Burier to Aigle

Mr Melezet
Aug 24, 2020
2 min read

Smoke on the water

It was cool overnight but we slept well and were out by 8.15 for a 20k ish day. We will be leaving the lake at lunchtime to begin our climb into the alps.

The eastern part of the lake as we approached Montreux was full of large houses and grand hotels. There are plaques and signs for the many notable people who have lived here, from Byron and Tchaikovsky, through Chaplin to Freddie Mercury.

We got a stamp at the Montreux tourist office and climbed the hill to the place they recommended for breakfast. Coffee and bircher. There is a Queen tribute wall at the new casino which replaced the one that burnt down.

The walk around the lake was easy but we made slow progress as there was so much to see. There were fewer beaches and ports, but even rocky sections had steps and showers for swimmers.

We stopped for lunch at Chateau de Chillon which sits on an island on the lakeside. As well as being beautiful it had great wifi. Wifi is precious as mobile data is extortionately expensive here.

Today's date: 22.6.20

Weather: cloudy

Steps: 34,300

Distance: 21.54 km

Climbing: 185 m

The via leaves the lake at Villeneuve and we said a sad farewell. The route up the valley runs mostly alongside the railway. It is definitely on the 'functional' part of the valley and we passed lots of factories and recycling facilities.

We also passed a shooting range. It was actually good to be close enough to see what was going on. If you could only hear lots of rapid gunfire you would wonder what was happening.

Camping de la Piscine - Aigle

A modern campsite in the middle of the sports area of town. It is next to the swimming pool and has wifi, new toilets and a shared dining area with chairs. We are surrounded by mountains, vineyards and football pitches.

There's no comparison with the terrific campsite of yesterday, but it is still a first-rate campsite.