Giswil to Brienzwiler, 21Km and 830m up
We shared a delightful pilgrim house last night in Giswil and delightfully cheap, just 30 francs each. The Hay Loft cost 50. There was no catering so we visited the local Coop to buy beer and food and then Claudia and Silvia transformed the ingredients into a superb dinner, breakfast and packed lunch. And then they reverted the house back into its original condition before we left this morning. I don’t know what we’re going to do when they go home on Sunday.
Almost every stage of the Swiss Camino is described as “difficult” and today’s was no different. It’s a stage that I was looking forward to walking because we cross the Brünig Pass (1000m). It was here in 1972 that I jumped off the train during a month of InterRail and went for a walk on the high pastures and was soon lost. Somehow, more by fortune than skill, I managed to find my way down to Brienz but the area has filled me with trepidation ever since. That experience taught be a lot about walking in the great outdoors. It’s also close to Meiringen where Sherlock Holmes met his death although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle reluctantly brought him back due to public demand.
In the event, we had another fine walk without incident. More fine weather, great scenery, a good picnic and even a mid morning cappuccino.
Tonight’s accommodation is another pilgrim house with two rooms of 5 beds each and the cost is 40 francs including dinner and breakfast. It’s more expensive than Spain or virtually anywhere else but it’s just about affordable for pilgrims on their way to Compostela. There is one other pilgrim staying here; a young German woman following the same trail and walking alone to find herself. It’s why people go on pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage 
Like the cat sign. Maybe we should get one for Mac
Hope you saw the cat in the background
Hi Tim
I ‘m very happy to read your post and see your photos again
I send your post to François,he lives in Auvergne not far away le puy en Velay.
Sleeping in the hay is a good expérience dixit Didier. He did this when he worked with the horses 😉.
Hi Huguette, welcome along. The Auvergne feels like a very long was away at the moment!
Is the sign warning that the pilgrims need to take care not to run over the cats or is it that the cats are dangerous?
I thought at first the cat sign was a joke, mimicking the “Beware of the dog” signs but there are too many so I guess they are put up to protect their furry friends. I’ll have to get one
Love the katzen sign with the cat in the background. No free accommodation on this route?
Hi Roger, it’s a great sign! I wonder if anyone sells them in UK
Wow…stunning scenery & great pics Tim (love one caption in particular ⛪ 😉).
Seems all those chapel/church visits have paid off & you’ve been blessed with fine weather.
Not wanting to make you look ahead but at what point do you cross paths with the VF? Must be coming up soon? That’ll be a special moment…
Yes I remember we stayed in Lausanne on the way to Rome and it was World Cup Final day.
Awesome scenery. Beware of the cats though. Just walked a mike back from Waitrose with the shopping in a back-pack…nearly creased me!
I would also be creased. How many cans of beer did you buy in Waitrose?
spectacular photos. Lakes and mountains, grassy hills, snow capped alps – sublime. Love the cookout pit – is it still used? looks like it?
where is Paul? I assume Paul Buck?
It’s amazing scenery. I met Paul earlier in the spring in London but he’s not on this trip. He’s planning to walk the other direction across Austria. He’s already done this one! Hopefully he’ll write a blog this time