Annecy is an easy 40min drive from Geneva, so it made the perfect sunny autumn day outing. It is an incredibly charming, beautiful and quaint town that had a distinct "holiday" feel to it. We arrived around lunch time but were not quite yet hungry so we started with a short walk along the lake (gorgeous) before exploring the old part of town. Think rows of colorful buildings with balconies, shutters and flower plots that are home to endless restaurants, cafés and cute shops, a large number of which are on the water - this place is special. It has been described as the "little Venice of France", and Annecy definitely has some of the same charm.
We quickly found a frozen yoghurt store - the kind where you choose your flavours and toppings. I am always excited about frozen yoghurt stores as they don't yet exist in Switzerland! We picked out a few yummy things and indulged, and then realized the street we were on was called "Rue Sainte Claire"! We let our legs and curiosity lead us, walking in any direction that took our fancy. Eventually after some more walking and admiring the lake from a sunny spot, we decided it was time for some food, which was followed by a giant serving of ice-cream... hhhmmm (my choices were raspberry, kiwi, and strawberry & basil). We weren't in a rush to leave, so we took another stroll along the lake where we came across a tournament of "water-polo" - the players were in Kayaks. Along the way I dipped my feet into the water, partly out of curiosity as to how cold it was, but mostly because I wanted to feel the sand between my toes.
It was a perfect afternoon, restorative for my body, mind and soul. If you haven't yet visited Annecy, add it to your list. And if you have been, go again!
