Avenches, Moudon, Payerne, and Estavayer-le-Lac (3/14/1982)

Sunday, March 14, 1982

Train day pass

Again took the 7:52 train towards Bern. Got off at Lyss at 8:00 and saw the next train towards Lausanne wasn’t until 8:41. But there was a bus to Aarberg at 8:05 on Sundays. I boarded the PTT bus in front of the station and asked if my day pass was valid. It was, but the driver said he was not going to Aarberg. He would eventually get there, but the long way around via Lyss at 9:00. Maybe he forgot it was Sunday? I took a walk through Lyss in hopes of finding a typical old farmhouse to photograph, before returning to the station to catch the 8:41 train. We had a 15-minute stopover in Kerzers, as trains came and left from every direction at this crossroads. Another 15-minute layover in Murten. Finally arrived in Avenches at 9:40. Avenches is a small town of about 2,000 people that is on the site of the ancient Roman city of Aventicum, which had a population of 50,000! Headed out past the industries into farmland. A sign pointed me to the excavation of a Roman bath under a roof of red tile supported on wooden posts and tightly enclosed by a chain-link fence.

Roman baths excavation

Continued past someone’s private bird sanctuary with peacocks and a couple giant ducks. On the other side of a hilly mound, there was a stretch of fields with the remains of a wall on a further hill. I wasn’t sure how to get there. Came to a horse farm where a path of sorts led me up to the wall. The ground was wet and muddy with big puddles and “flash flood” streams. I mucked my way along the length of the wall to reach the Tornallaz Tour/Tower ruins, once an observation post and now surrounded with spotlights.

Eastern Gate and Tornallaz Tower

The path along the wall seems to be used as a motocross track; lots of dirt bike tracks. Still farther along the wall is the Porte de l’Este/Eastern Gate, which was a funny maze of walls. In the circular sections you could climb stairs up on the wall for a view out to the countryside, or turn around to look in to the countryside!

View of Avenches from the gate

I followed a road through the fields and woods, where people walked their dogs and kids rode bicycles, that led me straight to the Roman Theater. Kids were using it as their playground. A path took me to the Cigognier/Storkery (stork sanctuary?) which was more Roman ruins with a 40’ high pilaster/column.

Storkery and Roman Theater

Now I was on the edge of town, as I passed modern houses to reach L'amphithéâtre romain d'Avenches/Avenches Roman Amphitheater up on a hill.

Roman Amphitheater

The seating was partially restored with concrete. A few people were wandering around the place that once sat 15,000. I climbed to the fat tower (built later in medieval times) that housed the Roman Museum. Opened the creaking door and walked into the first level with sections of mosaics, parts of statues, and a stone carving of the she-wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus. I walked upstairs to meet the lonely guard at the ticket desk. He said I was the first visitor as I bought the 2 CHF/$1 ticket.

Musée romain d'Avenches/Roman Museum

Here there were coins and a case of small bronze figures of Roman gods. The guidebook made sure you noted the golden bust of Marcus Aurelius (closer inspection of the fine print stated this was a copy; the original is in Lausanne). On the next level was pottery. After I left the museum I walked through the old town to the Château de Avenches, passed the Hôtel de Ville/City Hall, then returned to the train station. There must be a military base nearby as I waded through a crowd of khaki-ed servicemen. Across the tracks you could hear the reports of guns at a target practice.

I caught the 11:28 train to Moudon. The conductor was a comic, joking with all the regulars. At each stop his job was to check his watch and blow his whistle to signal it was okay to go. We had a 10-minute layover in Payerne; oh, the thrills of local trains! Arrived in Moudon at 12:15, and the next train out wasn’t until 14:40. I hoped I could keep busy for 2-1/2 hours!

I followed the crowds of people under the highway into the old town.

Old town street scene

There were amusement rides and food stands that were closed at this time. There was a scattering of wildly-dressed people and a booming costumed band marched by and went into a restaurant. Late Fastnacht celebrations? Passed through an arch under the belfry of the large L'église Saint-Etienne/St Stephen Church (13C) to enter the town square full of food and souvenir booths, and people! To the right I found some dark medieval streets and to the left the bridge crossing the Broye canal, I mean river! From the bridge I was supposed to get a pleasing view of old houses with overhanging roofs, all backed by the Maison de Rochefort, Château de Carouge, and the ancient Broye Tower. I saw a disarray of old dirty buildings with bare walls of only a couple windows, none of which was backed by castles or towers, only a sort of roundish wall. Wrong bridge? Crossed the bridge and followed the river to a wooden bridge which led to a few buildings at water level under cliffs upon which the castle sits. Retraced my steps to the bridge back into the main part of the old town and headed up Grand’Rue, then Rue du Château towards the top of the cliffs. Passed a bombed-out looking building, then a rotting farmhouse squeezed between medieval tenements. A plain square building with painted shutters housed the Musée Eugène Burnand, showing the works of a local artist. From here you could look down on the bare roundish wall which was the Broye Tower. A bit farther was the Musée du Vieux Moudon Rochefort/Museum of Old Moudon which was located in Maison de Rochefort with Fontaine de Moïse/Moses Fountain out front.

