16th May 2014 – 21km from Montjovet church (in Berriaz) to Bard
Today I decided to try out my poor feet again & they stood up to, but not without some complaints…, 21km from Berriaz (where the church of Monjovet is – I can confirm this as I heard the church bells peal at midnight!) through Verres and then through several little villages (all beautifully clean and well-kept with gardens & flowers everywhere) to finally Hone and then to Bard where I am spending the night in a **** hotel! Who said the pilgrim’s life had to be dull? When I got to Verres I tried to find a grocery shop & got many directions in the bar where I had my cappuccino so ended up going into the “municipio” (town hall) to ask for a map and ended up with the local police assisting me…also had tried to reserve a hotel in Hone but the number was wrong so asked them to check this number. Upshot of all this was that one policeman had walked to Compostela 2 years ago & the general opinion (after finding the hotel didn’t exist any more) was that I should walk much further as this was just too near (I did advance that I’d already walked 8 km to get there) and then another woman knew of this wonderful hotel with excellent restaurant but they decided it would be too expensive for a pilgrim…so I said “how much?” So she called them & I negotiated a “pilgrim’s” discount of €10 so I’m here & so glad to be, as are my feet! I’ll be tucking the serviette under my chin as soon as the restaurant opens at 19h30!
Another beautiful day weather-wise (although it clouded over for a couple of hours in early afternoon & I was worried about a storm but brilliant sunshine again now) & fabulous scenery what with the mountains on each side of the valley in high relief and the beautiful Dora Balthea river accompanying me all the way. Everyone has flowers growing! Roses, irises, rhodos, peonies, geraniums, Spirea bushes, etc and then all the wild flowers and red poppies everywhere. Everything is so green before the heat of summer. Saw many people, mostly older, out planting & discussing their vegetable plantings.
I have come down this valley many times in the car but am now seeing it with new eyes from ground level instead of from the autoroute – I often thought it was enclosed and a bit depressing, perhaps I saw it more in bad or overcast weather -but it is beautiful and seeing these beautiful little villages appears to show that the people make a quality of life for themselves. Anybody I’ve asked for information etc has been so helpful and welcoming.
From what I’ve seen so far I can tell you
1. It will be a bumper year for cherries
2. that many Italian women smoke
3. that every second Italian drives with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding the “telefonino” to the ear
4. that as well as many impressive forts, castles and churches all down this valley there are so many small and medium-size enterprises (all impressive and well-maintained offices and factories) mostly concerned with the building, quarrying, construction and related industries everywhere. No wonder so many of the people of this valley went north to work as masons and builders in Switzerland (like my friend Giacomo Schiagno) Businesses such as these, mostly apparently locally-owned, are the backbone of the Italian economy.
5. Local industry looks prosperous & there are many renovations of old buildings going on (as well as new buildings being built)
6. Every house has a barking dog, often looking very ferocious, but fortunately most of them are either fenced in or chained up (am not sure whom or what they are protecting…)
7. There are video-surveillance cameras EVERYWHERE ( same previous comment applies here…) For any of you who may think of coming to walk with me, I now have a full “foot” pharmacy and can cater for any eventuality…stocked up with more Compeed today although am not sure how my current bandages are doing but am consulting various experts in Geneva for advice… Sorry this is so long but am using this as diary – haven’t had any profound philosophical thoughts yet as I have been busy encouraging my little feet to keep going, and they did speed up when they thought the hotel was near..
“Do a good job and let others talk”