Jura-Nord vaudois District, Switzerland Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler I think I’ll Walk
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- Jun 6, 2023, 8:01am
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 558 m
- Switzerland Vaud Cossonay 46.612027, 6.51005346°36’43” N 6°30’36” E
Day 6
Day 3 Orbe to Cossonay
June 6, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
What a beautiful days walk. Most of it was through beautiful peaceful Forrest. 500m elevation in the first 2hrs. What a way to start. Found a great lunch spot in the Forrest. The shaded path was very much appreciated then it was down through vineyards to the river and mostly flat or down hill until about 5 km from the end it was out in the hot afternoon sun … and uphill. One tick and one dead mouse today. An excellent view from my hotel window of the French alps on the far side of lac Leman. Pretty tired so an early night for me. 26.6km 7hrs17min.Read more
Traveler Are the tics on you? I don't think I would know what they look like Do you flick them off?
6/6/23Reply
Traveler They initially look like little black spots. But if u rub it you notice that it moves a little. You take them off a little like a bee sting Eg avoiding pressure on the body . Pick them off with tweezers at the base so they let go.
6/6/23Reply
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Traveler Hexatrek
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- Jul 6, 2023, 1:03pm
- ⛅ 18 °C
- Altitude: 1,120 m
- Switzerland Vaud L'Abbaye Le Pont L'Aouille 46.663333, 6.34166746°39’48” N 6°20’30” E
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Day 31
Mont Tendre
July 6, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Big day today. Passed 30km for the day including some big elevation metres.
Currently camping on the highest point of Swiss Jura. Magnificent views of Alps and Mont Blanc. Beautiful but intimidating.
Started at 6.30am after underwhelming sunrise. 2 coffee stops and 4 and 12km. Banked on a restaurant marked at @25km. Just a farm house. never been a restaurant so disappointing.
Made up for it just now with magnificent dinner at mountain cafe. now camping near by.
And more ticks sadly.
Also photo of milking shed. look at home in TakakaRead more
Traveler Gutting to be expecting a restaurant lunch and it not eventuating! Glad you made up for it at dinner time 😊
7/7/23Reply
Traveler Is that a tick that can give Lyme disease.
7/11/23Reply
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Ellen Mihaljevic chasing winter
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- Oct 15, 2023
- ☁️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 668 m
- Switzerland Vaud Romainmôtier Ancienne Abbatiale clunisienne Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, Romainmôtier 46.693329, 6.46086146°41’36” N 6°27’39” E
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Day 17
Lausanne and Romainmotier
October 15, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Exploring Rural Switzerland:

Went to a Cow Bell Festival in Romainmotier (very cool and very very good food), followed by a visit to the towns monastery, which is the oldest in Switzerland, built in the 3rd century CE. Later in the day we went to some caves right near the French border.

Fun Fact of the Day: I will update with pictures from this week soon I promise 😉Read more
Traveler Nice storm water drain. Seriously.
10/17/23Reply
Traveler Was it smelly in there?
10/17/23Reply
Traveler So what was the "very very good food"?
10/17/23Reply
Ellen Mihaljevic I had a soup de chalet, which was like a vegetable soup with cheese, and the bread that came with it was also very good, had a smoky flavour from being wood baked.
10/18/23Reply
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Traveler Via @ 70
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- Aug 20, 2023, 8:14pm
- ☀️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 500 m
- Switzerland Vaud Orbe 46.736195, 6.53252346°44’10” N 6°31’57” E
Day 39
Orbe 18 miles
August 20, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
My hostess warned me at breakfast that today would be hot and so it proved. Started with 150m of gentle climbing and then it looked like downhill the rest of the day. Wasn’t quite like that but enough downhill to make my feet hurt. The soles of these shoes are wearing thin and so I feel every small stone especially on downhill sections. Only got a couple of days in them before the cavalry is coming bringing replacements as well as all sorts of other goodies like more contact lenses, another wee tube of toothpaste etc.

Stopped at a supermarket at the first village to get something for lunch. Thought it a little strange that although the village was small the supermarket was massive and the large car park was packed. On a Sunday morning? Twigged after a while that a large proportion of the cars were sporting Swiss number plates. I was less than 5 miles from the Swiss border and folk were coming across to stock up.

Bought a litre of Orangina, some bananas, cookies and Snickers. A healthy diet. Sat outside in the car park looking like a complete dosser while chomping away. Little disappointed that no one offered any money. Didn’t even give me a second glance. Maybe they are used to pilgrims.

Nothing much to the Swiss border but I was amused how the narrow gravel path in France became a full-blown very smooth road in Switzerland. Amazing what unlimited money does.

Before crossing the border I had visited my last French cemetery to stock up with water. None to be seen anywhere. Bit upset as I had finished my supplies in anticipation. Had a further 5 hours of very hot walking to do without any liquid. After reaching the campsite I have drunk 5 litres and will take another litre in to the tent with me.

The campsite was next to a large outdoor swimming pool which had a restaurant. Fab. Had to sit inside where it was boiling because it looked like every outside table had at least one smoker. Smoking seems just as trendy here as it is in France.

