By the low accent

This month’s winner is ED DEATON of San Diego, California:

First, an explanation — “Brown Swiss” is a breed of milk cow.

In 1998, my friend Melanie and I were climbing and hiking in the Mont Blanc area of France, close to where France, Italy and Switzerland come together.

One day, we were descending from a hut across a wide, treeless area overlooking a large valley to beautiful meadows on the other side. There was a herd of cattle grazing on the grass, and I said, “Those are Brown Swiss cattle.”

Melanie said, “How can you tell their nationality?”

Tell us about the funniest thing that happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Include your full mailing address. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.