Aosta, Italy

Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Our family immediately fell in love at first sight with Italy. What felt like the longest tunnel ride in history, from France to the Italian border, couldn't deter my excitement for the first time I would lay eyes on Italian soil. If you don't know our story, Kevin was born in France. I moved from Michigan where the only foreign country you frequently hear about is Canada. If you're from Michigan you probably use the term "foreign country" for Canada loosely, because they are next-door neighbors. In Florida the homegrown Florida native is more rare than an expat. I always dreamed of Europe and specifically France and even more specifically Paris. I love France and everything about it. My roots, however, are Italian and something inside started singing when we reached Italy and I tried to memorize the landscape.

The Mont Blanc Tunnel

Chamonix, France is a whole other post, it is intense in every amazing way and should be on your must see list. The fiercely jagged Alps in Chamonix are in your face and magnificent. These mountains are like none we've seen in the states, including the Rocky Mountains. This picturesque backdrop is one you will never forget.

Making our journey from Chamonix to Italy, we made our way to the 11.6km (over 7 miles) long tunnel that will guide you from France to Italy. The toll for a round trip pass is €53 about $62 USD. There are strict rules to follow both for your safety and to save yourself a hefty fine while using this passage. Inside the tunnel cars must stay 150m away from the vehicle in front of them at all times. Fear not, there are blue lights along the length of your travel to help keep you at this distance. The speed limit is 70 km\hr (45mph). If you creep up on the car ahead of you past those blue markers or speed one mile over that speed limit prepare for a flash from the camera snapping a pic of your license plate. Then expect a ticket in the mail.

On the note of driving abroad, brush up on your foreign road signs. It is vital, especially in Italy, if you are driving yourself around to know these placards. You can see a very helpful post on international road signs here. Also check out this post about ZTL restricted driving zones in Italy. If you pass one of these signs, it's too late. Expect a ticket in the mail.

Mountains Majesty

There is no shortage of awe-inspiring views when you're near the Alps, whether they are Swiss, French or Italian. Even our littlest was enamored with the setting and constantly shouting things like “Daddy! Look at those mountiains!” “WATERFALL!” “Mommy! A castle! A castle!”

We made our way to our temporary home we found on Trip Advisor the night before. We headed up the winding road, turned the corner, and pulled into our destination. This was the view after parking our car.

Someone pinch me. Encompassed by mountain peaks and surrounded by beautiful architecture, greenery, and a distant view of the town below. The church that we would pass with every departure and return from our little apartment sang to us. We would listen carefully every half and full hour for those angelic bells from the steeple. From our backyard we could peer out at the panoramic view of Aosta. We felt like we could reach out and touch the snow capped peaks. This is our favorite spot to date. Not a tourist spot, moderate hustle and bustle. Filled with historical treasures to explore and real life Italia.

Aosta is a small Alpine region in the north-west of Italy. It shares its international border with France and Switzerland. Aosta is the smallest and least populous region in Italy. Valle d’Aosta means ‘Valley of Augustus’, after the Roman Emperor Augustus who seized the area for its strategic mountain passes.

Downtown Aosta is full of history, shopping, and some amazing food. We made more than one trip downtown because there is just something magical about it. The architecture, the doorways, the mountain views everywhere you turn, this is a slice of heaven.

Food

And speaking of slices, we had some of the best pizza pie ever consumed! And for less than we would pay at a drive thru in the states for a family of five! We also made two stops at a local gelato shop partly because it was the creamiest and most flavorful dessert, and partly because again for $8 USD all five of us could get a double scoop! One of the nights Kevin ran to the local grocery and came back with a pretty amazing bounty for $40 USD! We found Aosta not only beautiful but very affordable! We have learned very quickly in our travels that we prefer non-tourist areas. That does not mean you won’t find us making a day trip or two to Milan or Rome, but our main stay will be where we can live (and shop\eat) like a local.

As I said before history is rich in Aosta, which lends greatly to its charm. We purchased passes for the five of us to tour the local ruins all within walking distance of the downtown area. The Roman presence of Aosta’s past is marked by these breath-taking landmarks you can leisurely explore at your own pace. Highly recommend taking time to visit these relics and take some beautiful pics with your family as well. If you plan to visit museums check the hours ahead of time if you can.

Mondays are typically akin to Sundays in the states with many establishments being closed. Sundays may have shortened hours so this would be the only “planning” ahead we would suggest. Except for eating. Restaurants\shops grocery\musuems\banks you name it typically close up shop for the afternoon. The midday siesta, or riposo may be from 12-12:30 until 3 or 4. Some restaurants don’t open again until dinner at 7 or 8. PS “Bar” is a café- so if one is open head on in! Just beware of pricing differences that may be present for standing at the bar to drink your coffee and sitting down to eat your pastry. Prices are posted-- al banco meaning the price for consuming a beverage at the bar or al tavolo meaning the price at the table. Smaller town bars often may not vary with table charges.

Another trip to Aosta is most certainly in our future. I hope our love of the area was conveyed well enough! We truly had one of those experiences you just want everyone else to encounter as well!

TOP TIPS FOR NW ITALY
• Stay away from the crowds (try a less touristy area and save some $ as well as enrich your experience!
• Italian Espresso is NO JOKE Kevin and I ended up awake until 4AM one evening due to an accidental one too many caffè espresso.
• Get out there and explore by foot (and I’d recommend comfy shoes). We stumbled into an information center downtown and ended up getting pointed in just the right direction. We ended up in Cogne on a 3 hour hike that was a memory we all cherish!
• Keep your itinerary flexible. You never know what you may find or if you’ll accidently (and happily) end up on a 3 hour hike in the Italian Alps
• Pay attention to the time and make sure to keep snacks on you just in case!

Noah’s Tip: Eat the pizza. Whatever you do eat the pizza.
Annabelle’s Tip: Notice how the people use the beautiful fountains for drinking water. It’s mountain water and it is so good-try it!
Felicity’s Tip: Get the purple ice cream! (Lavender Gelato)