Another beautiful day. A day along the Aosta valley, just short of 30km, 1000m elevation and 30+ degrees. Although I finished walking more than a couple of hours ago and it is after 6pm, it is still over 30 degrees. Thankfully there is a slight wind.
I wrote most of this post sitting in a launderette, waiting for my clothes to wash and dry. This is the most expensive and dirty laundromat I have encountered whilst walking – very wet clothes after the wash and even 2 cycles with the dryer wasn’t enough to dry things that normally would dry with one cycle.
After a decent breakfast together with many other local walkers, I set off through Chatillon. It is Sunday morning and some, mostly older people, were on their way to church. After a small climb through the town I was soon on small back roads, with views of the lower Alps. The day was a mix of small, often steep, ascents and declines and a mix of back roads and dirt paths, elevated from the valley below. I could see the river and the autostrada running through the valley, generally parallel to the path I was following.
I met quite a few different people today. First off a tree sculptor. He make figures out of trunks of wood, similar to those I have passed for the past couple of days. A rustic figure, as he calls the ones on the picture, take a week, a few more days if everything needs to be sanded down. I then met a couple from Italy living on the Italian side of the Lugano Lake. They walked short trips and they were very interested in what I was doing … and why.
I took a break for lunch next to the church overlooking Nus. I only had water and dry biscuits – I didn’t pass a bar, cafe or restaurant today, until I reached Aosta, today’s destination.
In quick succession I chatted with two American ladies walking to Ivrea and yet another Dutch couple who walked from home – they started from home, but realised that they wouldn’t make it to the Grand St. Bernard pass before it closed, and therefore took a train to the pass and have now decided to continue after Rome to the south of Italy.
Like yesterday there were numerous castles and forts that I passed. Walking towards Castello di Quart I met a Belgian guy on his bike with a trailer, taking a rest on his way towards the castle. It was however in vain, as the castle was closed for restoration. I took a tumble as I misjudged the height of a step up onto a bridge. I’d just put my camera away, so I was lucky as I landed on my hands.
The Belgian guy had told me I was walking too fast and should slow down. Perhaps he was right, as I was feeling tired, probably thanks to the heat. There was some shade as I walked along a tree lined path. Whilst taking a second rest about 7km before Aosta, I spoke to an English lady who had an hard day yesterday coming down the mountain. She told me that nobody really enjoyed the trip down from the pass. She assured me that it would be easier going up.
A few 100m before reaching downtown Aosta, I finally met the Swiss man who several people had told me was walking in the same direction as I – and was earlier a day in front of me. We chatted. He had walked to Rome, then Florence and was on his way home. He lived in Martigny 2-3 days away and was looking forward to coming home after being away for almost 4 months.
I had dinner at a restaurant recommended by the hostel I am staying. It was very nice, but perhaps a bit more than I was expecting, but I was too tired to walk around and there are many tourists, so the restaurants fill quickly.
And now I wait in anticipation and trepidation for tomorrow’s climb towards the Grand St. Bernard’s pass.