And Then There Was One… Yet Again!
Last view of a startling mountain peak, the text book horn. Ever changing, it’s been a delight to finally get to Zermatt and observe the Matterhorn (Annemarie, it’s not the Eiger!).
It was that odd in between time this morning as we waited to leave the hotel and get on to next things. Annemarie has new places to go and familiar people and family to reconnect with. My mind was on the next stage and the details to get to the start of Stage 20. New people to meet, and what about my Italian language skills? Will I remember anything?
Last time we separated during a long Camino was in 2018 while we were walking our Camino For Alzheimer’s Awareness. We laughed about what happened last time when Annemarie departed after 900 kms and went north to Holland. She found warm days with glasses of chilled wine while I walked on into increasingly freezing temperatures with snow many days and ended up with a severe case of sinusitis. She is again travelling north today to Holland, but we are definitely not looking for a repeat this time! No et no! It could be wet at some points as I climb through the Alps and even close to freezing in the morning at the top (2478 m), but the weather forecast is for hot days once I get back down into the Aosta Valley at 586 m. Rain when it’s warm is a whole different matter: )
We also made this sort of separation in 2017 while walking in Japan when Annemarie departed (also on good terms) after 400 kms of the 88 Temple Walk. I walked on though a bit lonely for a few days. So we’ve been down this road before. The first few days can be an adjustment, but then I’ll settle into the rhythm of a different sort of walk. An Adventure!
We came down from Zermatt to Lisp where we said our goodbyes and jumped on trains going in opposite directions. I’m now back in Martigny waiting for the short train ride part way along the route. There was a slide about 6 weeks ago that closed the VF forcing walkers to train or bus around it. I knew I’d not get started on the stage until after 12:00 today so I decided to continue the train ride to Sembrancher.
Looks a bit lonely, right?
After arriving I started with a bit of food I’d ‘found’ at breakfast, some cheese and a fresh bun. I enjoyed this while sitting on the stairs of the little church in Orsieres in the cool shade.
Then I started walking. As advertised fairly steep, but clearly my two days of high altitude training kicked in😂
The Swiss always set up benches in the best places!
This church tower is Romanesque and dates from the 13th C.
Tonight I’m staying in a dorm on the third floor of a hotel. I arrived to find that I have the 4 bed room all to myself! And the window opens! Of course there is always a drawback, over top the train tracks!
However the price is right, for Switzerland. I can have dinner and breakfast here as well. All good. My view.
A few more days and I’ll be in Italy which will get progressively less expensive as I move away from the mountains.
Lots of day hiking groups walking here. Six just arrived for refreshments. Now 3 more.
It won’t be long until we are chatting about hiking. However, I’ve showered already and they haven’t😬
Tomorrow I continue up to Bourg-Saint- Pierre. Just 14 kms, but I’ll gain over 1000 m (about 3300’). Should be a fun day if the weather holds. Not a bad first solo day!
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