Day 15 - Heitenried to Fribourg 16 Kilometers

A typical yet good breakfast to start. Cheese and honey from the locality. Not a long distance planned so pace is medium. Stopped in Tafers where they had a cool Pilgrims Chapel (Pilgerskapel). It has beautiful frescos painted on the front. We got a stamp there and moved on. Right before we got to Fribourg, we arrived at this rugged cross that was next to what we were told is the border of where German is spoken and French is spoken. We arrived in Fribourg a bit before noon. Decided to go in the big cathedral. Having seen many cathedrals in Europe, we have found most are very ornate and grand but after a while can be monotonous. We found this one to be very cool. Just a little bit different than most yet very huge and detailed. Scoped out a little more of town before finding a nice lunch spot.  Were able to check in to our hotel early and took care of daily chores. Yes, a hotel. It is very nice to have real towels and sheets. We even have a TV so we can watch and brush up on our French. Found the Officine de Tourisme where a girl there helped us make reservations at the Abbye de la Fille-Dieu in Romont tomorrow night. Should be interesting. Spent time wandering around Fribourg, a medieval town hat sits above the Sarine river. Gathered some foodstuffs for the next couple meals and repaired to our flat in the Hotel du Faucone to rest. 

Day 14 - Riggisberg to Heitenried 19 Kilometers

Sleeping above a bakery has advantages and disadvantages. It always smells great there. It was a bit warm in our place overnight but eventually it cooled off. But breakfast offered us a variety of breads to eat and take with. A pleasant surprise was we thought it was going to be expensive but we were charged a very fair rate so considering our other place didn't work out last night we were pleased. Today's walk was under overcast skies and cooler temps. A more than welcome respite from the hot days that have added a bit of difficulty to an already challenging landscape. Since we didn't have very far to go today, having walked a bit extra yesterday, we purposefully took a slower pace today. We took a short break in the sleepy hamlet of Rüeggisberg where we viewed an interesting old shell of a monastery dating back to 1072. We had a short break where we had a coffee and some delicious local yogurt. We continued on our way through the prealpine hills and across beautiful farm lands with very large homes with attached barns and watched farmers tend to their fields as we strolled along. One unusual farm had camels and yaks. We lunched in another quaint hamlet, of course our lunch included cheese and chocolate, and then we were on our way walking an old Roman Road and onto our Pilgerhaus. It is quite nice and we sit listening to classical music as our host prepares a wonderfully smelling meal. Fact is, the meal was even more tasty than the smell. It was the best meal we've had in Switzerland. Fresh salad from their own garden with Beef Bourguignon with steamed rutabaga. We enjoyed talking with our hosts, Klaus and Freida. They are former pilgrims who have a heart for the wanderers of the way. Freida gave us recommendations for some things to see before we leave Switzerland. 

Btw, banana count 22 (11 each)

Day 13 - Spiezmoos to Riggisberg 28 kilometers

Had breakfast with our host Annalise and her pit bull Tina. Yup, you read right. But the dog was more interested in Ed than Joan so that helped. We had a relatively early start hoping to beat the heat again. It's Sunday so we were unsure of what kind of provisions we would find. The trails were a mixed bag for a while. Different surfaces, up and down.  But then we hit a stretch of road walking that, mixed with the heat, sapped us pretty well. We came to a town called Wattenwil where there wasn't much going on with no open stores. But we did find Cafe 44 open where we had a good meal with dessert and espresso. They also operate a bakery so we also bought some things which, added to our stash of food, would be our evening meal as we were to be staying out in the country. We talked a little with the owner's daughter who had recently been in the U.S. on a type of study abroad. She also told us about her family walking the way years ago. We left there with not much further to go to our accommodations for the night but it was hot and we were going very steep uphill. We arrived but no one was home. The little house we were to sleep in was open and so we opened the door but didn't go in as there were cob webs blocking the way and the bed was messy with dirty sheets. We checked around and saw lots of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink and then continued on our way. We made a turn based on the signs and ended up off our designated route but in an hour or so we were in the next town. As we had spoken to Jacqueline at the bakery restaurant, she had said her father ran a place for pilgrims in Riggersberg. Upon entering the town there was a sign board with three places and we ended up at the bakers place.  It is very nice and we are tired and our feet ache but we have fewer kilometers to walk tomorrow.

