Published: 10.08.2026
Day 8
July 22, 2026, Via Jacobi: Einsiedeln (SZ) – Alpthal (SZ)
This morning, contrary to my usual habit, I stayed in bed for a moment longer. I was still a bit dazed, as wild dreams had haunted me throughout the night. Ghosts, gods, and otherworldly beings stormed, rushed, and merged with the reality we know. It's crazy what a monastery can trigger.
I was looking forward to a coffee and ambled leisurely into the dining room. I wasn't in a hurry today as I would be heading home in the evening before continuing my hike for a few more kilometers. In the dining room, I deliberately chose to sit next to the most grumpy-looking person. I was sure I would have my peace there. Early in the morning, I may feel good inside, but I just want to start the day quietly, without conversations. When I asked if the seat was still free, the lady, around 60 years old - what a surprise - nodded grimly. It was lovely; we both silently enjoyed our breakfast rolls with coffee until we woke up and eventually ended up having the 3 classic starting conversations: Where are you from, what are you doing here, and what’s your name? But no matter how hard I tried, I simply could not understand the lady. I apologized and insisted how sorry I was when it didn’t work out again after a third attempt. From then on, she made an effort to soften her Lötschental dialect for my sake. "You really ought to know Wiler!", she said curtly, and I became inquisitive. My neck hairs stood up, and my intuition was confirmed. It turned out that the lady had lost her entire home due to the massive rockslide in Blatten and now lives in Wiler. "Fortunately, no one was harmed. Except for one, that shepherd!", she reported. But he was to blame! When I interjected that in such a case, the question of guilt doesn’t arise as the shepherd was no longer with us, she replied: "True! It is what it is!" And I thought I detected a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. This breakfast demanded a second coffee, just so we could continue chatting, and I learned so many fascinating and very personal things about her tumultuous life. What a gift! Her biggest fear was that this wonderful village would be forgotten. While one carries memories in the heart, eventually everything will be forgotten. I assured her that exactly this village with its incredible history will never be forgotten. It will become one of the best-documented villages in Switzerland. She smiled for the first time.
Suddenly, a murmur went through the ranks, and it became eerily quiet. A monk entered the hall, and I whispered to her, asking who it was. She whispered reverently, "That's the abbot, essentially the king of the monastery!" Oh dear, either I was the only one who didn’t know this, or the others were all pretending to be wise? Behind him, another monk entered the hall: "That’s my brother!", she proudly announced, as she apparently visits her brother in the monastery for a few days every year. I let the abbot and the brother sit next to my new, no longer grumpy acquaintance, and we both bid farewell warmly. I will never forget her!
Before continuing on my pilgrimage, I took a good look around the monastery once again. This year, the monastery celebrates the big anniversary