Prices were fairly scandalous. I went for pasta carbonara and a large bottle of water, being about the cheapest on the menu but still got through 25.50SFr. Ouch.Read more
Traveler We are near Briancon just now Stuart and it’s got noticeably warmer last 2 days. Like you say, it makes a huge difference to get your ascent walking done early. Also saw similar with your pilgrims accommodation and where we staying in Refuges and Gites for the GR routes. There seems to be no consistency and you never know what you are going to get! I guess it’s all part of the experience. Bonnie journee!
8/21/23Reply
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Traveler I think I’ll Walk
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- Jun 4, 2023, 7:55am
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 1,078 m
- Switzerland Vaud Sainte-Croix 46.821969, 6.50093546°49’19” N 6°30’3” E
Day 4
Day 1 Pontarlier to saint Croix
June 4, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
First day on the trail and it has given us everything from beautiful calm cool morning at 7am start with fantastic views and sunshine turn by lunchtime it was full on rain with thunder storms sheltering in a bus shelter for a lunch break and we were only 15km into our 25km day. Yes you guessed it it was uphill in a serious way to finish the day.
707m elevation, 23.5km 6hrs 14 minRead more
Traveler Are you walking alone Carolyn
6/4/23Reply
Traveler Awesome pics Carolyn sounds like our weather here
6/5/23Reply
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Traveler Hexatrek
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- Jul 5, 2023, 11:30am
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 1,101 m
- Switzerland Vaud Sainte-Croix 46.823333, 6.50546°49’24” N 6°30’18” E
Day 30
Our refuge last night
July 5, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Interesting time last night. Thought we would stay in accommodation so we could shower and charge devices.
Made two mistakes. Didn't ask the price or inspect the facilities.
No shower. No power for charging. 35 Swiss francs per person with breakfast so @$60. And all in cash.
Nice dinner though and met a lovely Danish couple. Michael and Christine. Also doing the Hexatrek. Unfortunately Michael had hurt himself so they stopped today.
Supposed to see great views this morning of Alps. Attached is photo of our view in the rainRead more
Traveler Nice selfie !!
7/5/23Reply
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Traveler Via @ 70
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- Aug 19, 2023, 9:14pm
- 🌙 22 °C
- Altitude: 1,088 m
- France Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Les Fourgs 46.833313, 6.40621946°49’60” N 6°24’22” E
Day 38
Les Fourgs 8 miles
August 19, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Only 8 miles today but it did pack quite a lot of hills into that. Even with the latest permitted departure from the youth hostel of 10am and a bit of sight-seeing on the way I arrived just after 1.30pm. I was hopeful of getting something for lunch but it was like a ghost town. Several shops and restaurants closed. Looked a mixture of closed for good, closed for a while or just closed for a 4 hour lunch. One shop said open and the door was indeed open but when I went inside you only accessed a large vending machine which sold big dods of cheese or cold meat. Nae bread.

Luckily, just as I was giving up, I noticed a bar which had someone moving inside. Went inside and asked the jimmy if they were open to which he seemed to reply he wasn’t. But just in case, he asked what I was after. After a short (because I don’t know much French) conversation he agreed to make me a sanny and sell me a litre bottle of lemonade. Magic. He did produce the largest sanny I have ever seen. I think he had cut a loaf in two and then filled one half with a massive chunk of pate. Threw in a couple of gerkins and a tomato and there you go. He did charge 15€ for the pair but then again it would have done your average family of four for a perfectly adequate lunch.

Slightly disappointed that I couldn’t get into tonight’s pilgrim’s hostel straight away, just had to wait outside for an hour and a half. But I was very early. These places are amazing. You have no idea in advance what to expect. Every one is different. This one is a couple’s house rather than being a separate, rather dilapidated property that they often are. I am in a spare bedroom and would share the toilet and bathroom with them but they have gone to sleep with their grand-children in another property they are building nearby. Only charging 26€ a night so they aren’t doing it for the money. No overt religious signs so they just seem to like pilgrims. Seen it frequently that pilgrims as a group are welcomed by individuals or communities, possibly because of historical connections, in a way that tourists certainly aren’t.Read more
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Traveler Oldtimertour nach Frankfurt
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- Feb 12, 2024, 8:44pm
- ☁️ 5 °C
- Altitude: 522 m
- Switzerland Vaud Lausanne 46.524947, 6.62621246°31’30” N 6°37’34” E
Day 12
Lausanne
February 12 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C
Auf unserer Ibis Tour sind wir in Lausanne gelandet. Vor dem Essengehen mussten wir uns erst einmal Deckungszusagen unserer Hausbanken einholen. Herrgott in Frankreich muss ne eigene Bank gehabt haben. Landschaftlich toll, das Essen hervorragend und hat so viel gekostet wie mein erster Gebrauchtwagen 1973.@Read more
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Traveler Oldtimertour nach Frankfurt
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- Feb 13, 2024, 10:04am
- ☀️ 5 °C
- Altitude: 432 m
- Switzerland Vaud Chavornay Essert-Pittet Etang de Pré Bernard 46.723469, 6.57029446°43’24” N 6°34’13” E
Day 13
Bis nach Straßburg zur letzten Übernacht
February 13 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C
Wer Angst hat, dass sein Bankkonto überlaufen könnte, ist in Lausanne in sicheren Händen. Eine Kreditkarte ist gleich abgefackelt, die zweite konnten wir noch zum Tanken löschen. Letzte Station unserer Ibistour ist Straßburg. Sehr schön hier.Read more
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Traveler I think I’ll Walk
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- Jun 5, 2023, 9:27am
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 483 m
- Switzerland Vaud Orbe 46.73011, 6.5316446°43’48” N 6°31’54” E
Day 5
Day 2 Saint croix to Orbe
June 5, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The day started with a really nice breakfast of home artisan bread with coffee of course. Not feeling too bad after yesterday and hiking in the rain. Mostly walking down hill with 900m descent and only 230m ascent.
A day walking through forest where I saw 2 deer, along a Roman road , walking through farmland with cows with bells on ( I find the sound quite soothing surprisingly) and then through vineyards with the grapes just starting to form. The other thing i quite like is the wild flowers tend to be predominantly red poppies. Arrived in Orbe with tired legs and sore feet. 23.02km in 6hrs 26minRead more
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