Day 39 Yverdon les-Bains to Romainmôtier – 9th July
Distance: 23.1 km – Elevation +360 m -90 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 27 degrees
We enjoyed a good breakfast before setting out just after 7.30 am for our days walking to Romainmôtier. It was a clear beautiful morning as we left the town of Yverdon, and joined the path which ran alongside the canalised river Thièle. It was a lovely walk on grassy banks that would take us to Orbe, our first stop of the day. Just before reaching Orbe, we passed by the large Nestlé Technology Centre renowned for its expertise in coffee, beverage systems and cereals. It was here that the production of Nescafé commenced in 1938. A little later we found a bar/wine shop open where we stopped for coffee. The shop specialised in sauternes and had a glass floor viewing area of the wine cellars below where it had on show the largest bottle of Sauterne you will, most likely, ever see.
Orbe is situated high above the river valley and after climbing a long steep stairway we reached the picturesque town centre. After exploring the town we decided to enjoy a good lunch and found a small restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious plate of baked camembert and salad washed down with a glass of local wine.
After lunch, we continued on our way to Romainmôtier. We are still in the Vaud Canton and the Vallée de Joux and quiet roads took us through beautiful fields of sunflowers with spectacular views of the Jura. It was a wonderful walk that led us first to the small village of Croy where we found a village shop to buy food for our evening meal. We arrived in Romainmontier around 5.00 pm.
Romainmôtier is a medieval monastery town with the magnificent Romanesque collegiate church of the former monastery being the oldest in Switzerland. The church was built by Cluniac monks in the 10th/11th centuries on the ruins of a monastery dating from the 5th and 7th centuries, the earliest founding of a monastery on Swiss soil.
Our accommodation for the night was Champbaillard House, a self-catering guest house, which is owned and maintained by the Municipality of Romainmôtier-Envy. It has 28 beds, and we were the only guests! It is self-catering with a large kitchen and this is where Jean-Pierre prepared a pasta dish for supper.
It had been a most enjoyable day.
