I am now embarrassingly behind with my posting, but I just couldn’t skip last weekend’s trip to Annecy, a lakeside resort town west of Lyon. Somewhere in between the set of Heidi, Venice, and Busch Gardens, Annecy is unbelievably and breathtakingly beautiful. The town and Caribbean-blue lake are surrounded by the Alps—I felt like I should have been singing “Climb E’ry Mountain” en français.Intimidated by the vast multitude of things to do and see—water sports, biking, hang gliding, hiking, and of course, lots of shopping—we decided (like true French denizens) that the best course of action was first to eat. Wandering towards the gardens, we discovered a cheap and delicious crêpe stand right near the lake, with an adorable Saint Bernard to boot. The weather was lovely, so renting a pedalo seemed like the obvious next thing to do. We paddled (slowly!) around the lake, trying not to run into other boats or ducks and stopping occasionally for a swim.
The evening we spent in the Old Town, wandering across canals and ducking in and out of shops. We stumbled upon an incredible free jazz concert—it was unfortunately just ending but hearing the last piece made my night complete.
Saturday morning, I rented a bike (I highly recommend the rental shop—the rates were reasonable and the garçons who worked there were très beaux AND helpful) and went for a leisurely ride around the lake, stopping to take pictures every 5 seconds. We picnicked in the gardens for dinner, watching as the sun set over the lake. Saturday night, karaoke was a must: we bopped in a place right down the road from the hotel and found ourselves in the middle of a bachelorette party belting out bad French pop songs. This was a situation clearly in need of rescue—in the form of half of the Grease soundtrack and some Christina Aguilera. (I, of course, stayed far away from the mic but had no problem advising everyone else on the best way to humiliate themselves.)
Our last day began with a visit to the hilltop chateau for a spectacular view of the city and the lake—the dark clouds only made the terracotta roofs and dark wood paneling more striking. We encountered the Sunday marché, an enormous sardine-style affair that wove through the old town streets. Besides the usual spread of fruits and vegetables, vendors sold everything from glass jewelry to tapenade to hand-carved wooden owls. The sun eventually broke through and we were left with another beautiful afternoon to relax by the lake. Annecy is the perfect place to spend your summer vacation, a big family affair with lots of planning and anticipation. Yes, it is kitchy and touristy and expensive. But it also oozes happiness and excitement—it’s the type of place that makes you want to bounce up and down and ask “Arewethereyet?! Arewethereyet?!” And while it does at times resemble Disney World (sans the roller coasters and giant Mickey Mouses everywhere), it is also incredibly genuine. Everyone is relaxed and friendly, willing to recommend the best bike paths or explain the difference between a kabob and a galette.
With (mostly) perfect weather and Annecy’s charm, it was hard not to smile all weekend.