I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least – and it is commonly more than that – sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.
- Henry David Thoreau, Walking, and the wild (1851)
We left Gioia, our lovely Canadian/Swiss hostess with an Italian name, after a hearty Swiss breakfast including not only bread and jam and coffee, as in France, but muesli, fruit and yogurt. We passed through the village of Romainmotier again, then out the other side and into the forest. 7.5 kilometres on a lovely forest trail brought us to Sarraz, where we stopped at the café by the municipal swimming pool. Once again I had an ice cream sundae as my second breakfast! 😄
Walking out of Sarraz we caught our first glimpse of the Alps in the distance, looking like an insurmountable barrier!
We followed the Venoge stream through an agricultural landscape, including fields of wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beet (or Swiss chard?) and strawberries! I must admit I sampled two or three of these. Only in Switzerland could strawberry plants growing right next to a public trail still have fruit on them! 😄
We eventually left the stream to climb the hill to Cossonay, a charming village indeed but... not sure it was worth the climb! We wondered if we couldn't have just followed the stream all the way to Lausanne... but we stuck to the Via Francigena route, which is not marked as such here in Switzerland but marked with a yellow lozenge, a yellow sign with a pilgrim outlined in black, or the words "Tourisme pédestre". Tourisme indeed!! Huffing up a steep hill surrounded by sheep and cows is not what I call tourism. In any case, at the top of the hill we found a pretty village with a very welcoming church: it has a corner set up with armchairs for pilgrims to rest in, and a stamp available for the credential.
We decided to save our knees for the Alps and take the funicular down from Cossonay to Cossonay-Penthalaz train station, where we caught a local train for three stops into Lausanne, as the hotel in Cossonay was very expensive but Vidy campground in Lausanne offers a special deal for pilgrims. For only 20 francs each, we have a miniature "bungalow" with double bunkbeds and a kitchenette!
We met Hans and Corine at the campground, and went out for a beer with Mick, who had stopped for a couple of nights in Lausanne. Tomorrow Elaine will take a day of rest, while Audrey and I will take the train back to Penthalaz and walk the rest of the way into Lausanne.
So we're not "officially" here yet! 😄
Today's accommodations: Camping Vidy
Romainmotier - Cossonay/Penthalaz 19 km
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