Swiss campsites have a special charm

 

Father Priest has all kinds of labour

In the Swiss Rhône valley the French speaking part links smoothly into the German speaking territory. However, on a Swiss campsite nobody is really bothered. The priest is bilingual like everyone else, and apart from that he’s renting bikes and he cooks using a fondue.

You can expect that in a multilingual country like Switzerland all different tribes of people are constantly in a state of war. Not true. Just have a look in the Rhône valley: the western part is called Valais, but if you travel more easterly you will end up in the German speaking area of Wallis. I am not sure if the French speaking inhabitants got on with their German speaking neighbours but nowadays they all get along fine. This year we cycled along campsites in Switzerland. A tiny side river of the Rhône between Sierre and Leuk is the official language border, but in an area of many kilometres on a Swiss campsite everyone is bilingual. If you are a German speaking Swiss male and in love with a French speaking Swiss girl, you will still be able to communicate with her family. The language on campsite in Switzerland is often a mixture of the two. In fact, for us tourists that could have some remarkable effects.

French/German railway station

At the railway station of Leuk, for instance close to our Swiss campsite. If you want to buy a ticket, you’ll have to follow the signs ‘Schalter’ (ticket window) to the ‘Laden’ (counter). On your way to the trains, there’s a sign called ‘quai’, platform in French. On that platform, there’s the name of the village Leuk written in German. But at the baggage depot there’s the French name of the village: Loèche. The post office is called ‘Postamt’, and you can weight your suitcase behind the ‘valises’ sign. Renting a bike can be done where it says ‘bicyclettes’, whilst under that sign there’s another with ‘mieten’. Not to mention is that all train messages by the station speaker is in French and German. I like Swiss campsites.

 

campsites in Switzerland »

Versatile priest

Next morning, when we return from our campsite in Switzerland to hire a bike there is some bad luck in store. The ladies bike is there but the only children’s bike that is still available is not my size. No problem, the station officer says. Father Priest at the opposite side of the station always has some bikes for rent for Swiss campsites guests. When we knock on the door, the priest answers in his full vestments. He looks as if he just had the visit from the Pope. As we expected we hear a bilingual mix as we inform after a men’s bike for rent. “Ein Fahrrad? Naturellement, monsieur. Moment mal,” is the answer in style. He points at the garage door of the presbytery, next to the Swiss campsite. If we could wait there for a minute. We wait at least for fifteen minutes when the door finally opens. Out comes a man in a dirty overall and a muddy gents bike. Only when he starts talking it becomes clear to us that it is the priest himself. Especially for me this man has changed his church outfit into a working man’s overall, and he starts cleaning the bike. After a few moments I tell him the bike is clean enough for me. He takes his rag and cleans the brakes and handles before overlooking the bike with a professional view. What a service! Wait till I tell this to my local bikeshop at home.

 

Fondue

After a lovely ride along campsites in Switzerland through the Rhône valley we take the bikes back to Leuk, we first deliver the ladies bike to the station counter, and then return the other to Father Priest. It is no surprise to us when he has transformed himself again. This time he’s a cook, in the complete outfit, whilst steering with a spoon in a pan. The stuff that is bubbling in the pot of the Swiss campsite smells great, and we are very anxious what the dish is called. “Fondue,” he replies in French. Or was it German?

 

campsites in Switzerland »