The scenery is breathtaking...
and some of the turns were breathtaking!
Arriving in Ftan, Bjorn was directed to park in this parking lot...we heard a noise... oops! The parking lot wasn't quite deep enough. Bjorn, calm as ever, got out, moved the rocks, and moved the bus...no problem...there was only a little scratch...
And then there was Ftan (Fa-tan)...such a beautiful village...seems I keep saying that about everything in Switzerland!
We had to hike a little ways to get to the mill...we were headed to the Ftan Mill....a 400 year old mill, a flour mill, that has been in the same family for 7 generations! 
Did I say the scenery was breathtaking? 
The mill is operated by the water from a stream...once this mill uses it, the water goes on downstream to be used by someone else below...so efficient! This lady is part of the family who owns it. Her great-great-grandfather bought the mill in 1831. In 1832, he built the 'new mill' which is this round part you see in the photo above. There's another one just like it across the room, which is still used, and it's 400 years old. I couldn't tell them apart. 
If you look halfway down this photo on the left, you can see part of a wheel...this is the wheel that turns the water that operates the mill. Actually, a new axle was replaced on this in 1939. This mill produced 16 tons of flour a year...and during the war years, it was operated 24 hours a day.
View out the window of the mill...
Farms in Switzerland are small. Dairy farmers, for example, will only have 25-30 cows. The government actually pays them to keep them like this. They want Switzerland to continue to look like Switzerland! No urban-sprawl here!
I never heard her name...just one of the owners of the Mill of Ftan...She didn't speak any English, but she was so friendly and happy to share her mill with us.
Genevieve appreciating the beauty of the Alps!
Looking down on the mill from the path above...
We started walking back toward the village....stopping along the way to take pictures...
Also, stopping at the fountains along the way...
In the evening, we dressed up for dinner. Three musicians played for us...we did some musical chairs...and took lots of photos...we only had one more night after this one...
Our tall guys with our not-so-tall, but oh-so-tough delegation manager, Jeanette!
The musicians who serenaded us...
Musical chairs was played in groups...I don't think some of our delegation had ever played this before. It was a bit comical to watch...
I think we played in groups of 9...of course, 9 delegates = 8 chairs...
A different variation had double the amount of people. You WANTED someone on your lap when the music stopped...our ladies had a great time with this one!
Someone suggested the leaders play...there were 6 of us: me, Steve, Karen, Gwen (Texas), Jeanette, and Bjorn....Looks like Karen was the first one out...sorry, Karen!
Bjorn was the next to go...and then, well, sorry Steve...looks like you went next...
It was down to three: me, Gwen, and Jeanette...and Jeanette didn't make the cut:(
And then...much to my surprise...I conquered Gwen...beat her to the punch...
So sorry, Gwen...
It was all in good fun...
Playing the spoons came next. One of our musicians demonstrated for us how it's done...
Sarah appeared to have it down...we couldn't say that for everyone!
Many of us tried...but not all of us succeeded!
Jeanette...what a great DM she was!
I wanted to have some photos of the leaders together...
and then I saw Genevieve and Chris posing for someone else...and I wanted one for me!
Danielle had gone upstairs, but looked to see what was going on below...
I told Jeanette I had a nephew a little older than her...Addison...and that I'd love to have her for a niece-in-law!
This photo was actually taken on the morning of July 6...One of the workers in the hostel came out to take it for us...We were heading to Zurich, our last stop on the European Heritage adventure!
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