Our last cycling day 🥲.

We had a pilgrim’s breakfast with many other guests - there were many “youth groups” staying here as the hospice functions as a youth hostel. We hung around for a “pilgrim’s blessing” but we may have got the instructions wrong. We caught the end of the morning service, then went upstairs with the monks who then served us breakfast. And took our credit card payment for the Demi Pension.

It was cold and the Col was in a cloud. So we finally dug out our warm and wet weather gear for the first time. Checked our tyre pressures, tested our brakes. Then set out on a 2,000 metres descent. YES, all that downhill to look forward to - 40 km.

And it was lovely, but we did not reach 80kph which a racing cyclist was hoping to reach 😲. Between 20 & 35 kph as we were admiring the view and stopping to take photos etc.

The villages are very pretty and take their Via Francigena status seriously, even down to the design of their lampposts.

We stopped for Morning Coffee in Etroubles. We have previously had lunch in one of “The Most Beautiful Villages in France”. Well, Etroubles is one of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy”. We couldn’t justify lunch, but we did give it some thought 😅, but the café lady pre-empted us by bringing out a plate of sliced ham and melon slices to “boost our strength” as long distance cyclists. 😘🥰

And so on and further down the valley, past the Aosta Commune sign, our first sight of the Cathedral Towers and our flat, then going past the Arch of Augustus, down Rue St Anselm (Archbishop of Canterbury), got our pilgrim’s passport stamped, then into the main square. We had a beer in a shady cafe. Then round the corner to our flat. Bikes in the cellar. Up to our flat - hot, but in perfect condition. And a shower and a Big Wash.

We had made it! 🥇

So, where next 🤔