Bob Brown

I have a question the answer to which eludes me. I am hoping some of you might have some ideas. <BR><BR>Here is the question: Why would cows lick the paint on a car?<BR><BR>We were on a relatively remote mountain road in the Alps near Grimentz in Switzerland.<BR>At one point, a large herd of cows was using the road. They were drinking from the lake and grazing on the lush grass along the side of the lake and the road itself. We were forced to stop because there so many of them in the way.<BR><BR>The herd of cows started moving toward us and soon had the car surrounded. Several of the cows began licking the paint on the car.<BR>As they licked, they of course drug those huge bells over the paint and caused some scars. One old bossy even stuck her drippy muzzle in the window to see what was what.<BR><BR>The car was a rental that we had picked up the day before in Lausanne. It had been recently washed because it was still dripping a little bit when it was brought around for us.<BR><BR>Several thoughts have crossed my mind as to why the cows licked the car. Was it the wax? The cleaner used to wash the car? Traces of road chemicals used to melt snow? Or was it the paint itself?<BR>The car was green. Did the cows think it was a bale of hay or grass? (But aren't cows color blind?)<BR><BR>So, anybody got a clue? Why did the cows lick the paint on the car?

chris

You should see the fine scratch marks all over my car from cow bells! This summer I parked my car near Pilatus while I hiked to the top. While I was away the farmer let the cows into the area where my car was parked and they must have had a party there from the mess they left behind. Let this be a warning to all! Sorry don't know why they do it though...

jenviolin

Bob, this is a really funny story - like funny ha-ha and also funny weird - so I hope someone has the answer!

Dave

Having grown up around bovine imbeciles, I would suggest three possible reasons:<BR><BR>1. Cows are DUMB.<BR>2. Possibly for salt and other minerals that spray onto the car from roads.<BR>3. Cows are REALLY DUMB!

Bessie

They are licking the cars for salt - deer do this too but usually only on parked cars. My cats lick plastic bags all the time - especially the ones from the dry cleaners and that's something I've never been able to figure out!

db

My cats lick photographs for the same reason, I guess then....

xxx

I've never heard this one before. I've spent so much time hiking through and around cow-herds all around Switzerland this summer, but the only interest I got from them was, every so often they thought I was the farmer who would bring them in for milking, so they kind of followed me. <BR><BR>But this takes the cake. Is it the salt? Agree, they aren't the cleverest things around. But maybe it's just that, hey, after chewing on grass on all day, licking a car must be a nice diversion...

bd

If they can't drive it, the might as well lick it?

saltlick

How funny!<BR>Must have been the salt (cows, goats and horses are wild about it, so you were lucky it was only the cows), but where from? What time of year was it? Not winter, or the cows wouldn't have been on the alm - so not ice/snow-melting salt.<BR>Any good detectives out there?

beth

Rain water has salt in it, so when it rains, a thin layer of salt is left on stuff. <BR><BR>I had some mountain goats clean my tent once to get the salt off it. Pretty funny!<BR><BR>Beth

Bob Brown

The time of year was early September.<BR>The road was close to Lac de Moiry, near the de Moiry. The cows had not yet been brough down from the high pastures. <BR><BR>I had suspected there was a faint trace of salt, but I did not know for sure.<BR>Fortunately I had taken the CDW on the car, which I rarely do. So the scratches in the paint, which were extensive, did not cost me anything other than the CDW fee.<BR><BR>The funniest part was when the old girl stuck her head in the window. My wife was on that side of the car, and she just rubbed cow's forehead. The cow had no hostile intentions; she was just curious. But at close range, cows' noses are quite large.

xxx

.. and wet.

Buttercup

...and smelly!

jw

I thought I had read all the possible Swiss threads. What a kick. J.

