Aosta Valley

The morning we left the pass started off cold. We had to take the road for about 4 km. until the trail was mostly clear of snow. The road is very windy and much longer than the trail, and there was frequent traffic, so we were quite glad to get off it as soon as possible.

We had ordered a pique-nique lunch from the Hospice, which was the equivalent of two meals and included a dried sausage link, a large hunk of cheese, 3 slices of bread, an apple, a banana bar, and, naturally, a chocolate bar.

In the little village of Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses, we were greeted at the local lavoir (water fountain) by a gentleman who stamped our pilgrim passports and documented the pilgrims passing through the community. Last year, he documented 94 pilgrims from the US.

The area around St-Rhemy-en-Bosses is known for its cold cuts, including prosciutto and other thinly sliced meats that are eaten cold. We were served these multiple times over the next few days.

In the town of Etroubles, we ran into Angus and Catherine again, but then we continued on to the next village, Echevennoz. There, we stayed at the ostello (hostel) at Trattoria Maietty, the local restaurant, where we also enjoyed a pilgrim meal with soup, meat kebabs, and fried polenta patties. Several other pilgrims that we had met in the past few days were also staying in this community, and the next day we walked most of the way to Aosta with Chris, the Californian. Along the way, we also met up with the New Zealanders and walked with them for a bit.

Walking was challenging this day. Not because it was far or especially difficult (most of the way was either via smooth dirt paths or on sidewalks), but because it was our last day and we felt done. Our destination, an agriturismo (farm stay) called La Viggni de Crest, is located on the outskirts of the city, about 10 minutes off the VF. We arrived early, around 2:30pm, and hoped that we would at least be able to set our packs down since it most certainly was earlier than the check-in time. Davide, our host, greeted us warmly and immediately showed us to our cottage. What a relief to take off our packs and boots. We were very grateful for the early check-in. We showered quickly and then sank into the hot tub, restoring function to our sore muscles and feet.

A stay at this bed-and-breakfast is highly recommended for anyone traveling in the Aosta Valley. We are staying in a small stone cottage in the middle of the vineyard, an easy walk to the hot tub, sauna, and swimming pool. Breakfast is served in the main building each morning and consists of a variety of local foods, baked goods, espresso or coffee or tea, and apple juice sweetened with local honey. There is a community hall for getting online, preparing one’s own lunch or dinner, or playing games. 

We are staying here for three days. Each morning we go into the city to shop at the markets for our food for dinner. In Italy, this must be done in the morning as the open-air markets end around mid-day and many shops close for several hours around lunch time, and have limited selections remaining in the afternoon. My limited French has been more useful here than in Switzerland, as many of the people that we have interacted with in Aosta speak French, but only a few speak English.

Aosta is a city of about 125,000 people, yet each day we have run into people we know, giving it the vibe of a local neighborhood. There is much to do here and it is well worth a visit of a few days. Highly recommended stops include the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, any of the ancient Roman ruins, a stroll down Via Porta Pretoria, and the open-air market at Mercato Halles (mornings only).