Waiting Until the Cows Come Home...

Finally!!!  I'd been waiting anxiously since last October for a chance to go to an "Alpabfahrt" -  when the cows come home after their summer "vacay" in the Alps. After spending prime Alpabfahrt time in New Jersey last year instead of welcoming my not-so-little Swiss "misses" back to the farm, I was bound and determined to catch the annual Swiss tradition this autumn! Fortunately, it was a PERFECT day in die Schweiz and we had prime seats to see the cows as they started their descent.  The Alpabfahrt we attended was in Flums - a mere hour by car from Zurich.  We went with some friends (who fortunately have a car!) and got there in plenty of time...so much so that it seemed like there wasn't anything going on there!  So, we decided to drive up higher - to Flumserberg - high enough where you could ski (if there was snow...) - and there we came upon our beloved cows as they were beginning their trek down to the parade through Flums and eventually back to their farms.  They had quite the hike ahead of them - happy we caught them when they and their "headdresses" were still nice and fresh.  However, that meant we also had to wait for them to get down into town before we could get back down too.  This isn't exactly the NJ Turnpike - room for cows or cars...not both - so we enjoyed a coffee (and fried apples in cream sauce...) at the ski lodge before heading down to the Alpabfahrt fair in town to see our cows again and pick up some delicious Alpkase (cheese made in the Alps from the cows' milk over the summer!)  
Couldn't help but think that Wisconsin is missing a H-U-G-E tourism opportunity - who needs corn mazes and pumpkin patches when you can just dress up your cows for the day?  Maybe take them to Little Switzerland...and then parade them down??  Have Governor Walker give me a call...

Love this!  Looked like they were going to kiss...
but after I took the photo they started head butting each other.

Parade marshalls?  

Don't even THINK about saying anything about my headdress...

The bells are HUGE...and LOUD!
These cows aren't getting lost...

Running of the Cows!

This herd is very orderly...

The "teenage" cows getting out-of-line.

A couple of nuns out for their Saturday hike.

Campground - Swiss style!

Kind of reminds me of Mequon/Thiensville Lionfest
...but with mountains.

We arrived to the "fair" and this cow had JUST given birth.
Now that's what I call a really authentic experience...

Thank you for posing!!