Arrivederci Italia

Our last day in Italy took us west and north, through the Aosta valley. I have never been here before but was familiar with the scenery. Prior to travelling, and as part of my efforts to learn Italian, I had started watching an Italian TV drama, Ice Cod Murders on Channel 4"s Walter Presents platform. It centres around a Italian police inspector, who has obviously transgressed as he's been banished from Rome to Aosta. The character is surrounded by provincial colleagues who are all a bit clueless. All the stories are filmed in or near Aosta.

We had expected that as we got closer to the Alps and climbed higher the temperatures would cool slightly. This wasn't to be. We drove cross country, avoiding fast roads through rural landscapes with rice fields, spotting egrets and ibis as we passed by in the comfort of an air conditioned car. When we arrived in the city of Aosta the heat hit us, and the temperature had risen to 32°c. For a city surrounded by snow covered peaks this was quite a surprise.

Leaving the car in a multi storey car park which would avoid turning it into an oven we set off to have a quick exploration of this ancient city. The Romans established a  settlement here and the city has a number of ruins that remind us of their presence. 

The first thing we saw on arriving in the centre was the large city square. Piazza Émile Chanoux. One side of the square was dominated by the city hall or Hotel de Ville, a large neo classical building in cream coloured stone, built in 1839. A relative youngster in Aosta's history. 

Piazza Émile Chanoux, Aosta

We wandered through streets near the piazza to the ruins of the Roman theatre. Only a small part of this 2000 year old building is still standing and most is screened off at the moment. An archeological excavation was taking place and construction works obscured much of the view but it still impressed.

The remains of the Roman theatre in Aosta

Wandering through the streets we explored Aosta, grabbing a bite to eat like the locals. Go to lunch food is warm topped focaccia and/or large pear shaped arancini, with a filling.

Because it was so hot we hugged the shade, letting the shadiest streets dictate our route. We came across lovely piazzas, and more Roman remains. Aosta had a buzz about it. It isn't a picture postcard city, but there are hidden gems to be found, pretty churches and around every corner the backdrop of the Alps impresses.

After a few hours we carried on the the valley towards our final hotel in Italy in the village of Entreves,  just beyond Courmayeur. This is about as close as it's possible to get to the border without having your passport stamped. Our hotel sat under the bulk of Mont Blanc, with snowfields covering the summit and glaciers visible from the street. Our hotel was an alpine style building, very pretty and with wood panelling  inside, perched at the top end of the village.

Our hotel in the middle of this photo, with an impressive backdrop

Unfortunately it didn't do evening meals and the only choice was a restaurant about two minutes walk down the hill.

It wasn't the best dining experience. To start with the positives. The view from our table was exceptional and the locally brewed beer was good. We both ordered a three course dinner and the portions were enormous. Mrs B had a starter of vegetable soup...I reckon the equivalent of at least two tins of big soup. The service was comically bad, water being slopped on the table, no conversation from the waiting staff who all appeared to want to be anywhere but there. Food quality was variable and the drinks charges outrageous. 

Enjoying drinks...before the food arrived.

Another dining room with a view

We were sad to be leaving Italy but were able to reflect with pleasure on the wonderful places visited and the amount we'd packed into a short time. It was time to make the short drive to our next border crossing. This time, instead of going over the Alps, we were were going through them.