Friday 13 September 2013

Day 4 - From Grand Saint Bernard Pass: Switzerland to Etroubles- no, onto Echevennoz!: Italy! 12.9 km

Friday13th September
Breakfast at the St Bernard Hospice served at 8 am. 
Outside is icy and slippery, and we've been advised to wait until about 9am until we depart, to allow the ice time to melt. Ice and frost coats every surface this morning.

view from the Ospice across the lake from St Bernard Hospice , forming part of the Swiss- Italian border
we start our walk along the old path to the right of the photo


Another fantastic sunny day after the fog has lifted, we're so grateful for the weather so far on our Cammino! all downhill today!  Through stunning meadows, forests and villages... 

We follow the Via Francigena signs and TDC and number 103 yellow markers down the mountain.


a great renovation project...
entering St Rhemy- Italy!


first Village is St Rhemy - bellisimo village, great coffee at the cafe, (cafe doppio con latte - double shot with milk) such a beautiful, gorgeous village, and lovely to be in Italy, where our 3 coffees and 2 pieces of cake came to the grand total of 8 euros!


Wow, bellisimo, wow... wonderful walking weather and scenery! the little Italian villages are so beautiful! walking downhill, easy walking mostly, but occasionally my knees gave a bit of a protest! 


After St Oyen we walked for a couple of KM through gently sloping shady paths alongside an aqueduct. 



Finally arriving in Etroubles at around 2 pm to find that the accommodation we thought we had- wasn't available...

Accommodation in Etroubles
CASA ALPINA SACRED HEART
Address: Strada Gran San Bernardo, 24 - Etroubles (AO)
Phone: 0165 78126
Email: casalpinaetroubles@fma-ipi.it
Type: Shelter
Price: 16 € bed and breakfast
Number of places: 55
Use of kitchen: no

No accommodation available at the address above, the nuns didn't speak much English, said it wasn't possible, and sent us off  to the information centre - they recommended youth hostel at the next village at  Echevennoz, another half hour walk. 23 euro each for bnb. booked. need to go to the bar/trattoria next to the church to get the key. We waited until 3:30 in Etroubles, had a beer until the market opened after lunch so we could buy some food, then proceeded on a lovely walk on to Echevennoz! very cute little village.

Met the lovely owner, Silvana - no kitchen available so decided to eat at her trattoria, she has a lovely vegetable garden, "orto", I'm getting to try out lots of my dubious Italian today! Fettucini with homemade tomato and vegetable sugo, then we decided to miss secondo (meat/carne) I had a plate of vedura (vegetables) from the garden, and Patrick went straight to Dolce!

Off to bed, should be an easy downhill walk to Aosta tomorrow...




























From the Grand Saint Bernard Pass: Switzerland to Etroubles: Italy!


12.9 km all downhill!

Etroubles

Address: Strada Gran San Bernardo, 24 - Etroubles (AO)

Phone: 0165 78126

Email: casalpinaetroubles@fma-ipi.it
Type: Shelter
Price: 16 € bed and breakfast

Number of places: 55

Use of kitchen: no

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