'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 23

Fondewe for supper

The sheep had another great day in Interlaken.

Early in the morning Mutton and chums took the ferry to Brienz and then the bus to the Swiss life Museum at Ballenberg.

What a great place!  Lots of original buildings carefully demolished and rebuilt in a woodland setting.  Each type of building from different parts of Switzerland are represented in this beautiful landscape.  Many of the buildings are complete with original furniture and fittings.

Many rural and industrial crafts are demonstrated and domesticated animals; pigs, cows, goats and fouls can be seen.  Mutton really enjoyed seeing the goats!

The sheep had a great day watching the bees in their hives, playing with the goats in their shed and eating lots of plums and cream. "The sort of day my old friend Barry would have liked"  thought the sheep.

The day was rounded off with a swiss cheese fondue, crusty bread, red wine, coffee and chocolate...Yum-yum!

http://george-artcabinedujardin.blogspot.ch/2012/07/retro-cheese.html

Tomorrow, the ewe is resting because on Friday she will return to her East Anglian fold.  After all, she's got a wedding to go to!

Painter Profile: Peter Paul Rubens

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 22

The sheep plays a winning hand in the vintage card game 'Round Europe'

As Mutton nears the end of her European Tour and having played the game in; Stockholm, Berlin, Vienna, and Venice, she had her last hand of cards in Interlaken. Long ago when the sheep was a very young lamb indeed, she played the card game,'Round Europe', in her parental fold. Years later she got to travel on real planes and trains and  to play the game in the cities shown on the cards. "How good is that"! said Mutton.

Today Mutton and her entourage took the train and cog railway to the alpine garden at Schynige Platte.

Heidi and an old grandfather

"These are a few of my favorite things"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pepys-Game-Round-Europe-Card/dp/B007R1ECI6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schynige_Platte

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 21

Blofeld's Secret Lair

The sheep went all ''Bond" on the twenty-first day of her Grand European Tour.

Taking the train and cable car Mutton reached Blofeld's peak top lair only to find that it had been converted into a revolving restaurant.

The sheep enjoyed a gin with a couple of friends as apparently "Vodka martinis were off"!

"The views from the summit of Schilthorn (2790 metres) are absolutely baarvelous" said Mutton.

The Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau can be seen in a line from the panorama viewing platform just below the revolving restaurant.

After returning to the valley below, the lamb, always interested in geological features and spectacular vewes, visited the Trummelbach Falls near Lauterbrunnen.

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 20

On her Majesty's Sheepcret Service

Mutton really likes the sporting activities on offer at Interlaken.

Today the sheep took the slow boat to Thun and then rode the train back to Interlaken West.

Her heart however, rode the thermals with the many parascenders that flew over her woolly head.

As the sun was setting the lamb strolled along the River Aare which runs through Interlaken.

As it was Sunday the church bells rang out across the valley whilst the sheep watched a grebe diving for food in the river.  Local mushrooms, bread and Swiss Pinot Noir for supper. Perhaps a hand or two of the card game 'Round Europe' before bed.

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Days 17,18 &19

Mutton arrives in Interlaken and takes a liking to the alpine life

After a day on the beach at Lido de Jesolo, Mutton the pocket sheep got a good night's sleep and set off bright and early for Switzerland.  The train journey was largely uneventful as both Italian and Swiss railways performed to timetable.

By the time the sheep arrived in Interlaken she was quite exhausted and after a swift 50cl of the local lager she hit the hay.

The next day dawned dry and sunny.  Clasping her train timetable in her hoof, the adventurous ewe set off to scale the Jungfrau on the Jungfraujoch cog railway.  What a wonderful day out for bears and pocket sheep!
"Brilliant valewe for money" punned Mutton.

The Jungfraujoch in front of the Eiger

View of the glacier from the viewing platform

The Monch

The Eiger Sanction (starring Biss Tootwood bottom right)

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 15

Postcards from Venice

The sheep had a very good but long day in Venice.  Lunch was a very pleasant and affordable surprise at a Trattoria by a side canal near the 'Jewish Ghetto'.  A little lobster, pasta, grilled vegetables and pizza with anchovies, mozzarella, tomatoes and rosemary flavoured olive oil, bread sticks, red wine and coffee......Delicious!........

Mutton visited a number of islands on the Veneto, travelling between them on  the vaporetto. The lamb was quite excited to visit the Church San Giorgio Maggiore designed by the sublime Italian  architect Andrea Palladio.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_San_Giorgio_Maggiore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Palladio

In the unheard words of the sheep "Architecture doesn't come better than this"!

Venice is wonderful at night and last night was memorable for its big full moon.  Watching moonlight sparkle on the lagoon was quite magical.

Mutton attended a Vivaldi concert in the Grand Scuola but was a bit perplexed by the musicians.  They appeared to be playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.  As it was getting late and as the lamb needed to hit the hay, she left early.

When the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie it's amore

After spending Day 16 resting on the beach, the lamb will head for the hills on Day 17. Bye-bye Italy, hello Switzerland!

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 14

The sheep had an excellent trot around Venice today.  The sky was blue, the sun shone and after her dip in the Adriatic, Mutton's fleece looked 'as white as snow'.

