We have just got back from a short holiday
in the already familiar Valle d’Aosta. But it is nice to see the same places in
different light, and there are lots of new places still to discover in this
region of Italy.
Lago di Place Moulin is a place we visited
on our first visit, but it was still spectacular a second time around with that
incredible emerald water.
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| Lago Place di Moulin, AO |
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| Lago Place di Moulin,AO |
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| Lago Place di Moulin,AO |
I took what the guide book said was a
gentle assent up to the hut of the Guardia Caccia Reale, where one of the last
kings of Italy loved to go hunting, with catastrophic effects on the local
wildlife. The Gran Paradiso Park is now a protected national park. The gentle
assent turned out to be a strenuous 500-meter climb up the side of a mountain. It
was well worth the effort for the magnificent views.
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| Casotto del Guardiaparco, Valsavarenche,AO |
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| Casotto del Guardiaparco,AO |
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| Casotto del Guardiaparco,AO |
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| Casotto del Guardiaparco,AO |
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| Casotto del Guardiaparco,AO |
I had already seen the easily accessed
lower water falls at Lillaz near Cogne, so I decided to climb up the to the
upper falls. It was well worth it as they are far more spectacular than the
fist set. To get a nice photograph you have to do a bit of rock climbing to get
to the pool beneath the falls.
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| Lillaz;AO |
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| Lillaz;AO |
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| Lillaz,AO |
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| Lillaz,AO |
Valnontey also near Cogne is a favourite
walk which is also popular with the other members of my family because there
are no steep slopes to climb.
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| Cogne,AO |
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| Valnontey,AO |
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| Valnontey,AO |
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| Valnontey,AO |
I had glimpsed the little castle on top of
a rock outcrop at Oyace as we were going to Place di Moulin. It turned out to
be well worth the longer than expected climb up to it, with some spectacular
views, especially of the gorge that is hidden from the road.
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| Oyace,AO |
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| Oyace,AO |
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| Oyace,AO |
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| Oyace,AO |
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| Oyace,AO |
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| Oyace,AO |
Our visit to the Piccolo San Bernardo pass
was rewarded with an encounter along the footpath with a huge Saint Bernard
dog. A walk around the lake below the pass led to an encounter with some rather
lazy cows who were sitting down to eat.
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| Passo Piccolo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo Piccolo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo Piccolo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo Piccolo San Bernardo |
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| Lago Verne,AO |
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| Lago Verne,AO |
The distinctive castle at Aymavilles has
been closed for several years. The region decided to open the castle to the
public briefly for a few days. I was lucky to find a ticket to enter as there
was an incredible demand.
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
The frescoes are as curious as the
architecture of this medieval fort that was later filled with a Baroque
infill.
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| Catello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
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| Castello di Aymavilles,AO |
The Val Ferret is one of my favourite valleys
in the Valle d’Aosta, as you are right under the Monte Bianco chain. The power
of nature was very evident this year. A huge landslide triggered by a violent
thunder storm had caused fatalities a few days before and they were still
clearing away the debris. Further up a winter avalanche had flattened a large
area of pine forest. A reminder that for
all their beauty, the mountains can be lethal without much warning.
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
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| Val Ferret,AO |
I could not resist a lovely walk in Val di
Rhemes from the end of the road, up the valley towards the Benevolo refuge. I
have done this footpath several times, but I never tire of it.
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| Val di Rhemes,AO |
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| Val di Rhemes,AO |
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| Val di Rhemes AO |
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| Val di Rhemes,AO |
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| Val di Rhemes, AO |
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| Val di Rhemes,AO |
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| Val di Rhemes,AO |
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| Val di Rhemes,AO |
Gressan is a quiet little village just
outside of Aosta that very few visitors to the region ever visit. It is
surrounded by vineyards and apple orchards. But it has a rather curious church
with the leaning bell tower propped up with a flying buttress. I was lucky
enough to find it open and was able to see the fourteenth century frescos.
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| S. Maria Maddalena,Gressan,AO |
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| S. Maria Maddalena,Gressan,AO |
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| S. Maria Maddalena,Gressan,AO |
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| S. Maria Maddalena,Gressan,AO |
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| S. Maria Maddalena,Gressan,AO |
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| S. Maria Maddalena,Gressan,AO |
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| Jovencan,AO |
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| Jovencan,AO |
Another place we like to revisit is the San
Bernardo Pass. The twisty road is fun to drive the Alfa up in sport mode, but
one always encounters some slowcoaches who spoil the fun.
The views of the surrounding mountains are
wonderful.
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| Passo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo San Bernardo AO |
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| Passo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo San Bernardo |
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| The border, Passo San Bernardo,AO |
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| Passo san Bernardo,AO |
Like most regions in Italy if you dig into
the local guide books, or just explore, there are always new surprising things
and places to see. What will we find next year?
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| Ollomont,AO |
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| Ollomont,AO |
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| Valsavarenche,AO |
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| Valsavarenche,AO |
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| Val Savarenche,AO |
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| Over the gorge,Pre Saint Didiier,AO |
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| La Pila,AO |
