Eva on the Via Francigena (and beyond)

Song of the Day: Bloom — Paper Kites

I love the opening to this song, fingerpicked on guitar — I think it embodies the experience of watching sunlight flicker over the water, a common part of my today. I had it on repeat by the lake and in the vines until it got too hot and I needed to focus on finding water.

The song is pretty repetitive so no lyrics today — go listen and you will see.

Today may just have been my favorite day on the Via Francigena so far — but also was proof of how detrimental the heat can be. I managed to leave just after 6:30 despite a late wake up, and at that point the sky was still a deep blue, with the lights of towns across the lake still twinkling in the distance.

As I walked along, the sky began to shift to a light pink and then orange, the Alps ahead of me caught in silhouette. Swans and ducks paddled silently, creating v-shaped waves in the otherwise still water. And the water itself, cool and perfectly clear, lapped against the shores. Looking back behind me toward Lausanne, the blue of the lake faded into the blue of the morning sky, making it impossible to tell where the two met.

The path was flat and I was making good time, except that I would stop every few minutes to snap pictures of the lake and mountains. It was unbelievably tranquil and so, so beautiful. But it was also already warmer than it had been during morning in the Jura, the lake acting as an insulator for the land nearby.

I made my way into Lutry’s old town for a brioche au sucre, purchased from an old boulangerie with chairs and tables spilling out onto the cobblestone street, where patrons were having their morning coffees and reading the paper. One of the lakeside parks had lounge chairs like those in Laon, and I took of my boots and reclined, enjoying the view as I ate. Behind me a man did tai chi, and some early-morning swimmers jumped off a pier and swam laps. I really love Switzerland — it is so hard to beat in terms of natural beauty.

Following Lutry I continued for awhile on the lakefront, where the paved path turned into a balancing act on a narrow concrete ledge above the water. The path then took a hard left turn, up some steps and re-joined the main road that circles the lake. From there I crossed the road (luckily still quiet at this hour), and despite missing the initial turn-off for the path managed to successfully make my way onto the route through the famous terraced vineyards of Lavaux.

These hills were first planted with vines by the Romans, but wine cultivation here is most famous due to the Cistercian monks who planted vines on these terraced hills in the 12th century. These grapes are said to ripen in the warmth of the “three suns”: the actual sun, the reflection off the lake, and the warmth emanating from the stone terraces. The grapes grown here are predominantly Chalessas (an aromatic white grape) as well as Pinot Noir, and some Gamay, Pinot Gris, and other French varieties.

The walking through these vineyards in the morning was truly spectacular. Up to my left were steep terraces that the idea of climbing seemed impossible — in fact, there were various mechanisms in place to help move things up and down the mountain during harvest. To the right, the lake almost glowed a brilliant blue, and picturesque villages periodically dotted the landscape. It was absolutely stunning, and I was overwhelmed at times by the beauty. I was very sad to walk this section alone, as I know Nathan would have loved it — but I made sure to text him the names of the nicest towns that we could return to.

Around the town of Rivas, still 2 hours out from Vevey, I really was starting to feel the heat. I had my sunglasses on, of course, and was wearing my bandana (doused in a cool fountain) on my head to cool off. But even so the sun was unrelenting and I was struggling — the three suns may be great for grapes, but not so much for pilgrims. In the town of Saint-Saphorin I stopped to refill my water, only to discover all of the fountains were dry. The official VF took an extremely steep climb out of town. I got partway up to an intersection with another trail and thought about what I would do — the official route continued even further up, gaining more elevation and views but presumably with more sun and heat. I was starting to feel a bit sick and the idea of this was unpleasant, to say the least. The other path descended down towards a road — I decided to take that path. The road was not ideal for walking (presumably the reason the VF skipped it) but only a few cars passed, so I was fine. At the bottom of the road I decided once and for all that I couldn’t do any more vines. It was too hot and I felt too poorly. So, I crossed the main highway and walked along a not-very-inspiring road near the lake which had the benefit of the occasional tree for shade.

The heat wave has been going on for awhile now, certainly over a week, and I am really starting to feel the effects of it. I can’t really walk more than 12 miles or so in a day before I start feeling really very ill — not fun and also not ideal given my route planning should have me walking longer stages by now. And worse, the heat means that by the time it’s around 11 or so, all I am focused on is trying to find shade and water, and finish the walk as quickly as possible — I am not at all appreciating where I am. I was disappointed and frustrated to have to divert from some of the most beautiful walking I’ve had in a month in order to find shade — if it had been 10 degrees cooler, as it should be, I would have had no problem with the vines. I vented my frustration to fellow pilgrim David, who had posted a few days ago about also being wiped out from the heat — he was sympathetic and we are both looking forward to the heat breaking.

Finally I made my way into the outskirts of Vevey, where I skipped my plans to have a road sandwich and instead plopped myself at a “beach bar” on the lake for a burger and a ginger beer. It was very good — prices of course were ridiculous, but I desperately needed the real food. Feeling refreshed, I made my way into the heart of Vevey along the waterfront, where it seemed the whole town was enjoying the hot Sunday in the public park: swimming in the lake, sunbathing, riding stand-up paddle boards, hosting barbecues. It really is a very high quality of life here, it seems.

I walked a quick lap of Vevey, got a stamp, and then with still 45 minutes until my ferry decided to go for a dip. To be clear, I don’t have a swimsuit — I just have so little shame at this point that I don’t care if the whole population of Switzerland sees me in my underwear. It’s close enough, anyway. So, I brought my pack to the lakeside, stripped down, and ran into the water where a few others were swimming. To be honest, it didn’t seem super clean (so I kept my head above water), but I was too hot to care. I put my walking clothes back on and boarded the ferry, which was a fantastic choice in the end. It was relatively inexpensive for the 30 minute ride to Montreux, and the view of the towns and mountains from the water was spectacular, and one that I wouldn’t have gotten walking.

In Montreux, I dropped my bag off at Sam’s hotel (did I mention Nathan’s brother is joining me for the next few days?) while he worked and headed out to explore the town. It was still so hot, so this consisted of another swim, a quick walk by the lake, and then relaxing and writing with a glass of Saint-Saphorin red wine and some ice cream.

I checked in at the Youth Hostel and met two of my three bunk-mates, who seem like reasonable people (I had a surge of dread remembering my backpacker days and realizing my roommates might be out at the club until 3am. Fingers crossed the remaining one is similarly inclined). I also met a girl around my age who works as a Product Manager and has been traveling around while working remotely — I was jealous of her job set up, and she was jealous of my pilgrimage, so we swapped notes a bit.

I had the best intentions for dinner tonight of eating a salad from the grocery store — however once I got into town I realized the shops closed early on Sundays, and the small convenience store didn’t really have ready-to-eat food. So, I opted for a final beef tartare at a waterfront restaurant, which in the end was delicious and well worth out. Here is to saving money tomorrow — which, by the way, promises to be long, hot, and with minimal shade. Just great.

Final mileage: 12.08mi
Walking time: 5h 26m
Elevation gain: 755ft

Accommodation: Montreux Youth Hostel. Located in a quiet area of the city just on the lake, which is very nice and easily accessible to the center. However — and I know the heatwave is unexpected in September — it is brutally, miserably, hot in the rooms. Just the addition of a fan would help immensely.