Italy 2026 - Day 7 - Bergamo to Valle d'Aosta

After a couple of cups of coffee and a very inspiring conversation I said good-bye to Monica and took to the road. Google Maps told me I would arrive to Champoluc around 1 pm, but I am not a fast driver and I was going around Milan at the time of morning traffic, so I assumed I would get there at 2 pm, which was just about right.

For some strange reason the autostrada, which was running pretty fluid, would form a traffic jam for no good reason whatsoever, and I would crawl for 10 km when, again mysteriously, the traffic would pick up. In that way, in stops and starts, I reached the foothills of the Italian Alps and entered the Valley of Aosta, named from the main town in the province. I left the visit to Aosta for later in the week and turn after turn, I entered the steep mountain road that climbs up the center line of the valley, until I reached the mountain village of Champoluc.

I was very happy to meet there my dear friends Giulia and Silvia, and Silvia's 10-year old daughter Agnese. Silvia is DJ's cousin and I met her when I visited the coast of Liguria one Christmas six or seven years ago. Silvia put me in touch with Giulia, who rented me a bedroom in her house for a stay of a couple of weeks. Since Silvia, Giulia, and Fabiola are of the same generation I regard them all as my nieces, and their kids as my grandnieces and grandnephews.

Giulia is an excellent cook and in no time whatsoever prepared a pasta a la carbonara for our lunch. The real thing, yumm :)

After lunch we went for a walk to help me get my bearings. Not very difficult really because the valley is narrow and surrounded by steep mountains, very much like Yosemite. We were following the river Evançon, which originates in the glaciers of Monte Roso, a stern mountain massif that dominates the north end of the valley. The Evançon river is almost white because it carries so much rock flour ground from the bedrock by the glaciers.

The bottom of the valley is covered by grass and is one of the main recreational attractions of Champoluc. It hosts a Farmer's Market, a driving range, a mini-golf, and a unique collection of wood carvings. Apparently, the bottom of the valley burnt at some time, and many of the trees were reduced to mere stumps. The artists of the city started carving the stumps to represent old men, owls, fantastic animals, kids crawling out of a trash can, and many other fantastic pieces of art. In modern times more carved stumps have been planted to create a fabulous exposition.