Fontaine de Moïse/Moses Fountain

Across the street was a renovated building, now a school, but it was formerly the Château de Carouge! Going back down the hill on the other side of the castle, I passed some old gray buildings, one covered with antique antiques. Back down in the old town, I found my way blocked by barricades with a man selling tickets for the Fastnacht parade. They really are behind schedule in Moudon, which actually is known for the craziest Fastnacht parade. But I wanted to catch the train, and walked around to St Stephen’s, and found myself inside the barricades! As I waited for the 13:43 train, a girl sat next to me and asked the time in French. I showed her my watch. She asked if I was traveling. “Oui.” She asked a few more questions that I could answer with “oui” or “non.” When she learned I was a physical therapist, she said I should get a job in Lausanne. But I don’t speak French. She said I could learn at Migros. Good idea! (Since that was exactly what I was doing!)
She also told me the parade would last two hours, but it didn’t start until 14:00. On the train I could see the château/castle and chapel complex on the hill over the town of Lucens. Before that I had seen billboards along the highway inviting you to visit the castle, but with a poster across one corner saying it was re-opening in April. At 14:00 I got off in Payerne and ran into the old town to see the Église réformée Notre-Dame de Payerne/Reformed Church of Our Lady and castle, but notably the Église abbatiale/Abbey church which was once used as a barracks, and as a hay loft. It was being restored and had a Romanesque look.

Hurried back to the train station to catch the 14:20 train towards Yverdon that took us through the hills to Estavayer-le-Lac by 14:30. Walked through a residential section to the old town. Down a side street I saw two boys on roller skates who had set up a line of miniature traffic cones, and they were weaving in and out of the cones, crossing their feet between every other cone! This fair-sized city is on Lac de Neuchâtel/Lake Neuchâtel, but you couldn’t see the lake from the old town. Found myself at the rear ramparts and passed under one of many towers. The Église Collégiale St. Laurent/Collegiate Church of St Lawrence was closed for renovation. Found the Musée communal/Local Museum where you had to climb the stairs to the second floor (third in U.S.). A bell jangled when you opened the door so that you couldn’t sneak in without buying a ticket! I paid the 2 CHF/$1 and signed the guest book.

Local museum ticket

I started in a room filled with cases of weapons; a great variety and great number all jumbled together. I saw an old map and looked for the sights to see in town and how to get there. Another room was filled with books, religious objects, jewelry, ceramics, and other assorted junk. A stairway led down to a restored kitchen and in the back room a man was loudly telling about a Japanese visitor who loved this museum, or this room. There were many displays using stuffed frogs dressed to play the part of every day life in 19th century Switzerland, such as students in a classroom, a family at dinner, soldiers, etc. There were a few stuffed birds and a few paintings. A stairway led to the ground floor with a room full of railroad paraphernalia like signs, lanterns, signals, etc. I was properly overwhelmed and left. Next to the Château de Chenaux.

Château de Chenaux

I entered one tower that led to a bridge or rampart bringing you to another tower. Exiting this tower I returned to the castle on a path through the former moat. From a park overlooking the front ramparts you could look down on some new houses and muddy flats. The lake looked far away and the Jura mountains were covered with clouds.

I walked down through town to head for the lakefront to try to get a general view of Estavayer-le-Lac.

Estavayer-le-Lac general view

After some promenading along the lakefront, I went to catch the 15:53 train to Fribourg. As we headed south, I suddenly saw the long panorama of mountain tops along the horizon. I had never seen so much to either side of the familiar Jungfrau trio of Alps! Arrived in Fribourg at 16:30 for the 16:45 to Bern. The train was crowded with people from the Geneva Auto Salon/Exposition. You could still see the very clear alpine panorama, so when we arrived in Bern at 17:10, I rushed to Parliament to get a photo. At that time of day the view was already dimming, but it is the best view I had ever seen in Bern.

Alpine panorama

As I headed back to the station, someone in a pale yellow Renault waved and asked in English if Ii was going to Biel. It was the Kinderspital receptionist, Barbara S. She was with her friend, Ariane, and they drove using the local roads to Biel. Just when I thought I had too much of the smoking, they would quit for a while. They played mostly Neil Diamond on the cassette player. Barbara invited me to come for dinner at her apartment in Vingelz, that had a great view of the Bielersee/Lake Biel, and today of the mountains. She had a one-room apartment with a bed alcove, a kitchen and bathroom. As Barbara started making dinner of a spicy spaghetti, I looked at her photo album of her visit to Cincinnati and Ariane played with the guinea pigs, Mona Lisa and Leonardo da Vinci! Pineapple slices and homemade chocolate for dessert, along with cookies and coffee. They played me a record of a Swiss singer who sings all her songs in English, and a record of songs in dialect. At 20:00 I was dropped off at the hospital, while the two of them went dancing. I fell into bed.