Europe - Alpine Adventures Continue
Before leaving Italy we visited the atmospheric town of Aosta, nestled in the Aosta valley surrounded by majestic mountains. It’s known as the Rome of the Alps as it was founded by the Romans in 25BC at the junction of the roads leading to France and Switzerland.
The main cobblestoned street is lined with flower boxes, cafes and tiny shops; pleasant to linger over coffee and watch the passing parade of locals and a smattering of tourists. At one end the remains of the Roman Arch of Augustus, currently being restored.
Midway the imposing Tower and Praetorian Gate straddled the river - a central archway was used by carts and horses, with side arches reserved for pedestrians.
The remains of Roman walls radiate from here and as we wandered, soon came across the Roman Amphitheatre (also being reconstructed!) and to the large Piazza Giovanni XXIII which looks quite ordinary today - just the cathedral at one end.
In Roman times it must have been an imposing sight as archaeologists have found this area was flanked with colonnades, surrounding the public, religious and commercial centre of the city, dominated by twin temples.
Even more surprising is the Criptoportico, an underground labyrinth which even extends under the cathedral - a double corridor in a horse shoe shape, with a vaulted ceiling and what seemed never ending rows of travertine pillars - even today historians are unsure of the purpose of this magnificent structure.
From Aosta we wound our way once again into the majestic alps climbing from an elevation of 480m to 2.470m in just over an hour to reach the Swiss border at the Great St Bernard Pass - a 6km road tunnel which opened in 1964 and the third highest road pass in Switzerland.
It’s actually one of the most ancient passes through the Western Alps, with evidence dating back to the Bronze Age, used by the Romans and even Napoleon in 1800 to move his army into Italy.
The Saint Bernard dog has been bred on this Alpine pass since medieval times by Augustinian monks - their hospitality is legendary.
The dogs are able to carry heavy loads and were later used in avalanche searches. The most renowned of these dogs, Barry, is said to have saved the lives of over 40 people.
We descended to our roadside stop near Martigny, returning to an elevation of 480m. Wind surfers sped along the lake as we wandered the shore, enticed into the cafe - a plethora of fresh juices, fruit, salads, soups and mouthwatering pastries. All at eye watering Swiss prices!
Our destination, Tasch, the gateway to Zermatt and the mighty Matterhorn, which we planned to visit the next day.
The big question - the weather! Always fickle in the mountains! We were glued to the live webcam and the hourly forecast, praying and living in hope we would see this majestic mountain. Our first glimpse though was at our hotel room, the Matterhorn resplendent on our bed head.
I will leave you in suspense until my next post tomorrow!