Venice is so photogenic!  Mutton thought it best to treat her followers to postcards from La Serenisima. It's not easy operating a compact camera with a cloven hoof!

Painter Profile: Caravaggio

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Days 12 &13

Mutton paddles her hooves in the Adriatic and
two strange old people almost spoiled the photograph

The 'eagle' has landed and the 'pocket sheep' is having a wonderful time at the Principe Palace in Lido de Jesolo.

The weather has been spectacular! During the day it has been hot and sunny but in the evening the sheep was unsettled by heavy rain and thunder storms.

Later in the week Mutton is travelling to Venice and will attend a Vivaldi Concert at the Scuola.  Mutton was a little worried by the title; 'The Four Seasons' and hopes it doesn't include rosemary, mint and garlic.

Kites

The ewe has enjoyed two days on the sandy beach watching the tide come in and go out and resting her little hooves.

She was fascinated to follow the 'kite seller' walking along the shore with his string of kites flying above him.

Outraged of Oulton Broad Part1

Windfarm Rant

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Days 10 &11

Mutton Flies out Economy Class on Austrian Air

Mutton has enjoyed two brilliant days hoofing around Museums and Art Galleries in Vienna.   She has stared at gold chalices and clocks. She has admired Caravaggios, Titians and Durers.  She danced to Strauss and bleated along to Weber.

But all good things must end and today she flew out of Vienna Airport en-route to Venice.  Time to put her hooves up and take a little rest before hitting the canals.

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day 9

Schönbrunn Palace by Canaletto (from the front)

The sheep visited the Schonbrunn Palace and had a wonderful time on a hot sunny day.   Mutton has always enjoyed a bit of Baroque Architecture and this place is Rococo in spades!  Those Habsburg Monarchs certainly knew how to build a Summer Palace and organise a Great Parterre.

View from the front today

View from the rear over the Great Parterre

Mutton was pleased to eat an excellent lunch at the Schonbrunn Cafe; a great bowl of soup and a trio of scrumptious cakes!

Mutton Torte x3

The Gloriette (not sure if this is the Smurfette's ancestral home?)

Nice fountains

The Schonbrunn Palace appears as a hotel in the Timothy Dalton - James Bond Film - 'The Living Daylights'.

Marie Antoinette discovered her liking for cake as a small child living in the Palace with her Mum and Dad.

The name Schonbrunn means beautiful spring.

There is a zoo in the Palace grounds where you can see living Pandas!

Along the edge of the Parterre there a number of classical sculptures representing deities and virtues.

UNESCO has added the Schonbrunn Palace to its list of Heritage Sites.

The Schloss Schonbrunn is Vienna's most popular tourist destination.

The Mozart and Strauss Concert

In the evening, Mutton put on her best fleece and went to the Golden Hall at the Musikverein. The venue and music were fabulous.

Mutton had a great time and thanks her friend Norman for the tickets.

Credits: Wikipedia and Musikverein

'Mutton' The profoundly deaf Sheep's Grand European Tour - Days 7 and 8

The sheep arriving at Vienna Meidling Railway Station.

The journey from Berlin to Vienna by train was good and after a bit of a scare on the 'fold front' suitable accommodation for a respectable lamb was found and secured.  In Mutton's own bleats " I'm not that kind of sheep"

Mutton awoke on Day Eight to find the sun shining on a beautiful and historic city.

Meeting up with friends made the sheep's morning and an informal walking tour of the city was soon undertaken.




A visit to the Belvedere Museum was the treat of the day and the sheep really enjoyed the paintings, sculptures and architecture.  She also met an official person who told her friends they could not take photographs as this would be akin to theft of the nation's treasures.  Mutton was very confused. She had been led to believe that artists created art for everyone: but then she is only a pocket sheep.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
courtesy of Wikipedia

Compendium of Vienna Images

Tomorrow Mutton is going to a concert with his friend Norman.  How good is that?

The sheep looking for something
 in wool to wear to the concert

'Mutton' The one eared Sheep's Grand European Tour - Day Six

The sheep visits Berlin Zoo

The sheep spent her last day in Berlin visiting; the Zoo, the Olympic Stadium, the Eternal Flame and the Unification Monument.

Mutton was quite sad that she couldn't find any  male examples of Ovis Ares and was devastated by the news that the Giant Panda had died in 2012.

The animals she did see were in great condition and by and large they were kept in excellent enclosures. Mutton particularly enjoyed watching; the seals, the baby elephant, the wolves, the polar bears, the orangutans and gorillas.

The sheep, after careful consideration, believed Berlin Zoo to be the best zoo she had ever visited.

After eating a packed lunch Mutton trotted off to the U Bahn to take the train to the Olympic Stadium and walk Jesse Owens Strasse.


Sadly, somewhere between stations, Mutton lost her one remaining ear and is now profoundly deaf.


Tomorrow she will be crated up once more and will travel by train to Vienna where she hopes to waltz the night away to the albeit muted tones of Strauss.

Baa-Baa

The Eternal Flame

Shorts designed to last 1000 years