45 days to go

Starting to get organized by downloading accommodations into Dropbox. Hopefully this will lighten our load by not carrying as much paper as we did last year. Also trying to be a little smarter when it comes to having maps downloaded on the mini iPad. After a few four and five hour hikes with our packs things are starting to feel familiar again. Due to the legs I am going to go as light as I can and Charlotte as well. Trying to get used to working on the blog with the mini which is a little different to use.

March 31/2013

We had a small discussion about whether or not we should continue with our pilgrimage to Rome this coming fall. Charlotte mentioned that this is the first time that her hips are starting to bother her. Also the anxiety of not knowing what lies ahead when it comes to finding accommodations and food along the route. The other issue mentioned was going over the col Bernard pass. Those were Charlotte's mentions and concerns. My feelings are that we have to be somewhere and we have never been to Italy, so why not start out and see what happens. If worse comes to worse, we can always find a villa somewhere and chow down on pasta and vino. Wow, what a default.
I think it is only fair that we give it our best effort and see if we can make it to St.Peters square to see that guy Francis. It is five months before September so a lot can happen by then but we can start making plans for our flights and making a list of accommodations along the way. At least in France we had some language skills but in Italy it will be strictly translator app.

Day 40 No more walking Geneva/London/Cobble Hill

It is difficult to grasp that we won't be walking this morning. It seems like that was part of our life for so long. Having 10kg on your back can seem normal along with wind and rain. Now we are anxious to be home and have a roast beef dinner, peanut butter and our own bed. We are going sight seeing in Geneva today until our EasyJet flight to Gatwick in the pm. Our stay at the Marriot at Gatwick south was very good and it was only a 10 minute walk to the terminal. Air Transat's A330 AirBus was a great flight as we had heard that they could have problems but with the exception of getting away an hour late
everything went well. After a very long day we arrived home Thursday evening. We ran into Melanie on the MillBay ferry and she gave us a ride right to the house.Needless to say we are exhausted but happy to be home.

Day 38 Walking October 22 Croy

Madame had perhaps the best breakfast so far and that is saying a lot because we have had some good ones. Freshly squezzed orange juice along with ham, home baked bread, local cheeses, home made jams etc etc. The churches here are different as we leave Catholic France to Protestant Switzerland. The day was warm right from the start and we were in t-shirts and shorts all day. The temperature must have gone to at least 25c. We followed the track as laid out but got lost in one or two places where it wasn't clear. Every time we went around a bend it was another picture of serene Swiss life. We went by a farm and the farmer came out and asked us what we were doing and where we were going. When we explained we were Canadians walking the ViaFrancigena to Rome, he indicated that he was Jewish and pointed to the Israeli flag he had flying. He said that Canadians are friends of Israel and he wished us well. We walked on knowing that we had a place to sleep and the walk was quite easy.
Around noon we came to a village and asked a lady we met if there was anywhere to eat, she replied no but a few minutes later she appeared and asked us if we wanted something to drink. When we replied yes, she asked us to follow her and she took us into her yard and up to her patio. She brought out glasses and three kinds of drink. We declined her offer of cheese and bread but we had a nice conversation in English, with her. After walking through the woods we arrived inRomainmotier and had lunch in a restaurant. We had plat de jour of mashed potatoes and sausage along with a small and a grand beer. Afterwards we went over to the Abbey in town that has been there for 1500 years. We went into the reception area and were fell upon by German tourists who couldn't believe we were walking the ViaFrancigena. They showed us brochures about it and asked where we were from and our ages which was very different. I gave him my pack to pick up and he asked if there were rocks in it. After they took pictures of us they wished us well and left.
The Abbey must be one of the most tranquille and spiritual places we have ever been. Prayers were said for Derek and we were off along the river to find our bed in Croy. We walked along until we found some workers and they indicated the house to us. She is not a regular chambre de hote but is a few houses down from the regular one who was booked up. She speaks only German but showed us our room and the key for outside etc. Charlotte kept her company while i slept. As I sit in the window writing this Charlotte and I have opened a bottle of the local recommended red wine with local cheese listening to the cow bells clanging beneath us with the
river flowing by the house. Perhaps a better ending to this 40 day adventure could not have been written. Tomorrow is our last day to walk. Our stay tonight is with mme. Erica Baudois, 6 Chemin de la Foule, Croy, 0244531362
@ 40 Swiss franks each including breakfast. Madame made quite a thing about us locking up the house when we leave and later we looked around and she was nowhere to be seen. She could have been locking up the fox in the hen house as she has never seen us before.