Day 12 - Interlaken to Speiz 17 Kilometers

Breakfast on the rooftop at our place allowed us to watch the sunrise. How quickly it got warm! We had a shorter distance day today so we were not too fast leaving Interlaken. A few provisions and away we went. It was pleasantly flat and shaded for quite a while. Some was along a swift running river. So nice. Came to a resort-type village where we stopped for an espresso. As we continued, the trail started heading up. Wouldn't be a day in Switzerland unless we did some climbing. We stopped at a historic pilgrimage site but much to our dismay it has become a tourist trap. We viewed a few things and moved on. Eventually arrived in Merlingen where we caught a boat to cross Lake Thun. Like the boat rides! This brought us to the town of Speiz. Tried to visit the ancient castle and church but a wedding party denied us the opportunity. It was too early to check into our accommodations so we decided to rest and eat a box of ice cream bars. Loaded up with some groceries after that then found our place. We prepared a salad with a pasta and chicken salad we bought for dinner. Our room is below the main house and quite cozy with all we need. The proprietor is very friendly and we will go upstairs for breakfast with her in the morning. We are quite curious to talk to her as there are many cycling awards on display here as well as some interesting cycling art. 

Day 11 - Brünig to Interlaken 30 Kilometers

A surprisingly good breakfast at the hostel jump started our day as we had some ground to cover. Very warm and humid to start which was not a good sign. Went a bit uphill before we started a steep wooded descent. Had an interesting encounter when we had to go through a farm when a bull decided we weren't welcome. We stood behind a rock and waited for him to move. When he finally did we thought we could walk toward the gate but the bull decided he would chase us. Well Ed thought we were clear, but I knew a young Brown Swiss bull might not just let us through so I kept checking behind and he started for us right as we were going by a barn and I saw a shovel and grabbed it and told Ed to run and open the gate and we made it out safely. Then during our lunch break we had a swarm of mosquitos show up so we packed it up and marched on a while before finding a new spot. We spent much of the day hiking up and down along the Lake Brienz on a clear and unusually hot day. We crossed a temporary 80 meter long suspension bridge, which I thought a bit scary and Ed loved it. Our last encounter was with a dog who looked fine until we started to pass and then he began his growling and so I found a rock and threw it at him which helped for a moment and finally his owner saw and called him off. 

We thought the afternoon was long but we finally made it to our hostel around 4pm. 

We found a very good dinner at a reasonable price. Food is very expensive here and meat most expensive. Cheese, which we eat a lot of, is a good price and very delicious. After dinner we found some chocolate to finish our day. 

It may be a few days before our next post as we are not sure about wifi the next three days.

Day 10 - Bethanien to Brünig 28 Kilometers

At 6:00 a.m. we woke to the sound of bells at a local church being rung off their hinges. We had planned to rise early as the weather is hot and we had a couple of good climbs to look forward to today. We were off by 6:30, our earliest start, and we had been given a bag lunch to take today. We made an early stop at a church that had frescos inside dating to the 14th century. It was beautiful and all was going well until we made a "wrong turn". The route made a circle to access three churches and when we had visited the last church we continued on the path which brought us back to almost where we started the day. We backtracked to the last church and headed on our way, adding about 3k to our day and an extra climb. 

At the first opportunity we stopped for an espresso. We gathered our brains and continued along a flat path which followed along a lake's edge. It was very nice. We took some rest stops and ate some of our bag lunches at each stop. We made some good climbs during the afternoon. At one point after passing a second lake, we were surrounded by very tall mountains and we wondered how we were going to get out of that bowl. We ultimately did and are now at our hostel. There's not much here in this town so pickings were slim for dinner. We ended up having a meal at the restaurant above our place. It was pricey, but actually pretty good. Ed had a homemade pork cordon bleu with excellent veggies and salad. Joan had Bünder-Pizokel which was a cheesy pasta and bacon dish. Very rich. We even splurged on a gourmet ice cream dessert. We spent the rest of the day resting and preparing for our long trek tomorrow. 

