Day 18: Orbé to Cossanay

From Orbé to Cossanay

Date	10/04/19
Today's Distance:	18 miles / 29 km
MapMyHike	Relive
Total This Camino:	160 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1275 miles
Hostel/Albergue:	Hótel le Funi @ 110$

The weather was probably the most important factor today. It was cloudy and threatened to rain all day.

There were occasional sprinkles, but the rain held off.

That did mean that I had to break out my cold weather gear. So I walked a lot of the day with a hat on, gloves and balaclava around the neck.

Notable memories

Yesterday I didn't meet any other pilgrims on the trail. Today started the same way.

Then sometime in the afternoon, I walked past a hiker at a shelter but he was on the phone so I didn't stop to say anything. Later I stopped into the town of La Sarraz to have coffee.

Just as I was finishing the coffee and was getting ready to go, that guy came along. We started talking, he's Dutch but speaks English, and then we started walking together.
His name is Antonio. We walked for probably five or six miles.

I had to stop to eat something from my pack. He pressed on.

I don't know the term for it, but I'll say he's a vagabond hiker. He prefers to sleep in the open, like in a shelter. He lives way more out of the backpack, than I do. Maybe someday I can try this kind of hiking, but even though the hotels are killing my wallet, I'm not ready to give up being inside a building at the end of the day.

Orbé River

Lots of Forest today

Romainmôtier

The village, which lies on the Nozon River, has about 450 inhabitants. The town has a notable Romanesque Church. 

La Venoge 

The river was turned into a channel.

Couple of guys I saw along the way

Cossonay

The steeple is a distinctive feature of the town.

Not a typical hiking bedroom.

What I'm having for dinner.

Church steeple

Day 17: Ste Croix to Orbé

From  Ste Croix to Orbé

Date	10/03/19
Today's Distance:	13 miles / 21 km
MapMyHike	Relive
Total This Camino:	142 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1257 miles
Hostel/Albergue:	Hotel de Mosaiques @ 110$

My first day in the Jura Mountains

well, I thought I was in the Alps today. But I subsequently found out that I was in the Jura mountains. Well, although disappointed, it's not a big deal. Because a couple of days after I leave Lausanne, I will be climbing the Swiss Alps.

When shopping at 6:45 p.m. for some groceries. Everything was closed. ??? This sure isn't Spain.

Not pulling in any deep memories or issues. It may just be this is going to be a hike that's about hiking, and that's the limit of it. I think that's okay.

The body is starting to feel a little beat up. Got a knee issue going on with the left side. Not major but enough to slow me down.

Notable memories

Ste Croix

Small town in the Jura Mountains in the far west of Switzerland

I'm hiking the Jura Mountains.

Some of the trail markers

From the Jura to villages to forests to farms to vineyards

Couple of panoramas

Day 16 to 17: Santiago to Lausanne to Ste Croix

From Santiago to Lausanne to Ste Croix

Date 10/01/19 to 10/02/19

Transportation EasyJet @ 200 eu
Hostel/Albergue: Airbnb @ 75 chf
Taxi: 20 chf
Train from Geneva to Lausanne: 30 chf
Train from Lausanne to Ste Croix: 30 chf

Made it to Lausanne, Switzerland.

Pretty good flight and pretty good travel. Just some of the usual things that can happen.

In the airport in Santiago I was selected for special screening, on a random basis.


Got into a verbal argument with a guy at the boarding gate in Santiago because he was being a real jackass with the service personnel. But he kind of apologized in the end.

Met a nice woman, while boarding,  who had just completed the Camino Frances. She was very proud of herself and I complimented her on her accomplishment.

On the EasyJet flight, I joked with a Spanish lady about the availability of free drinks on an Easyjet flight. We both had a good laugh.

My bags were delayed coming off the plane, but no biggie, because I used the opportunity to talk to several people at the airport, and I discovered that many folks do speak English here so that eased my mind.

The taxi driver in Lausanne ripped me off for two Swiss francs. Lol.

Xavi is my Airbnb host and he's a really nice guy. Very friendly, very welcoming. Speaks only Spanish, but that's okay because we're communicating well anyway.

Just made an interesting discovery that my online guide may have a big mistake. The destination in the title is not the same destination as in the map. I would have walked to the wrong town, or at a minimum been seriously confused in the middle of the stage. I need to research this more.

The travel from Lausanne to Ste Croix was pretty easy. I had to pay close attention, but it pretty much went without a hitch.

Stepped off the train, sorted things out for a few minutes to get my general feelings, found the trail and with my guide on my phone and my eyes to the posts, started my Switzerland Camino.