Day 37 October 21 Les Echampes

As usual lately there was a last minute change in plans and Francis and Coby are going to walk with us part way for some exercise and to get a feel of the path. We saw a chamois(large deer that is protected ) on top of a rock outcrop. We walked along an old rail bed and eventually along an active rail bed with a restored train that runs during the tourist season and only once a week in the off season. About 11.30am they left to go back and we carried on to Hospitaux Neufs. We had a cold beer and fish dish with rice outside a restaurant with a very warm sun. We carried on through Jougne to the Chapelle St. Maurice one of Segeric's overnight spots with a seventh century crypt and down the road to chambre de hote in Les Echampes. We arrived at 3pm and shown our chalet with bedroom and common lounge, eating area. The price is 65e with petit de jeune and it is very nicely done like a ski chalet. Madame Petitquex has phoned and made arrangements for us to stay in Croy at a chambre de hote. The address here in Les Echampes is Les 4 Monts, 1 Rue Reservoir. wwwmaisondhotesdes4monts.com.
Madame has also asked another couple here if they would drive us to Jougne to eat dinner and they have agreed to take us there and bring us back as they are going anyway. Tonight at 7pm we met Patrick and Francois and we went into Jougne to the restaurant. We had a great steak dinner and Patrick insisted on paying for the caraf of white wine so our salad and dinner was 33e for a very good meal at the Post Restaurant. Patrick also let me in on tipping in restaurants and bars in France. It is not a big thing and the change from the bill or some small coin is sufficient in most cases. Patrick out of the blue tells us that he was in Canada at Portage La Praire and Edmonton in the winter when he was in the French Air Force training there. Another day went by where we were helped on more than one occasion by the French people. We are literally only 200 meters from the Swiss border.

Day 39 Walking October 23 Cossonay

Madame made a very nice breakfast for us and we were away by 8.30am.
The weather was quite different than yesterday when we were in t shirts and shorts. We had a heavy fog covering the valley with a coolness to it.The walking was relatively easy with not too much uphill. There were a few times when we were uncertain about some paths but the Swiss have good trail signs. We arrived in Cossonay about noon after walking in fog with only 50 's meters visibility. We phoned Francis and he agreed to meet us here at 2pm to take us to Geneva to stay at Coby's
house. We took Francis and Coby
out for dinner tonight and had a great meal. We are staying with them at Coby's house in Geneva.

Day 36 Walking October 20 Pontalier

We started our day with Francis again driving us to our last walking spot. This wasn't to be as we were going to say goodbye to Francis but he came down in the morning and said, why don't I drive you one more day and pick you up, so that was what we did. It was up the road from Oulan into the forested area. It was up a fairly steep grade and Francis parked the car and walked for 30 minutes with us up to the upper level and we said goodbye. We walked through Pontalier and had our phone loaded up with time before going into Switzerland. We walked for 6 or more hours including the walk up to the chateau and down the other side. The weather was above 25 degrees and it was shirts and shorts and easy walking on old rail beds etc. Francis has researched the area and his walks have been some of if not the very best we have done. There has been few roads and many interesting areas for walking. We arrived back at the house about 7.15pm and got supper ready as it was our turn to do do. Francis's partner Coby arrived from Geneva and we all enjoyed a great evening of food and good conversation.
Tomorrow we have a reservation for a chambre de hote nearly right on the Swiss border. It will be with full packs when we leave in the morning and no more picking us up to stay in Nans with Francis.We have been here four days now and it is getting very comfortable so it us time to move on as we only have three walking days left.