Day 9 - Stans to Bethanien 14 Kilometers

We bid "Auf Wedersehen" to Lucerne and took a train back to Stans to resume the trail. Had a spot of coffee, bought some lunch provisions and began walking again. Today was very hot. We had some respite with a few stints of paths through wooded areas but much of our day was out in the sun. Early afternoon we found a small chapel with benches and shade trees out front which became our picnic spot. After eating and a bit of rest we continued. But we quickly made the acquaintance of a young couple from Porrentruy, Switzerland. Charlotte and Samuel caught our attention as we approached an intersection and we chatted with them for a while as they spoke very good english. They asked for our email and said to come visit them once we make it to Geneva. Today we saw three pilgrims. An older man from near Geneva and he is walking a few days at a time. We also meet a coule from the Czech Republic who are walking to Santiago de Compostella in sections each year. They are here with us tonight at the Benedictine convent. A very nice modern facility. We choose the "package deal" which included a very filling dinner and they will pack our breakfast so we can leave early as tomorrow will be very hot and we have 25 kilometer to walk.

Day 8 - Luzern Tourist Day

So today we rested (so to speak) in Lucerne. We played tourist and saw the sights. Started by crossing the river Reuss on the Speurerbrückr, a covered wooden bridge dating back to 1408. We climbed the Musegg Wall part of Lucerne's historic fortification. We made our way to the Löwedenkmal, the Lion Monument. Visited various churches and ambled through the old town. Found a really great lunch spot and enjoyed a restful meal. Window shopped a bit in the afternoon. Finally sampled some chocolates from a couple of places, one that was recommended to us and it was so delicious. We spent a little time back at our hotel resting and researching the road ahead. Didn't want to eat out another big meal so struggled a bit to find some "take away" food as many places were closed. 

Day 7 - Brunnen to Stans 25+ Kilometers

Our day started with a cool but short boat ride across Lake Lucerne to Treib where our walking would begin. The trail was uphill through farmland that sat between the lake and some steep rock faces. It was quite interesting. Eventually, the uphill got narrow and rocky as we traversed through wooded areas, trying to round a mountain. Carefully placed footsteps were in order. We came to a crossroads on the trail and decided to deviate from the Jakobsweg and take another trail that stayed closer to the water but would eventually take us to the same place. The descent was even more demanding as we took great care getting safely down. Our work was rewarded as we encountered a very huge and strong waterfall. We took a short break to snack and continued until we got to the village of Beckenreid. We took a longer rest and partook of some coffee and pastry before heading off on our afternoon trek. This is the point where we had an option to take a boat to Lucerne or walk to Stans. We chose to walk. Regretted it a bit but we made it. Once in Stans we got a train to to Lucerne where we will stay and do the touristy things for a day as there are many things to see here. We went out for dinner and now will rest.  

Day 6 - Einsiedeln to Brunnen 25 Kilometers

We knew today's walk would have a great ascent, over 500 meters, followed by an even bigger descent, over 1000 meters. But we were blessed with the first part being a nice walk along a river with good cloud cover making it very pleasurable. Stumbled upon a small cafe that was open on a Sunday morning that provided us with a decent espresso before the climb. Although it was a very demanding walk that seemed straight up at times, we were rewarded with exceptional views at the top. We had planned to picnic up there, but we made such good time it was too early for lunch so we started the descent.  Although our heart rates don't get as high going down as going up, it is still quite taxing on us. We stopped at a random bench part way down that had great views. We sat a while and enjoyed a proper pilgrim's picnic. Afterwards we kept good pace and made it to Brunnen. We waited at our prebooked accommodations for about an hour and a half, but no one showed so we decided to move on. We have found a local hotel and are now clean and have had dinner.  Rest!

Day 5 - Rapperswil to Einseideln 18 Kilometers

We started with a big bowl of granola and yogurt before leaving our herberge. We took the wooden causeway for almost a kilometer to cross the Zurich Lake. It was first built in 1358, but has undergone some renovations since. We spent most of the morning climbing (over 1800 feet) through lush forests on nice yet sometimes strenuous trails. Our feet and shoes loved it, but in the afternoon we walked Tarmac which our feet don't like in our substainal trail shoes.

We arrived in the pilgrimage town Einsiedeln and checked out the very large monastery and attended the pilgrims blessing in the afternoon. We located our accommodations which are at a home and it is quite interesting, decorated with many interesting artifacts and artworks. We have decided to rest the remainder of the evening. In an unusual twist, we find our feet and legs a bit sore. We have walked thousands of kilometers on our trips abroad and normally we suffer mainly from fatigue. But the steep ascents and descents as well as the road walking is taking a toll on these "senior athlete" bodies. 

