After picking up the rental car in Venezia on Wednesday, April 4 we headed for La Salle in Valle d'Aosta.  When I was 18 I lived at the base of Monte Bianco in Valle d'Aosta for four months and it became one of my favorite places on earth.  I had some pretty traumatic experiences with my host family the first three months I was there, but my last month was with the amazing Chiste family.  I've stayed in touch with them ever since and couldn't wait for Lee to meet them and fall in love with my favorite mountain. Once we decided we were going to Italy, I prayed that we would have at least one beautiful day in the valley so Lee could see the tops of the Alps.  On our last day there, we got what we wished for!

The Chistes have a little second house in Planaval, a small little village a couple of thousand feet up the mountain side from La Salle.  There hadn't been much snow this spring, which means that we got to stay at "Hotel Planaval".  It's a beautiful little cabin with gorgeous views and I'm really happy that Lee got to see it.  We spent our evenings and days with the family, but nights in Planaval.   The first night we arrived (and each night thereafter), the Chistes stuffed us with amazing meals.  They pulled out all the stops.  I think this may have been where Lee truly fell in love with antipasti.  :) There aren't many places where you get to eat homemade walnut and truffle oil with your prosciutto and speck.  It was SO good to see everyone again.  They really are a delightful family.

Our first afternoon/evening was cold and wet and we woke up Thursday morning to a light dusting of snow in Planaval. The skies were quite cloudy so we decided to explore parts of the valley instead of heading to the mountains.  Rosie (the mother of this wonderful family and teacher at the high school I went to), had the day off and she and Charlie (Charlotte, she was 3 when I lived there and is now 21!) took us down to Bard to visit an old fortress.  There was a BBC photography exhibit on display there and it was incredible.  It was the perfect thing for Lee.  We also visited an old Roman road where the ruts in the stones are still visible.  Our last stop that day before another incredible meal (this time also with my friend Karin and her daughters), was Aosta to visit the downtown and show Lee the amphitheater ruins and my old stomping grounds.  I loved that Lee was able to see the places I lived in, was able to make associations with the memories and stories he's heard, and meet the Chistes.  It was one of the perks of this trip.

Friday, the skies miraculously cleared and I took Lee to Punta Helbronner.  Punta Helbronner is reached by taking three different gondolas/trams to an elevation of 3,462 meters and is as close as you can get to Monte Bianco without climbing.  From there you can ski down into Chamonix (French side of Monte Bianco), or in the summer you can take another tram down into Chamonix and the bus back through the tunnel.   We were really fortunate in our timing, the Italian side closed for renovations for three years less than one week after our visit.  The views are INCREDIBLE from the top, as well as the other two landing points on the climb up.  We took loads of pictures and it was no question one of (if not) the highlight of the trip.   Once we descended we drove through the Mt. Blanc tunnel into Chamonix and had a late lunch before returning to Courmayeur for more trips down memory lane.

Saturday, sadly, we had to depart.  Our time with the Chistes was far too short.  Now that Lee is hooked, we will have to return in the summer so we can hike some of the amazing trails in the Alps.  We left the valley by way of the slower roads so we could stop and admire the dozens of castles that are strategically placed throughout the valley.  We had hoped to have time to go inside one or two, but our day disappeared and we had to be on our way to La Spezia where my second host family awaited our arrival.

Some pretty gorgeous pictures of trip up to Punta Helbronner are posted in our photo gallery. Check them out.