In the seventies, the Vallais got a tunnel through the mountains to connect it to the German speaking rest of Switzerland. I remember my das thinking the locals were extremely backwards. They didn’t understand that he rode the bicycle up the mountain just for fun. They threatened to call the police when they saw him tend his tomatoes on a Sunday (no working on a Sunday, it’s the law!).

A little badmouthing remains. Outside of the Vallais, people like to think that they are corrupt. The current and the last FIFA bosses – Blatter and Infantino – are from Vallais. Enough said.

People here, on the other hand, like to call everybody from outside the canton “Üsseschwyzer” (people from “outer Switzerland”).