Aigle to Saint Maurice 31st May 2017

31st May 2017

Aigle to Saint Maurice - 14kms

The good news is that it didn't rain - the bad news is that it was therefore hot and muggy. For the next two days we have opted for short treks to save our strength for the "assault" on the Great St. Bernard Pass, which itself is going to take over two days!

The walk today was in part a continuation of yesterday, following the railway tracks in the direction of Saint Maurice. However soon after we started to walk along the left bank of the Rhine river which was quite swollen and fast flowing, an indication that the snow in the mountains is beginning to thaw. Along the way we met Chris, a French pilgrim heading for Martigny.

We arrived in Saint Maurice just in time for lunch, accompanied by the usual beers. After lunch we visited the Basilica of the Abbey of Saint Maurice d'Augune. The Abbey is the oldest continuously active monastery in the western world, having inaugurated the tradition of perpetual prayer, a tradition that has lasted for 1500 years without interruption! We are now booked into the Hostellerie des Franciscaines and will set off for Martigny tomorrow morning.