Bob Brown

We thought the incident was funny, given that I had taken out the CDW on the car and the scars on the paint did not cause a problem when I turned the car in. The breed of cow that had us surrounded was the one used in what the Swiss Germans call a Kuhkampf -- cow fight. The cows butt heads and shove each other around to see who is top cow.<BR>While we were sitting there waiting for the herd to clear, two old bossies squared off right in front of us and started their ritual brawl for supremacy. <BR><BR>That is the kind of thing that tour bus riders rarely see. I doubt very much if many tour buses travel that road by Lac de Moiry. That is one reason why I am satisfied to free lance.<BR><BR>I could add a few more experiences to the list. Some good, and a couple that were a little scary, but they give us plenty to discuss when we get home. I just think that tour busers are too insulated from the real scene to even say they have been there.<BR><BR>Let me give just one example from this summer. We stayed at a private guest house in Heiligenblut, Austria. The house is owned and operated by the Kramser family, and the guest rooms are an extension of their home. The youngest child, about 4, was a character who has yet to meet a stranger. While my wife was eating breakfast, he came dashing in, jumped up in her lap, whispered something in her ear, giggled, and dashed off. A few minutes later we heard him just singing away. My wife looked to see what all the noise was about. The young fellow was stark naked and sitting on the toilet while he was singing away at the top of his lungs. <BR>Those of you with children know the experience. <BR><BR>

xxx

Right on about "freelancing". I was in the lobby of the Parkhotel du Sauvage in Meiringen, just taking in the interesting, English/Art Nouveau interior, and in came a tour-bus group, sort of like an invasion of clones. In for the night, out the next morning. Do they get turned on by suitcase lugging or am I missing something...?<BR><BR>Freelancing is all about taking-it-in, being ready for the unexpected, because you don't really have a detailed agenda. After a hike around the Muottas Muragl area in the Engadine, I took the funicular train down to the valley, the only co-rider in that train a bronzed, local woman who gave me tips on what routes in the area were must-do's. Five days later at the end of my stay, I made a last-minute decision to hike the Alp Languard-Segantini Huette trail, ending up at the idyllic little stone house with a host of other freelancers taking in the spectacular view. Inside, while queuing for soup from the modest kitchen, who served me? The same lady from the funicular. I wanted to buy a disposable camera as well, but the only one she had was long, long expired. No place for buying camera, with reason I guess. I settled for the truest memento - my own memory, storing all of that strange, wonderful, a bit d&eacute;ja-vu experience...

trekercat

Hi Bob...You and I must have been near the same general area at the same time, we were hiking above the lac de Moiry on the 9th of Sept. coming over Col du Tsate from Les Hauderes and had stopped for a picnic...a curious Herens cow would not leave us alone and finally got away with one of our bananas! I have some really funny pictures of my husband trying to shoo away a very large and very bold bovine.

Bob Brown

I was up there about the time you mention, perhaps a few days earlier.<BR>We parked at the end of the lake near the glacial outwash and struggled up to the SAC hut that overlooks the glacier.<BR>It was when we returned to our car and started back that we had to stop for the cows. Maybe the old girl who looked in on us was hunting for a bananna. Makes sense.<BR><BR>That hike, for those of you who might be in the Val d'Anniviers area, is a classic. The increase in altitude is a major obstacle, but the scenery is eye catching. The de Moiry Glacier is in front of you to the right the whole way.<BR>Once you are up there, the view from the hut is incredible.<BR>Hikers stronger than I can continue on to higher vantage points. I was content to take a rest.<BR>

Ingo

xxx, funny that you are mentioning Muottas Muragl, Alp Languard and the Segantini hut. When I was there this Sept I did the hike from Muottas Muragl via Segantini hut to Alp Languard (maybe you read it in my trip report?).<BR><BR>I had an interesting talk with this lady in the Segantini hut. We had our lunch there - delicious barleycorn soup "Gerstensuppe" and some cake or so. You won't believe what she told us:<BR><BR>The weather had been very bad for the last weeks. So there were only a very few guests. Did you know that she and the other guy carry the food up there EVERY day on their back? Sometimes twice a day! The day before a group of 80 persons walked by, sat down on their benches, had lunch from the rucksack and did not buy anything. When other hikers came and ordered their lunch in the hut the tables and benches were occupied by the group. The same procedure the day we were there with a group of 100 people. A shame!<BR><BR>Ingo

xxx

Small world... that's got to be the same woman, white haired, very fit looking, and yes, there was a guy helping her out inside the hut. There were various wrapped, single-portion cakes as well. And I or course had the Gerstensuppe. You HAVE to order something hot on-the-spot, plus I hike really light, and by that time I think I'd gone through my 2 apples and chocolate on the route up.<BR><BR>There was a running joke among hikers descending to Muottas Muragl afterwards - besides the obligatory "Gruetsi" you'd say to all the people who are climbing up as you pass down, you'd also add: "Just another 5 hrs." Admittedly a sarcastic punch in the stomach, but deep down everyone knew it was only a 1/2 hour or so left to the top... <BR><BR>