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Seeking Swissness in America

January 19, 2016, 4 Comments

Cantonal tree Berne INLook a little bit carefully, and Swissness is surprisingly easy to find in the United States. Travelling around America last summer I cam across some places that were almost as Swiss as their originals, such as Berne, Indiana with its giant tree of cantonal arms, including the USA, and a replica Zytglogge.

Berne IndianaOr New Glarus in Wisconsin, home to the Swiss Center of North America and a place so unbelievably Swiss that I made a short film about it:

Then there are little things that pop up along the way, like a Swiss note pinned to a shop wall on Route 66. An American left a dollar but the Swiss tourist left ten francs (about $10).

Swiss francs on Route 66So here’s a picture essay in American Swissness, including Emmi the cheese-makers of Wisconsin.

Emmi factory Monroe WII’m not sure Swiss hot chocolate ever has marshmallows in it. Except in America.

Swiss Miss hot chocolateSomeone from Bern lost their number plate along Route 66.

BE licence plate on Route 66Celebrating Swiss National Day with alphorns and bratwurst in Kansas City.

Swiss National Day Kansas City MONow is it the chocolate that is Swiss Style or the milk? Spotted in a Chicago supermarket.

Swiss chocolate milkLake Geneva is a town – and a lake – in Wisconsin but with not so many people as the original.

Lake Geneva WIAlbert Gallatin emigrated to America from Geneva in 1780 and now has his own statue in Washington DC.

Gallatin statue Washington DCA logo for a motorhome rental company, seen in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

Road Bear RV in Bryce CanyonThis restaurant place-setting in Wisconsin definitely has a Swiss thing going on.

Table mat New Glarus WIMaybe you fancy some ‘Swiss’ food, at this drive-in in Missouri or a bakery in Santa Fe.

Swiss Fast Food Lebanon MOSwiss Bakery Santa Fe NM

4 Comments on "Seeking Swissness in America"

  1. Matthias Wiesmann Wednesday January 20th, 2016 at 10:13 AM · Reply

    The Japanese 1000¥ bill is also worth 10 USD approximately.

  2. Paul Sobon Sunday January 31st, 2016 at 04:22 PM · Reply

    When I mentionec to my friends in the U.S. that I was moving to Geneva, they usually replied “That’s great, you’re going to love Wisconsin”.

  3. John Zimmer Sunday February 28th, 2016 at 08:08 PM · Reply

    Great post, Diccon. Very interesting to see a little Switzerland in the US.

    Cheers!

    John

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