Saturday 21st May - Down, Down, Down!!

I'd been wandering around late the night before, spotting this lamppost which shows how important the VF is to the local economy:

A fairly relaxed day ahead, so we had breakfast at 8 am, starting to get used to the light Italian bread... and we all set off around 9 am looking down on our nice nights accommodation

A lovely pleasant mornings walk, across and down the hillsides, frequently along a water channel in shaded woods, with occasional glimpses of the mountains we were leaving behind:

and coming across many little wayside shrines, with mementos left in them:

Late morning we were approaching the top of Gignon, looking over it, I still couldn't resist the distant views, on all sides including distant views of the Gran Paradiso national park (I've climbed it!!)

We had an interesting lunch stop in Gignon, watching all the locals meeting and drinking even at such an early time... 

Then we continued into Aosta, where I managed to get a good deal on two rooms at a small hotel, right in the centre of town. 

I went into the Cathedral mid afternoon to find it was 'first communion day' just like at home!! I returned later for the vigil mass, then caught up with the others at the Himalayan restaurant!! 

A pleasant day of long downhills and hot weather!!