Bon Fromage!

When I awoke from my chocolate coma, our train had arrived at our second destination: the town of Gruyere, home of the famous Gruyere Cheese Factory (Maison de Gruyere) and Gruyere Castle (Chateau de Gruyere). We were surprised to find that, because it was a weekend, the tour of the cheese factory was free (as had been the tour of the chocolate factory). We watched from above as the milk was added to giant vats, and then warmed, stirred, curdled, strained, pressed, salted, and stored to begin the twelve month process of becoming edible cheese. Outside the factory, we ate a delicious lunch of cheese fondue and tasted free samples of Gruyere cheese from different stages in the ripening process. That's right, more free samples! With a stomach full of chocolate and cheese, I was quite satisfied, albiet a little bloated, and ready to walk (roll?) to our third and final destination: the castle.

These cow shoes dating back to 1492 were "udderly" fascinating.

Giant vats where the milk, with a little help from some heat,
a bacterial starter, and a stirrir, begins to curd.

Cylinders where the cheese is pressed dry.

Salt baths add flavor and suck out more of the excess water.

Rows of cheese wheels hanging out in storage for awhile.

Free samples of cheese after 8, 10, and 12 months of storage.

Awesome dude making his own cheese outside the factory.
He let us help him stir and could stick his bare hand into
a boiling vat of milk to test the consistency of the curd.