My mom was not super thrilled initially with this town, as there wasn’t much to see from the train station. On top of that, it was raining, and the hotel we had picked (on short notice) was a bit sparse and didn’t have many amenities. They did have working internet - which is a plus in this age of travel - so we checked emails and headed out in the light mist.
We ran into Americans 10 seconds into our trek to see the town. They were from Oklahoma and were in town for a meeting. One of the two worked with animal bones - I don’t remember what exactly she did, but she was there procuring an instrument that did MRI’s of animal bones. Bless the Swiss and their ability to work with small parts-- watches, cuckoo clocks and the like.
We continued into town, and as we came upon the main square, Rick Steves again did NOT let us down. It was an absolutely gorgeous little town with beautifully painted storefronts and facades. There were small botiques that lined the streets and sold a mix of Swiss kitsch and hand crafted goods. We worked our way through the square to the tourist center to make plans for the following day. I, as you might have guessed, was interested in ascending the Alps once again to see the view from above. There were a couple different options as to where we could go, but I knew I wanted to go up.
After securing our plan for the next day, we were on the age old quest to find someplace to eat dinner. In fine Staffa fashion, we struck out several times, as it is (evidently) well known that NO ONE in Appenzell eats before 6. The kitchens don’t even open until 6. We left two different places before settling on one that in fact had humans inside. There was a small group of older people gathered, though none of them eating. We asked the waitress if it was possible to get dinner, and after glancing at her watch she basically said well... ok.... I guess. We took our time looking over the menu as it was only 5:20 when we arrived. I wasn’t sure if we wouldn’t get served until after six, or if she’d make an exception, but we went with it. I got one of the Appenzell beers-- made with fresh spring water from the Alps-- and we waited. She took our dinner order and brought us some bread. We talked amongst ourselves, outdone entirely in decibels by the group of retirees that grew in size as it got closer to dinner time.
And then it happened. I’m not sure exactly how it started, but while we were talking, the group gathered started singing. I thought at first it could be a prayer before eating, though no food was being served. My parents and I looked at each other trying not to stare at the group, but intrigued by what was happening. It was funny, as I had just asked my mom to take a picture of the group over my shoulder, as I thought they were so adorable (I have an affinity for adorable old men and their stories).
They had gone from their jovial lighthearted conversation, to a solemn harmonized tune in an instant.
We sat and ate and listened - it was a wonderful experience. When the waitress came back around, we asked what the story of these singers was, and evidently they are a group of "free singers" who come every Wednesday to sing. Sometimes there are 10, sometimes there are 25. They have been known to stay until 3 in the am singing. It was something we never could have predicted in a hundred million years.
For a longer video, click Appenzell Singers. It's worth it, trust me :)
After each song, the group would trail off and return to energetic conversation and joke telling mixed with some healthy drinking. Out of nowhere, someone would start the next song, and the rest would chime in. It had an interesting balance as there were only a few women in the group - and more trickled in as the night went on, but it was a prevalently male chorus eliciting a rich tone to their songs.
We sat and listened for quite some time, enjoying the experience that we stumbled upon this Wednesday night in Appenzell. When the group was done with one song, my dad got up, magic red cloth in hand, and wanted to 'pay back' the group for listening to them for so long. For those of you who know my dad, you know what's coming... the magic trick. Sidenote: my dad is one of those wonderful travelers who thinks that everyone speaks English in some way, and they all find him to be incredibly funny. Let me just tell you, that his 'humor' does not translate all the time, and this was a prime example of it. Translating through the waitress, he told the group that he wanted to repay them for the entertainment they provided, so he was going to buy a round of drinks-- pregnant pause for translation and eruption of applause. Funny thing was, however, that my dad hadn't finished his statement as he intended to, he wanted to end with, "but it would be really expensive." So now, he's got this group of elderly singers thinking he's going to buy them a round, and they think it's great - until he tries to explain to the waitress that he was not in fact going to do so.
At any rate, watch here: dad's magic (the files are too large to upload straight to this site)
They loved the trick, so he followed with another... go figure. This guy was my favorite, watch his reaction to this next trick :)
Dad finished his trick, and decided that it was the right thing to do to buy the round. The waitress went back, and we were back again on the hero's pedestal. Once the drinks were poured, they started singing again, though this time it was a tribute to dad.
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