From Aosta to Aymavilles to Cogne

7/16-7/17 - Aosta - Aymavilles - Cogne
7-16 - 11.41 trail miles, 13.14 total
7/17 - 9.77 trail miles, 10.77 total (so far)
From 1,700 feet to 4,500 feet in altitude over 2 days.

All,

I am in the thick of it now, sitting around 4500 up in the air in a valley of the Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. A great paradise indeed, and I have only just begun to explore my surroundings!

Since I only have 15 minutes left at the cafe, I will make this one short, but promise to fill in all the info when I reach a bigger city.

The walk from Aosta to Aymavilles was my first taste of walking along a thoroughfare, and it wasn't too bad, since it was only a two lane road. I picked some fruit (an apricot and another apple, this time), and got to do what I had always envisioned doing, namely lying (thank you G Rapp!) under the shade of a large tree on someone's farmland, stretching and taking a cat nap.

This nap and the bit of time spent in the shade proved to save me, since I was pretty worn out by the end. Even up here, this far north, it was a blistering 85 degrees.

I made it all the way to Villeneuve, which had a tourist information location. There I met a charming and beautiful lady named Marzia, who was kind and helpful in helping me plan my trip. After spending 45 air-conditioned minutes planning my route into the park, she even drove me back to Aymavilles, thus saving me 30-40 minutes.

She was a true mountain woman, fit and full of life, and with the most expressive eyes. After I explained my trip to her, she lit up and expressed regret that she could not do the same. I tried to get her to abandon everything and join me... and failed. Still it was a valiant effort, and exciting to have even the prospect of romance. Now I am realizing that I gave her the blog address, so if you're reading this, Marzia, the invitation is still open!

Anyhow, after a pleasant evening spent at a campground 3 miles up the hill from Aymavilles, in a village called Champlan, I set out this morning for Cogne, which is the main town in this valley on the east side of the park. From here, I set out for various refuges (will explain more later), none of which will have internet. So, this is the last you'll hear of me for the next few days. Just know that I am frolicking with Ibexes and marmots in Italy's oldest national park, climbing mountaintops and admiring lakes. Don't worry, the pictures will come.

Also, for you foodies, I plan to make a special post soon, and am even braving certain embarassment and emasculation by taking surreptitious photos of my dishes as they are brought to me. As an Italian would say, ''you see what I do for you?''