Possibly an interesting story this sub might enjoy from my time in Switzerland. Years back I worked outside of Geneva and I needed a Christmas present to bring back to my parents in the US. They’d visited a few years prior and bought some small tchotchke cowbells and it got me thinking, what if I bought them a real one. I asked around and was told by a few locals that if I wanted a cow or anything cow related, head to the Valais. Cool, so I started up my car and took off to Sion.
This was pre owning a smart phone, and after wandering around for a bit I realized I had no idea where to start looking. Plus it was getting late and shops were at risk of closing up for the day. Undeterred I walked into a gift shop and ask the two women working there if they knew where I could find a cow bell. They gave me a confused look as I tried to explain my situation, an American on the hunt for a cowbell apparently isn’t a common occurrence. They were super helpful and started calling up people to see if anyone knew who sold cowbells in the city.
After a few mins they drew up a map for me and told me what direction to head in. I thanked them and headed off down some small streets I would have never walked down on my own accord, and there it was the cowbell shop. Actually it turned out to be a leatherworker who makes the straps but he had fully assembled bells for sale which was exactly what I was looking for.
Great guy to talk with, he showed me around his shop and we got to chatting about bells in general. I expressed interest in some of the beautiful brass bells he had hanging on the wall but he informed me that those are for the cows up north that live an easy life on flat land. The steel bells were for the proper Swiss cows that live up on the mountains, tough and strong, and if I wanted to take back back a piece of the Valais I should buy a steel bell. At least I’m pretty sure that what he said, this was all done in a melange of broken French and English.
One of the funniest moments was after I picked out a bell, I didn’t have enough cash on hand to pay for it and I pulled out a credit card and asked him if that would work. He then pointed to the light in his shop and said it was the only electric thing he had. It all worked out though, I’m pretty sure it was his son who took me across the street and I ended up using my card in a shop they were friends with.
Customs gave me a funny look when my bag was packed with a massive bell, my parents loved it, and it’s been a holiday centerpiece ever since. Actually they keep it up year round, but it gets some garland during the holidays.
The cows which traditionally wear those bells are the Eringer / Race d’Hérens. Those are considered as the queens of the cows. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvQYamHWBSQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvQYamHWBSQ) No, those are not bulls!
Cowbells are appropriate decorations, always.
If this ain’t the most Swiss thing I’ve ever seen..
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Possibly an interesting story this sub might enjoy from my time in Switzerland. Years back I worked outside of Geneva and I needed a Christmas present to bring back to my parents in the US. They’d visited a few years prior and bought some small tchotchke cowbells and it got me thinking, what if I bought them a real one. I asked around and was told by a few locals that if I wanted a cow or anything cow related, head to the Valais. Cool, so I started up my car and took off to Sion.
This was pre owning a smart phone, and after wandering around for a bit I realized I had no idea where to start looking. Plus it was getting late and shops were at risk of closing up for the day. Undeterred I walked into a gift shop and ask the two women working there if they knew where I could find a cow bell. They gave me a confused look as I tried to explain my situation, an American on the hunt for a cowbell apparently isn’t a common occurrence. They were super helpful and started calling up people to see if anyone knew who sold cowbells in the city.
After a few mins they drew up a map for me and told me what direction to head in. I thanked them and headed off down some small streets I would have never walked down on my own accord, and there it was the cowbell shop. Actually it turned out to be a leatherworker who makes the straps but he had fully assembled bells for sale which was exactly what I was looking for.
Great guy to talk with, he showed me around his shop and we got to chatting about bells in general. I expressed interest in some of the beautiful brass bells he had hanging on the wall but he informed me that those are for the cows up north that live an easy life on flat land. The steel bells were for the proper Swiss cows that live up on the mountains, tough and strong, and if I wanted to take back back a piece of the Valais I should buy a steel bell. At least I’m pretty sure that what he said, this was all done in a melange of broken French and English.
One of the funniest moments was after I picked out a bell, I didn’t have enough cash on hand to pay for it and I pulled out a credit card and asked him if that would work. He then pointed to the light in his shop and said it was the only electric thing he had. It all worked out though, I’m pretty sure it was his son who took me across the street and I ended up using my card in a shop they were friends with.
Customs gave me a funny look when my bag was packed with a massive bell, my parents loved it, and it’s been a holiday centerpiece ever since. Actually they keep it up year round, but it gets some garland during the holidays.
Looks right at home!
We need more cowbells.
Here a video how the bell is made: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSbnNAKEg8k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSbnNAKEg8k)
The cows which traditionally wear those bells are the Eringer / Race d’Hérens. Those are considered as the queens of the cows. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvQYamHWBSQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvQYamHWBSQ) No, those are not bulls!
Cowbells are appropriate decorations, always.
If this ain’t the most Swiss thing I’ve ever seen..