Notable memories

Price sticker shock has hit. Starbucks latte and cookie $10. Hotel in my first stop is $110. I always knew Switzerland was going to kill the wallet, so this is the new experience for me on a camino.

I  think that the big thing I need to talk about is the decision about where to begin my hike.

I have talked with the staff at two tourist offices here in Lausanne, and based on their information, I have decided that the easiest transportation arrangements will take me to St Croix, which is in Switzerland, and I will begin my hike there.

I had considered starting my hike just across the border in France, but it goes from needing only one transfer, to needing three transfers. And I think that's just a little too much aggravation.

Had I gone into France, I would have needed one more day of travel. As it is I will take the train to St Croix tomorrow morning, and start hiking.

Lausanne

It is a pretty city, and I am enjoying walking around. Don't have a whole lot of time to explore in depth.

Interesting architectural style

The city is actually built on a series of hills and valleys, approximately five or six.

 Night time walk

Day 15 Santiago de Campostela

Santiago de Compostela

Date: 09/30/19

8:30 am: cafe con leche, zumo de naraja ( orange juice ) and tostada. Whether hiking or relaxing, this is the way to start a day in Spain.

9:30 am: English mass at the office of Pilgrim Support. It was a beautiful service in which all the pilgrims got to tell their name, where they're from and what camino they walked. Many more people than I expected were there. The mass was friendly, open and inviting.

11:00 am: made reservation to Geneva, Switzerland. Confirmed bus stop and hours and cost to get to Santiago airport.

11:30 am: office of Pilgrim Support English language support group for some coffee, cookies and talk.

12:30 pm: tour the museum of the Cathedral of Santiago.

2:30 pm: huge lunch - menu del día, with wine

3:30 pm: booked lodging in Lausanne. Nap time.

4:30 pm: tour the Cathedral of Santiago Pórtico de Gloria. Inside it has an epic sculpture representation of the Second Coming from the 13th century.

6:00 pm: churros con chocolate at El Muelle. Then a walk through the new and old parts of Santiago.

8:00 pm: packing bags. One more walk and maybe a beer. Maybe I'll unexpectedly run into a Camino amigo.

Notable memories

I enjoyed this Camino. perhaps being part of retired, is not having the pressure of The external world has regards work and responsibilities in their life.

 Twice on this Camino I stopped early simply because I wanted to.

I could have completed this Camino in two fewer days.

But I chose to do otherwise. Without having to rush I could pay more attention to what was going around me, simply by slowing down.

Interesting cloud formation over Praza do Obrodoiro

Trying to figure out what this guy is doing there.

Cathedral of Santiago tour

The spires of the Cathedral in the midst of the internal reconstruction

Burial site of Juana, Queen of Castille, who died in 1387 at the cathedral.

The view from the top of the Cathedral museum

Praza do Obrodoiro ( Workers' Plaza )

Panorama from top floor of cathedral

Parque de Alameda

Evening walk

 Choir underneath the cathedral Bell tower

The Cathedral looks magical at night.

I like hanging out at this place.

Camino Amigo

I was just killing the rest of the evening by walking around some of the plazas and churches when all of a sudden, I get a message from a Camino amigo. Andres, who I originally met a day one of this Camino, had just arrived in Santiago, so with a quick arrangement we met up to have one more beer.

Day 14 Sigüeiro to Santiago

From Sigüeiro to Santiago

Today's Date:	09/29/19
Today's Distance:	10 miles / 16 km
MapMyHike	Relive
Total This Camino:	129 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1244 miles
Hostel/Albergue:	Airbnb @ 70$ / 2 nights

Reaching the Cathedral of Santiago

Notable memories

On the trail

6 mi to the cathedral of Santiago

Been raining all morning, sometimes just a mist and sometimes heavier.

Keeping a good attitude

This cow doesn't seem to mind the rain.

Final stop before the cathedral

Jesùs and I outside the Church of San Caetano. Our final stopping place before the cathedral.

Almost there

The spires of the cathedral. We're only about half a mile away now.

Camino Ingles is finished

Made it. Some 60 miles later, after days of rain and days of sun, after days in albergues and hostels, after hills and mountains and valleys, we stand here in front of the cathedral of Santiago

Jesús and I have a final dinner together before we go our separate ways. This is calamari also known as squid. We drank an entire bottle of wine between the two of us. Spain can be a dangerous country. Lol

The campostelas

My Irish Kerry Camino and Spanish Camino Ingles campostelas, along with my credentials for the two caminos.