Waldo Wednesday: Valle d’Aosta, Italy-Shake off those Casino Snowbunnies

With a touch of France and Italy, Valle d’Aosta, Italy is the place I want to be. Technically you can drive into the region from drive into the region from Germany, France or Switzerland. It has some of the best alpine skiiing in the world, and boasts hiking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, rappelling, rafting, and kayaking. Normally, I wouldn't head somewhere with snow (believe me, we get more than enough of that in Wisconsin) but I'm also not in the mood for a beach. I want scenery and ways get personally involved with my environment.

This makes me think of The Sound of Music 

Apparently it's also home to killer wine if you're into that sort of thing. Plus it has castles. Lots of them. I took a virtual tour of them because I'm a castle fanatic.

And you can take thermal baths after breathing in all of that fresh, clean mountain/valley air.

I can take baths...outside...in winter? I'm in heaven!

The attractions to see are Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn if you are a self-proclaimed mountain man or mountain woman. Or if you just want to chill (no pun intended) on a mountain-top, these would be some prime mountains to be awed by. Also, a king decided to be generous and donate some land to make the another attraction, the Gran Paradiso National Park, which only makes it that much more appealing.

This specialty dish of the region just looks so tantalizing that I just might have to make it.
And this explains it all, even though I can't understand what it's saying because it's in Italian. This is that much more fantastic.

So even though it's fall and I'm currently freezing, I want to go somewhere even more cold in order to partake in a nice hot thermal bath and enjoy massages. I think this is excellent logic, don't you?