Walking with Others

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Yesterday I walked from Vevey to villeneuve with a stop in the castle for a visit before taking the train home. In the process we walked about fifteen kilometres along the lake. This was an easy pace for me. It was slow enough for my heart rate to be at seventy eight beats per minute, while walking, rather than over a hundred when I walk at my pace.

For me this was a stroll but I thought I could hear the others short of breath. it surprised me since the walk is an easy one by my standards. The other thing that was curious was how some people were dressed as flanneurs, rather than walkers. They were dressed to be seen. I was dressed to hike.

The other thing that surprised me is the number of aquatic sports. Paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, skulling and more. It felt more like being by the seaside with this variety of sports. Of interest is the temperature, not that far above freezing.

Three things struck me about the Chateau de Chillon. The first is that it’s bigger than I remember. From the exterior you don’t realise that it has an inner and outer court. The second is that it is a cold building. It has many fireplaces but none of them are active and there seems to be no heating so the parts that can be visited are at ambient air temperature.

The third thing of interest is the shimmering of the light on the walls and ceilings at this time of year. It’s a scintillating light. Autumn light is lower to the horizon, hence the effect.

And finally, despite walking at a slower pace than usual, to see a castle I hadn’t been in, for years, I still walked over 29,000 steps and felt knackered. Sometimes the workout is related to duration rather than effort.