The Pumpkin Patch

The week before Halloween, Claire and I went with my friend and her daughter to a nearby pumpkin patch. We needed some pumpkins for carving, decorating, and eating (no canned pumpkin in Switzerland!), so a pumpkin patch was the way to go.

Up the mountain and into the fog we drove to the self-service pumpkin patch.

The pumpkins were all laid out in groups under a tent.

Each group of pumpkins had a sign next to it saying what kind of pumpkin it was and if it was to be used for cooking or for decoration.  If it was a pumpkin for cooking, the sign said what kinds of dishes that particular pumpkin would be good for.  I had no idea there were so many different varieties of pumpkins!  

Claire took her time inspecting the pumpkins.

She and her friend eventually found the perfect ones.  

No Swiss activity would be complete without a cow sighting.  

Because it was a self-service place, when it came time to pay for the pumpkins, we weighed the pumpkins ourselves, did the math, and deposited the correct amount of money into a box.  I was grateful that my friend had thought to bring change because if not, I would have had to leave a 50 franc bill for my 12 francs worth of pumpkins!    

After our fun day at the pumpkin patch, I am sure that my pumpkin pie will taste extra delicious this year, even if I will still wish for canned pumpkin!