March 3, 2019 -- Sunday, we were planning to return to Bellinzona for the large Rabadan Carnival Parade, but the day was so nice and the view to the mountains so clear, that we decided on a 9-km hike in our "backyard", ending up in the neighbouring town of Baar to watch the local parade there, which, although family-oriented and small-scale, still had some pretty nice "Guggen" bands (the term for the type of music played)
By the time we got to our starting point at Hausen a. Albis, a town not 10 km to the North of us, the air had become hazy and the view not as sharp as I had hoped, but this is some very nice pastoral landscape with a pretty amazing view of the lake and the Alps. It's an area where we have done a lot of hikes for this reason.
There is religious war history here as well: In the early 1500's Protestant Zurich moved into Catholic Zug, confiscating among other things the Catholic Monastery at Kappel, established by French Cistercian monks in 1185, and handing it over to the City of Zurich in 1527. In 1529, 4000 footsoldiers were ready to go to war in this area, but a peace treaty was negotiated, and during that time, the soldiers got together to partake of the legendary meal called "Milchsuppe" (Milk Soup), the site of which is commemorated near Ebertswil on the trail that we followed this time.
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| Starting our walk in Hausen a. Albis, approx. 10 km to the North of where we live |
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| Even with the hazy air, the mountains look fabulous |
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| We walked eastward from Hausen to a little hamlet called Husertal with this very pretty framework farmhouse |
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| From Husertal we headed South to a small rise where we had a coffee break, but it was uncomfortably windy |
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| View from above Ebertswil across the city of Zug and Lake Zug. The view is all the way to Mounts Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps |
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| The view from our picnic spot. There was a cold wind blowing though, so we didn't stay long |
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| Heading through Ebertswil on the way to Baar |
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| Lots of very pretty framework houses in this small village of Ebertswil |
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| These two are showing who is the toughest! |
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| In that copse of trees is the "Milchsuppenstein", a stone marker to commemorate the peace treaty between the Catholic and Reform Cantons of Zug and Zurich |
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| Here at this spot in 1529, 4000 warring soldiers ate a peace meal together. |
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| The sky has clouded over, but the view is still amazing. We live near the tall building on the right. |
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| Just before Baar we followed this stream before reaching the farmland outside the city |
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| Ah, the most important part of the Carnival activities! |
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| Parade participants dress up in all kinds of wacky costumes. |
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| Young and old play in the bands. A lot of work goes into the practicing and costumes |
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| Many of the floats are political and meant to pique interest in current issues |
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| Lots and lots of confetti! |
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| Each band has a theme. This one was "Highlanders" |
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| This is the "Witches' Flying School" |
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| 25 years of Junior Drummers |
VIDEO: Junior Drummers
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| Frogs is the theme here, I guess. They had special wooded tools that when rubbed together made croaking sounds |
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| This is a cool float, carried by ONE person! |
VIDEO: And the band that followed the boat
VIDEO: Guggenmusik Band from Interlaken
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| Another almost 10-km walk on this beautiful Sunday morning |
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