Pierre Corajoud’s recommendations
| Pierre Corajoud in front of the most beautiful tree in Lausanne. Parc de l’Hermitage, 19.11.2008 © LV / Johann Besse. |
|  | You could say that Pierre Corajoud is more of a citytrotter than a globetrotter. The people of Lausanne needed him to leave his hometown of Lyon (where he was born in 1969) to move to their city at the age of five with his parents so they could have the pleasure of discovering its mysteries and its greenery, valleys, hills and stairways. At nearly 40 years old, Pierre Corajoud has forged himself a solid reputation as a “close-to-home adventurer”. And since this collector of new places has recorded his pedestrian explorations in eleven pocket-sized editions, we’re not hesitating to rename the collection “Dreams of a healthy walker”. His steps and his words earned him the Prix de l’Eveil in 2008, worth 20,000 francs, which was presented in October by the Vaud Culture Foundation.
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| «I suggest that everybody should forget the functional side of life and say to themselves: I’ll leave my house for five minutes, for one hour, for the entire day. It costs nothing and it’s accessible to everyone all year round.» |
| | For you, Lausanne is A surprising city because you can enter it on foot along routes that only go through areas of dense vegetation. For example, to get to the city from the north, you pass by Le Flon, then the Sauvabelin forest and after that the countryside around the Hermitage. In terms of green cities, Lausanne is ranked second in Switzerland after Winterthur. Every neighbourhood has a bit of green. The city abounds with nameless spaces and little areas of greenery that I'd love to make popular again.
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| | City strolls The happiness of chance This is a hard one because I’m a semi-professional stroller. I suggest that everybody should forget the functional side of life and say to themselves: I’ll leave my house for five minutes, for one hour, for the entire day. It costs nothing and it’s accessible to everyone all year round – although I prefer winter because it’s the calmest season. Lausanne’s Far West Sample West Lausanne and cross the city from north to south, from the Campagne du Désert to the Square d’Echallens and the Promenade des Molasses. This is a part of the city where we tend to see only problems, when in fact it’s filled with wonderful things. The Hermitage countryside If I could only preserve one spot in Lausanne, it would be here, with its subtle play between interior and exterior. The Bugnion family, the historical owners of the area, planted trees leaving just enough space for a view of the city. This is where you can find the most beautiful tree in Lausanne, a weeping beech, along with a magnificent English-style garden. Behind the property are a vegetable garden and a section of real countryside that is mowed twice a year. Since the spot is a bit out of the way, there are very few visitors.
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| | Landmarks Le Bar-Tabac My landmarks include only a few bistros since I’m often on the road. But I like this spot because of its timeless aspect. It has salvaged furniture and a full range of newspapers and magazines. The staff are nice and the atmosphere is relaxed. La boulangerie Grin, at 66 de l’avenue du Valentin I live down from the train station and it’s worth making the trip for their traditional leavened bread. Le pêcheur d’Ouchy This is more of a man than a place: Serge Guidoux, the Ouchy fisherman. When I’m out walking, I simply have to stop and see him; we’ve taken plenty of trips through taste together. His cold-smoked and hot-smoked fera is a real treat. La Bavaria, la Bossette I have to be honest and put this in the past tense: I liked going to both places for the odd beer once upon a time. Now I have a daughter aged three and a half, I don’t spend as much time in these places. |
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