomTom. Rick doesn't trust my directions (in most cases a smart move) but we were on the way to the Vals de Travers where I'd spent my first three years in Switzerland so there was a higher chance of me being right. These were old stomping grounds so I felt fairly secure in finding my way despite road improvements.
 

Before moving to Switzerland a fortune teller, who didn't know I was changing jobs, predicted a gold and green building would represent a change in my life. In 1990 this building was gold. What a sense of relief of never having to work there again. Our boss was controlling and edicts such as not eating apples because they made too much noise were not considered abnormal.

Like many immigrants he held my work permit so choices were limited until I could find someone else to take it over. As a result of those three very long years, I will always have sympathy for immigrants who are fighting their way to a better life.

And for as unhappy as work was for the first three years, I was given a chance to live here. Outside of my job life was wonderful.

I

I lived on the left hand side of this house, the company flat in the village of Môtiers with its 600 people, 6,000 cows, 6 million flowers and a few other delights that I showed Rick.

A few of the local cows. They were paraded by the house twice a day on the way to pasture and home again.

The Jean-Jacques Rousseau museum was where the philosopher lived while hiding out from the French. There were two more museums in town, one of cars, one for art that hadn't been there when I was there.

When I lived there Absinthe, also called  the blue fairy, the green fairy, boversee tea, was illegal but still made. That has since changed. The drink is now a major industry for the village. Below is a store window where absinthe is sold with the green fairy prominently displayed.

In 1990 eating at my landlords he offered me a choice of red, white or blue. Not speaking much French I guessed it was red wine, white wine or blue?  I love an adventure. He prepared the absinthe the proper way. Absinthe, slotted spoon, sugar cube, water poured over the sugar turning the liquid white.

Yuck.

Licorice tasting.

Still the mystic of absinthe, artists, writers, the art work it inspired is fascinating.

See here My favourite poster will always be this one showing the end of legalization with the wild eyed preacher is this one.

We had to stop at the old abbey which has made champagne since the 1800s. Because of international law that says champagne from Champagne can only be called champagne the beverage is bottled under another name, but a rose by any other name will smell as sweet...a champagne by any other name will taste as good.

It was fun when having people for dinner back then to wander down the street and taste the champagne that would go with the meal I was preparing.

I love the carving inside the building.

Scooby II tried to stay out of Rick's way as he loaded our case of champagne into the car.

Voltaire allegedly stayed here when he was visiting with Rousseau. It is still a functioning hotel/café.

Philosophers aside, this was one of my favourite spots in the village. My dogs, Albert and Amadeus and I would picnic on a Sunday. I'd take a book. Ama would go into the water and Albert would look at him like he was nuts to get his feet wet voluntarily. It was a total contrast from the tensions of the week. Later I learned this was also a favourite contemplation spot for Rousseau.

The last thing I wanted to show Rick was the Chateau de Joux, just across the border in Pontarlier. Built in the Middle Ages, it has been a prison and was used by the Germans in WWII. My favourite story was in the Middle Ages the owner, returning from the crusades, found his wife had been unfaithful. He locked her in a room with a window. Just outside he hung her lover and she could watch his body decompose until she was sent off to convent. I hope it was worth it.

Rick has done his own version of the day http://lovinglifeineurope.blogspot.fr/