Swiss Meadows

We have spent the last week in Switzerland, in Adelboden to be precise. It is a well known ski resort in the Bernese Oberland and is beautiful in the summer. The village is at about the altitude of Ben Nevis and has vast numbers of walking trails and tracks - many of which are said to be suitable for prams and wheelchairs - that was about my level I think. We did far more walking than we normally do on holiday and the great thing was that mostly we could walk from the chalet we were staying in.

Illustration by Laura Ribbons

What struck me most were the large meadows on the hillsides. Most houses were chalet style buildings often with window boxes and small gardens but then there were meadows beyond that. Each meadow seemed to have its own resident cat who appeared to be having a great time either stalking through the grass and hunting or just sleeping.


There were lots of different species of grass as well as clover, hardy geraniums and other wild flowers. It was all very lush and vibrant.

I found it hard not to take photos at every opportunity - so stunning was every aspect. Even when the clouds were low or it started raining the countryside did not disappoint. We used quite a few buses and trains and without exception they left on time. We started playing a game to see if the bus would leave when the second hand reached the twelve and almost always it did.

There were a couple of hot days that seemed to signal the cutting of the grass meadows for hay making. Whilst some were cut using machinery others especially on the steeper slopes were cut by hand using sickles and scythes. It looked like hard work  especially on the more extreme slopes. The cut grass and flowers were raked into piles and gathered together.