This is the day we've been looking forward to. Why? Because when we get to Courmayeur we get to rest an extra day. Our bodies are tired. Our legs are like jello. Walking downhill is tough. I did not sleep well the night before. I am not used to a stranger sleeping about a foot away from me. I am also not used to sleeping in a large dormitory with at least 50 people in the room. Maybe 8 or 10 at the most but 50? That's like sleeping in a prison.
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| Looking down into the valley where we'll be hiking towards Courmayeur |
Most people started waking up around 6:30am. Breakfast is served at 7. Not the most delicious or nutritious. This is a mountain hut. They don't have all the facilities or groceries to cook a proper meal. A simple breakfast of bread, crackers, muffins, some cereal and hot and cold beverages. By 8am most people are starting to hike down the valley.
The valley floor is beautiful. Maybe it's because it's a flat walk so we have more time to appreciate what's around us. Most hikers are heading towards Courmayeur. It's not a tough hike. After the valley, there's a climb up the hill and then back down to Courmayeur. Maybe another 3 hours. We decided to spare our legs and walk (mostly downhill) to a small hamlet called called La Visalle. It's a 2-hour walk, then we hop on a bus to take us to Courmayeur.
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| Trail on the valley |
We arrived at La Visalle at around 10:10am. It's a mostly paved road and there were many tourists coming the other direction from Courmayeur to spend the day hiking in the area. Finally, we crossed the bridge and there is the bus stop on the right hand side. We were a little early so we had some refreshments at the cafe across the street. We ran into two Australian sisters, Claire and Julia, whom we first met at Rifugio Elisabetta.
The bus fare was a BIG €2! It took about 20 minutes to get to the bus station at Courmayeur. A walk up a flight of stairs, turn left and there is the Hotel Bouton d'Or. It's named after a wild flower in the area. Fortunately, the owner let us check in early. We cleaned up, went out and have a small lunch of crepes and pasta at the Petit Bistro.
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| Petit Bistrot in a small alley off the city center |
Then we came back to the hotel and had a very long afternoon nap. We badly needed it. Our leg muscles are still sore. In the evening we went to a nearby pizza restaurant called La Padella and had one of the best pizzas. I didn't realize that we've been eating mostly "cardboards" instead of real tasty pizza crust in the US. A very nice dinner of pizza and salad at a reasonable price. When we finished there was a long line waiting outside for tables. We were lucky. We found a popular local restaurant
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| Pizza at La Padella |
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| Doris with Hotel Bouton d'Or owner Stephanie |
It's a nice luxury to be spending 2 nights in a nice hotel with a private bathroom. We are really going to enjoy the next day off.
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