Romainmôtier to Puidoux

 

Romainmôtier is a beautiful town that was built up around its medieval abbey. We started the morning with breakfast prepared by our host, Gioia, then walked into the village. We found the church with its Romanesque sanctuary. Upon entering, we heard melodious singing coming from a small room off the nave. Five townspeople were holding matins there. We were warmly and quietly welcomed into the group for the half-hour service. Afterwards, one of the members recommended that we visit the chapel upstairs, reached via a narrow set of stone steps. The smaller space of the chapel houses a large 20th-century organ and seating for intimate services.

After this, it was time to visit the local boulangerie for almandine tarts, lavender-apple croissants, and tea and coffee. These were savored in the garden outside the abbey.

Today we walked the Via Francigena to the small city of La Sarraz. Along the way we came across an amazing field filled with barley and poppies. Kat was in heaven. The sun shone through the opaque petals, making them brilliant. We must have spent at least half an hour here reveling in the beauty of the poppies and the surrounding hillsides.

Otherwise, much of the trail was fairly plain, traveling several small country roads, as well as dirt paths through woods. We emerged into a modern section of the city of La Sarraz. I do not recommend planning to spend any time in this city. It does have a beautiful castle but many of the other structures were plain.

We heard our first cuckoo today!

From La Sarraz, we took the train to Puidoux, a small town outside the city of Lausanne, then walked to Crêt Bérard, a Protestant retreat center built by the youth of the region in the early 1950s. This hotel is designed to be a place of serenity, as evidenced by its lack of Wi-Fi except in public areas, its meditation pathway, and its simplicity.

Dinner in the restaurant was scrumptious. It was served buffet style and included a salad, chicken breasts stuffed with thin pieces of ham, roasted turnips, and a sweet potato purée. Several types of sweets were offered for dessert.

Afterwards, we were all spent and retired to our rooms to prepare for another day of walking.