On the Via Francigena - Switzerland to Italy
I arrived in Montreax Switzerland on August 11th but it seems like much more than a few short days ago. Montreax is a beautiful city with a wonderful lakeside boardwalk stretching for miles. I had my picture taken with the Freddie statue and enjoyed the boardwalk's constant flow of people. I stayed at the youth hostel (no comments please) and was ready to start the Francigena early the next morning.
The Via Francigena runs from Canterbury England to Rome Italy but I decided to start with an easy part - the crossing of the Swiss-Italian Alps. 😯 My first leg took me along beautiful Lake Geneva, into the agricultural fields along the Rhone River, and through the first of dozens of vineyards. Although I started in the shadow of the mountains, the sun soon reached my path and quickly heated the valley. Throughout the next few days, I would be walking south into the sun while the prevailing wind would come from the north into my back. There was little cooling effect and I found myself often turning around to enjoy the breeze in my face and on my body.
The first day was a hot one with temperatures reaching near 30C (86F). In the valley there was no relief from the sun's rays but in the latter half of my hike, I began a climb into the pre-Alps and the much cooler forest. The climb at times was very steep and challenging however I was rewarded with beautiful views along the path. The last climb of the day also necessitated me to descend steeply back into the valley through some magnificent vineyards. I was hosted at a B&B by a wonderful and generous couple, Sébastien and Louisa. We sat on their terrace chatting for hours and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
The second day was filled with walking through vineyards on the steep mountain sides. This region has a 250 day growing season because of the effects of Lake Geneva and vineyards are dominant. The route itself is not well marked in some areas and I know that I wandered off the official path at times but I always knew which direction I needed to go for my daily destination. I loved today's journey and arrived in Saint-Maurice hot, hungry and thirsty. I stayed in the abbey and was very excited to get a private room only 40 feet from the church bell tower (carillon tower as well) on a day when the town had a carillon festival. No afternoon nap!
The next morning, a history lesson by the priest accompanied breakfast with three other pilgrims and I was on the road shortly after 8:00. That day was the start of the real climbs and soon after commencing, I had a significant ascent and descent to warm up the legs. I passed a group of about 10 hikers on the mountain and at my first break, I met Pierre, their logistics coordinator. He offered me a coffee and I had a great chat with him and the group when they arrived. According to the experts, the most dangerous part of the entire Via Francigena followed in the next few kilometres. A very narrow goat path of loose rocks and sand in the middle of a very steep hill made for a challenging hike. One slip and you would be careening down the hill and if the trees didn't stop you, the rocks in the glacier fed river 50 metres below would. It was imperative that every step be stable and secure. This part was not for the feint of heart and several pilgrims took the train around this area instead of walking. The remainder of the hike into Orsières was incredibly beautiful and the pictures cannot do the scenery justice.
The route to Bourg-Saint-Pierre was another beautiful journey and despite another 'all up' day, I thoroughly enjoyed it and the B&B I stayed at. The final climbing day was today (Wed the 17th) and it was probably the most challenging day I've ever had on a Camino. About 1,000 metres of vertical ascent was accomplished in about 12 km. The views were stunning and despite the threat of rain and a brisk wind, I loved it. But I was very tired and sore at the end of the hike. At 2473 metres (8114 ft), Grand-Saint-Bernard is a beautiful spot on the Swiss-Italian border and is the origin of the breed of dog of the same name.
And now, the people. I have been so privileged to have met some wonderful people since I started this phase of my journey. In no particular order, these are some of the people who have impacted my journey or crossed my path: Mary, aka Mufti (England), Caroline (Belgium), Karoleen (Belgium), Nuria (Spain), Elian (Netherlands), Carl & Nancy (US), and Sam & Joanne (US). Carl and Nancy are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year with a two-week hike through Switzerland. Sam & Joanne are in their 80s and in their 59th year of marriage. All of them are fantastic people and I loved my experiences with them. There does not seem to be a lot of hikers yet we are having difficulty finding beds. I suspect that tourists in vehicles are reserving beds that the pilgrims really need.
Another long post! Tomorrow I walk into Italy and begin the descent phase. Easier on the heart but more difficult on my knees. Every day I continue to be so grateful for this journey I am on and my smile continues to grow. I am one lucky man!
I'm still having difficulty posting pictures to this site but they are available on Facebook. I will continue to try and resolve the issue.