Annecy

We recently took a road trip to Venice and back. This post comes from some of our travel moments.

A beautiful mountain lake and old town. 

Our hotel was located about a 15 minute walk along the lake from the old town. The view from our window. 

We walked into town just before dusk. The light on the hills and the water kept changing as we walked. The placid lake is perfect for sailboats and even stand-up-paddlers. Ducks and swans lolled about. 

A lovely canal just off the lake:

The old town of Annecy dates back to Roman times, although much of what remains today is from the 12th to the 16th centuries.

The stone building on a tiny island in the little river — Le Palais de l’Île, or the Palace of the Island —  was the residence of the lords of Annecy from the 12th century and an administrative centre when the counts of Geneva came to Annecy in the 14th century. The Palace was also a prison, operating until 1865.

Another intensely picturesque medieval town. As usual, turned into a tourist mall of restaurants, cafés and shops. Picturesque nonetheless. 

We sat outside to enjoy a beer and a glass of wine. 

We selected a restaurant called Ô Savoyard. This is the Savoy region of France. The landscape, activities and animals define its character. We could feel the influences from Switzerland and Germany. We thought we should have some food from the region. 

It seemed that everything on the menu was some combination of potatoes, melted cheese, and sausages. Designed for cold snowy mountain winter nights. Not a bad combination. But when our main courses arrived, we faced two immense bowls of melted cheese, potatoes, sausage and chicken. Really enough for 4 to 6 people. Lubricated by a pleasant bottle of red wine, we dug in … and overate. (Perhaps as usual?) Today, as I’m writing, a few days later, the thought of more cheese and potatoes banishes any feeling of hunger. 

This is a town and lake that we want to visit again. The setting is gorgeous. The town seems to be filled with people biking, sailing, running and strolling, all enjoying the outdoors. The first Saturday in August, the town hosts a massive fireworks festival over the lake. In June each year, there is a festival of animated cinema. Much more to explore. But perhaps less cheese and potatoes.