Annecy is one of the gems that you can’t help but love the minute you enter and see the lake. The picturesque alpine town sits where Lake Annecy feeds into the Thiou River. The old town is known as Vieille Ville and although it covers a very small space it is complete with cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses.
The reason I visit Annecy on a Tuesday is to challenge my tour group to buying something from the market that they contribute to a shared picnic lunch in the park over looking the lake. It’s a bit rough with no table – although I did have paper platters, plates and napkins. Every year the selection is outstanding and we had everything from a piece of roast pork, salamis, terrines and vegetable mousses to many cheeses, olives, nuts, pestos, bread and pate plus the beautiful nougat, myrtle tarts and fruit. It’s all a bit of fun and encourages us to interact with the market vendors even with our shocking French .
Annecy sits at the bottom of the French Alps and is close driving distance to an abundance of Ski fields and towns like Megeve and Chambery. In the summer months mountain bikers and hikers enjoy the slopes as much as the skiers do in the Winter. We came across quite a few enjoying the mountain air on our yearly pilgrimage to Le Bettex, where we enjoy hearty mountain food in a little chalet high up on the ski slopes at the base of a large ski tow. It has superb views across to the Mt Blanc Massif and is surrounded by Heidi looking grass slopes at this time of the year. Mountain food includes large quantities of potatoes, ham and cheese in a dish called the Tartaflette which was accompanied with a huge serving of salad – followed by an impressive cheese board and generous slices of Myrtle Tart. No dinner required !!!
I am always so impressed with the vast number of road side pots in France and can’t resist photographing them. They are filled with lovely waving grasses and usually colour co-ordinated perennials. Some are in hanging baskets, others in pots halfway up lamp posts and in Annecy they were dripping over rails beside the river.
Tour surprises come in many forms and there are some things left unsaid until you are driving through a security gate at the magnificent Chateau des Coudree. It sits on the shore of Lake Geneva surrounded by the tallest Plain trees I have ever seen. After enjoying an aperitif on the terrace with last years group, I decided dinner in a private 12th century dining room would be fun this year. The Chateau is now run by twin girls who are following in their grandparents footsteps, who bought the run down Chateau after the second world war and decided to turn it into a beautiful family run hotel. It was a fun, very memorable evening and quite special.
