The End of the Trail

We are coming to the end of our stay here in Switzerland - we’ve moved out of our apartment, our bags our all packed, and we just finished a two-week vacation hiking and biking in Switzerland before we come home.   It’s been an unusual year to be here, missing our friends and families who couldn't come to visit us. In spite of it all, we've had many adventures - from picking and planting grapes in the Lavaux wine region, to traveling through the German, Italian, French and Romansh-speaking areas of Switzerland. We will be forever grateful for this time to explore this beautiful country.  

Planting new vines in Alan Chollet's Vineyard

Lake Lugano

Trail overlooking Lugano, in the Italian speaking part of Switerland

Such a treat to stay at Whitepod - south of Monthey

We finished our hike across Switzerland - leaving the highest section of trails for last so we wouldn’t have to hike in the snow.  We started at the 1100's-era monastery in Einsiedeln and hiked to Schwyz the first day.  Our final day we hiked 20 miles (with a short ferry ride) to Stans, passing by the historic area where the four cantons first formed the confederation of Switzerland.  We had gorgeous 70-degree weather and beautiful views of Lake Luzerne and Mt. Pilatus.  It was the prettiest hike of the entire Via Jacobi route and a wonderful way to end our trek across Switzerland.

Hike between Schwyz and Stans - saving the best for last

Lake Lucerne between Schwyz and Stans

Switerland in Bloom

Summer is finally here but we had a late spring with one of the coldest Aprils in 100 years (the last time we lived here it was the wettest spring in 25 years).  We’ve loved seeing the flowers in bloom, from the Tulip Festival in Morges, to the Narcisses blooming on the steep hillsides above Montreux. Several weeks ago we went on a hike to celebrate my good friend Debbie’s birthday and see the narcisses in bloom. This website (https://www.narcisses.com/) describes the trails to find the narcisses and tracks their blooming progress.  As far back as the late 1800s tourists from all over Europe would come to pick them from the hillsides in armfuls.  They are more protected now, and are coming back to their former glory that blanket the hillsides to look like snow. 

Morges Tulip Festival

Narcisses in Bloom in Les Avant

Working in the Garden

I’ve been getting my gardening fix by volunteering to work in the gardens at Chateau Vullierens, a chateau north of Morges, that has one of the biggest iris collections in Switzerland.  They have about 5 different theme gardens - all named after prior occupants of the chateau, including the dog.  The garden is full of sculptures, including a new collection of over 20 life-size animal sculptures that make it look like there are lions, wolves, bison and baboons living and strolling in the garden.  A large woods in the back has a path to visit the “lizard king” and his kingdom.  It’s a kid’s paradise - and is mine too.

So, once again, it's time to say goodbye Lausanne - it’s been a wonderful year - we just wish we could have shared you with our family and friends.  We can’t wait to see you all soon!

 

Hiking Across Switzerland

It’s been awhile since I wrote on this blog.  I’m not sure why, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write.  I’ll blame it on winter and Covid.  As for what we’ve been doing since I last posted, in our free time we’ve been basically walking across Switzerland.  And when we weren’t walking across Switzerland, we were walking around Switzerland.

We didn’t really plan to do this - it just happened one day that we were hiking along a SwissMobility* route called the Via Jacobi that goes through Lausanne.  And when we got to the end of that day’s hike, we thought that it would be fun to see where the next hike went.  Soon we were taking buses, then trains to get to the beginning of the next hike.  Then we started doing 2-3 day hikes in a row until we finally admitted to ourselves that we wanted to do the entire hike from the French border to the German border of Switzerland (Geneva to Rorschach on Lake Constance).  Ok, maybe it was my idea, but Doug didn't take much convincing.

Swiss Via Jacobi route - we took the southern route along Lake Lucerne

The route is called many names  depending on where you are in Europe - Via Jacobi, Chemin de Saint Jacques, Jacobsweg, the Way of St. James and sometimes just The Way.  It is part of the system of trails all through Europe that eventually connect to the Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  Pilgrims have been following these routes since the 11th and 12th centuries.  The trails in Switzerland tend to go through the countryside, forests, and pass by some of the oldest churches in the regions, from little chapels to ornate cathedrals. The route we are following has 20 stages ranging from 12-20 miles per day. As of this posting, we have 4 more days of hiking and we’ll have finished walking across Switzerland. 

 

European Via Jacobi routes

But... because we can’t seem to stop walking, we’re already are looking at another hike across Switzerland (the Via Francigena, or the route to Rome)** which in Switzerland goes from the French border at the Jura mountains to the Italian border.  No commitment yet, but I recognize the stirrings…

Meanwhile…I hope you enjoy some of the highlights of our hiking these past few months (in no particular order).  To be continued!

* https://schweizmobil.cleverapps.io/en/hiking-in-switzerland/routes/route-04.html that

** https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/routes/regional-routes/route-070.html

Couldn't resist this photo

Fribourg

Wooden bridge after Fribourg (in Heitenried)

Fribourg to Schwarzenburg

Roman road

Camping spot along the way (free wood, mattress on the roof of the structure)

One of the huts filled with local cheese, jam, cookies along the way - pay by honor system

Toblerones in Gland (near Lake Geneva)  Made me crave chocolate!

Almost to Geneva (and France)

Above Lake Thunersee

Sunrise on Lake Geneva

Lake Brienzersee

Sunset in Brienz

One of the most picturesque towns along the way

Flüeli-Ranft

Views of Mt. Pilatus in Flüeli-Ranft

Flüeli-Ranft

Chapel in Ranft

Flüeli-Ranft

Stop in Lucerne on the way home

Hiking in the snow from Hersiau to Wattwil

Lausanne Lumière

We were excited to have our first snowfall last week in Lausanne to break up the weather that has turned cold, grey and damp.  It’s so strange to see 0 degree temperatures (only 32 F), but coming from California, that's exactly what it feels like to us. 

Lausanne is magical during the holidays. The annual light festival, Lausanne Lumière, started the end of November just as the weather turned cold and the evenings came early.  Some of the most famous and beautiful buildings throughout old Lausanne are lit every night and the streets are decorated with trees and lights.

Opèra de Lausanne

Hotel de Ville (City Hall) 

Cathédral view from Place Palud

Place Palud

Place de la Louve

Eight different light shows (created by 30 artists) are projected on buildings around Lausanne.

"Plonger dans les océan de couleurs" (Diving in the ocean of colors)

Maison Mercier - "Renaissance"

The restaurants have been closed in most of French speaking Switzerland (called Suisse Romand), so we decorated our cozy apartment with lights and a tree, and settle in early each evening for the “long winter’s nights.”  

We are thinking of our family and friends right now, wishing we could see you, hoping that you stay healthy and that you have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season.  Here’s to the end of 2020 and to a much better 2021!