Annecy

6 to 9 July

6 July

This morning we are up early trying to take train to Gare de Lyon, but had some serious issues with the 6 and had to race to get an Uber. Literally on baited breathe hoping we would make our train. We were sweating both figuratively and literally.

Luckily we made it to the train with time to spare and 3h 45min later we were at Gare d’Annecy!

We took a nice leisurely stroll through old town to our Airbnb which was on the main drag in the old city.

At this point we were starving. We had pizzas for lunch at Little Italy. We figured Annecy has so much influence from Switzerland and Italy we may as well try the pizza.

After lunch we walked to Takamaka to see if they had better parapente option than the one we had pre-booked, which they did!

We continued on to the Office de Tourisme for hikes, found out there was a festival going on Saturday night. I am all about free festivals!

We then walked around down by the lake.

Once back to Airbnb, we got changed to head down to lake for some fun on the water.

We rented a small paddle boat to take out on lake. The water was crystal blue and the mountains rising from the lake were breathtaking. We also enjoyed a swim to cool off from all the work we did paddling with our feet.

We then headed back to Airbnb to get ready for the evening.

We first went to the Captain Pub for pre-dinner drinks.

We had dinner at Le Freti, which is a traditional Savoyard restaurant, complete with fondue. I think my perfect meal is wine, cheese and bread.

7 July

This morning we enjoyed the Friday market we could see from our window. We got fresh fruits and pastries!

We then walked to Takamaka to pick up our bikes. For those of you who know me, I hate, no loath, riding bikes. I am not coordinated enough and every time I turn my head, my shoulders turn and I go into oncoming traffic. However, along Lake Annecy, there is a paved path just for bikes, roller bladders and walkers. No cars allowed. So I figured, let’s conquer this fear of bikes.

We biked 15km to parapente with lunch along the way. I must say the path was flat and while I was nervous, I did it without falling off or causing an incident with other bikers.

Then the reason for biking, parapente from Col de la Forclaz! From where we stayed in Annecy a cab would have been very expensive to get us to the jump site. Biking was very affordable.

Our jump was amazing. We were gliding for about 30 minutes, including some acrobatics. The interesting part was jumping off the mountain to get started. The guides did not give you enough time to freak yourself out. You harnessed up, walked and then ran off the cliff. It was awesome.

We then biked back the full 15km. Needless to say, we were super sweaty after a 30k bike ride.

We then went back to Airbnb, on wobbly legs, to relax and get ready for dinner.

We had pre-dinner drinks at Cafe Curt and then dinner at Le Cochon a l’Oreille. Le Cochon specializes in pig. We also had our first taste of snails, and let me tell you, delicious. It is all about the sauce. We then had a heavier dish made in a small casserole with cheese, potatoes and multiple types of ham and bacon. It was a perfect filling meal after all our biking today.

We then retired back to Airbnb to give our bodies a break.

8 July

This morning we slept in a little (its the big day!).

We found a hike to go on, thanks to the tourism office. But first we stopped at Monoprix on the way for lunch and snacks.

We walked along the lake to the base of Mont Veyrier then started the very difficult hike up. And I mean up.

After 2 hours we ended up with a beautiful view from Col des Sauts.

We then ended the 4 hour hike with nice cold drinks before walking back to the Airbnb, with another stop at Monoprix on the way to get wine for the festival tonight.

After 2 very physically intense days, we needed some time to recover before going dinner at l’Original. This place was amazing. It was a fusion of French and Spanish tapas. The food was too pretty to eat.

We then walked down to park, Jardin de l’Europe by the lake for the DÉAMBULE ANNECY FESTIVAL 2E ÉDITION DES PAYSAGES. It reminded us a lot of Nuit Blanche in Paris but on a smaller scale. We brought our blanket and rose and sat in the park listening to live music and live performances. It was the perfect end to my birthday weekend.