Day 4 - Oberricken to Rapperswil 20 Kilometers

We woke to clear skies! Our walk today was through rolling hills and small villages. Tonight we are in a larger town and it is very busy in the old section. Our Pilgerhaus is quiet with only two other ladies. We were told it was full last night.

Everything is very, very clean in Switzerland. Not a piece of trash on the trails or town streets. The insides of the barns we pass are also clean and in order. In the towns we see people of all ages riding bikes and today one stopped to ask if we needed water as we were resting on a bench. One drawback to our walks so far is the amount of time walking on pavement.  It's hard on the feet. But we are enjoying the scenery and the people we are meeting. We were concerned about the language barrier but we have encountered so many English speaking people it has been relatively easy so far. 

We have a kitchen tonight so we cooked a pasta meal with a big salad and it was very good.

Think we are sufficiently fueled for a big (uphill) day tomorrow. 

 

Day 3 - Schwellbrunn to Oberricken 25 kilometers (felt like more)

We started our day with an excellent breakfast...hard boiled egg, meats, cheeses, bread, jams, yogurt, granola, coffee,and juice. After breakfast we said goodby to our host and hostess and stopped by the store and bakery across the street for some lunch goodies. We thought about taking the road around the mountain, but as we approached, decided to take the path and begin our day with our first of many uphill climbs. All morning we went up and down through pasture lands and some wooded areas before stopping to eat our lunch under a big tree on a knoll. One last downhill brought us to the last larger village before tomorrow. We stopped for an ice cream bar before our 300 meter ascent to a large Swiss home, with the flowers along the front, much like one would see in pictures. We actually passed many of these today. Our last several kilometers were walked at breakneck speed as thunderstorms were approaching and rain began to fall but we made it safely before the storms hit. The barn at the home has been converted to sleep four and has a large table for meals. It is very nice and quiet as we are the only two here. Dinner was great and we ate every bit. 

Day 2 - St. Gallen to Schwellbrunn 18 km

After a well needed night's sleep, we awoke to a leisurely morning in St. Gallen. A nice breakfast with somewhat proper coffee fueled us to begin our walking. .

A short stroll beyond the cafe and we were at the last remaining city gate to the monastery and we thought this would be a good way to begin. So we passed through the gate and walked across the monastery grounds and traversed through St. Gallen and then through a quaint suburb. Late morning, we found a Spar grocery store where we procured a typical pilgrim's picnic and found a quiet spot to eat. Tonight we are in a very nice bed and breakfast in Schwellbrunn and were able to arrive mid afternoon to wash our things and rest before tomorrow's walk which will be longer and with more elevation gains. We decided against eating at a local restaurant for dinner and instead gathers a few delicacies from a bakery and grocery store. Had some excellent cheese made here in the region. We ate out on a deck outside our room that overlooks the mountains. Clear views, comfortable temperatures, we are not sure it could be any better than this. 

Day 1 - One Long Day (or Was That Two?)

We flew out Monday from Charlotte to Altlanta and then Atlanta to Zurich over night, arriving at 8:30 am local time. All went smoothly and we were able to promptly catch the train to St. Gallen, our starting point for walking. But what to do from 10:30 am until 5 pm, the time we can get into the Pilgerhaus. First stop was the tourist office and then a long sit for a cup of coffee and quiche. Next up was to find a knife. We got a pretty nice one..of course Swiss...it is a Victorinox (single blade, not the multifunction typical Swiss). Eric, it is all yours. We just have to figure out how to send it home at the end of our time here. Exhaustion was starting to set in and wherever we sat down, we would start to fall asleep. We decided we should do a tour of the ancient Abbey Library of Gall and the Cathedral and Lapiderium. These are UNESCO world heritage sites and St. Gallen history dates back before 1000 a.d. It is all very interesting. We had a small early dinner and then to our hostel. We met Werner, a German, and the only other pilgrim here tonight. We attended to our daily chores and will be in bed alseep by 8 pm. 

It has been a long two days, but tomorrow we start our walk and we are looking forward to that.