Success, Part 1
At long last, our quest for a genuine Swiss cowbell is over! Friends of ours were in a typically tiny and quaint little town at the foot of the Alps called Erlenbach im Simmental a few weeks ago and told us they had stumbled on a place that appeared to have a good selection of genuine old-school cowbells.
That was all we needed to hear. Since car trips are getting easier and no rain was in the forecast, we decided to load up the car and drive down to see what we could find. We didn't really know what we were looking for, but as we were driving through town we passed an old shop with big cowbells in the window and we knew that had to be it. We approached with a mix of excitement and apprehension...only to find that, despite a bunch of old cowbells available for browsing outside, it appeared to be closed. DOH!
Just when it appeared all was lost, a little old lady came out and started speaking to us in Swiss German. Eventually it became clear that not only did they have bells in front, but they had a bunch back in their workshop as well (Gretchen saw a flier indicating that the guy who owned the place was an expert on Swiss cowbells...what are the odds we would find him in tiny little Erlenbach?). So I had my pick of at least a dozen old cowbells in different shapes and sizes, all with the original leather belts. It was almost too much to choose from, but since the couple who owned the place seemed old enough that there was no guarantee they'd still be around if we managed to return, I knew I had to choose something right then and there. I ultimately chose one from the region--she complimented me for picking one with a "good sound". I have no idea what we'll do with it when we get back, but I can assure you it was worth every Franc...
That was all we needed to hear. Since car trips are getting easier and no rain was in the forecast, we decided to load up the car and drive down to see what we could find. We didn't really know what we were looking for, but as we were driving through town we passed an old shop with big cowbells in the window and we knew that had to be it. We approached with a mix of excitement and apprehension...only to find that, despite a bunch of old cowbells available for browsing outside, it appeared to be closed. DOH!
Just when it appeared all was lost, a little old lady came out and started speaking to us in Swiss German. Eventually it became clear that not only did they have bells in front, but they had a bunch back in their workshop as well (Gretchen saw a flier indicating that the guy who owned the place was an expert on Swiss cowbells...what are the odds we would find him in tiny little Erlenbach?). So I had my pick of at least a dozen old cowbells in different shapes and sizes, all with the original leather belts. It was almost too much to choose from, but since the couple who owned the place seemed old enough that there was no guarantee they'd still be around if we managed to return, I knew I had to choose something right then and there. I ultimately chose one from the region--she complimented me for picking one with a "good sound". I have no idea what we'll do with it when we get back, but I can assure you it was worth every Franc...
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