Aosta; Mostly The Roman Bits

From Cogne we drove back to Aosta, the capital of region, a small but nice city we have driven through or past numerous times. This time we stopped, primarily in search of a Wind store, in order to buy a SIM card for our old Wind dongle, and thus have improved communications with the outside word. This we accomplished (the buying part) before the 12:30-4PM siesta closure. We spent another several hours looking around the town, which was, of course, mostly closed. We find that we buy far less when the stores are closed. Aosta is literally at the foot of the biggest of the Alps, and thus it still surprises us to find Roman ruins in such an apparently impractical place. But the little St. Bernard pass is not too far away, and indeed the Romans were here. In force, and with all the comforts of home, as usual.

Mountains in the distance beyond the ruins...Monte Rosa?

Triumphal arch/entry

Bridge; the river moved (and for once was not moved by
the Romans themselves)

Aostans do marvelous things with chocolate; and with wine,
cheese, meat, you name it

And with grappa

St. Anselm of Canterbury was born nearby and, legend has
it, did some time in this house (which makes it 12th century)

One of several commemorative plaques

"That than which no greater can be conceived..."--although
not in a league with Giotto or Newton, who have their own
shopping centers, Anselm at least got a cafe/bar; the German
guy in the pink shirt is saying "Yes, my friend, but existence
is not a predicate..."

More Roman arches

And ruins integrated into modern buildings

And arches

Pretty main square and hotel de ville

Some Art Nouveau

But, of interest to us, mostly more ruins, here in the theatre
district

Ditto

As the mountains look on