Amazing Annecy

The startling beauty of a pristine lake nestled against soaring Alps never fails to delight. Whether under a blanket of snow or bursting into the colors of spring, the stunning city of Annecy is truly a breath of fresh air.

My husband recently celebrated a milestone birthday, so we headed to Annecy for a few days. We love this region where we first landed in France over thirty-eight years ago to attend language school in nearby Albertville. Our first visit to Annecy occurred as a field trip that included driving another hour up the road to Geneva. As Americans from the vast state of California, we were so excited to visit another country on a day trip.

Come join me on a brief tour of this incredible area.

How's this for a view?

Annecy is sometimes called the "Venice of the Alps" as a small river runs from the lake through the charming old town. Multiple canals branch off and even disappear under buildings and reemerge on the other side. Medieval charm abounds as you wander through cobbled streets and along waterways.

View towards the lake, with the Palais de l'Île, a little island with a large structure in the middle. Dating from the 12th century, it was home to the lord of Annecy.

As you can see in the photo above, there are stairs from the older buildings leading right into the water. Back in the day, people used the river to transport agricultural products or materials from the banks of the lake to the very heart of the city and built fishponds or reserves in the canals. Some of this would be handy for groceries today, as parking is well on the other side of the central area.

I love that someone put a table and chairs in that arched nook on the right.

I commend whoever had the excellent idea to adorn these old structures with a variety of pastel hues. Their equivalent of a homeowners' association must have strict guidelines!

The central round tower houses a staircase with openings to buildings on either side.

We came upon this enormous grapevine spanning an entire building. It must be glorious in autumn.

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Back out to the lake. Later in the year, swans frequent these waters. We didn't see any this trip except as delicate cream puffs and on various logos.

Breathe deep!

Enjoy...

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On a solitary walk, I arrived at the footbridge Pont des Amours, the Bridge of Lovers, miraculously uncrowded, enabling me to capture a bit of the beauty. Legend has it that a kiss on this bridge unites lovers for eternity. While my love was back in our lodging resting, I don't doubt our future after forty-seven years of marriage and the promise of heaven beyond.

View from the footbridge back towards town.

I kept thinking those white buoys were swans!

Having the footbridge almost to myself was wonderful.

This region, the Savoie, belonged alternately to the Romans, the Dukes of Geneva, Savoie, and finally the French. Whew! One of the many things I love about Europe is the lengthy history. And the food.

Speaking of food, the Savoie region boasts many delicious cheeses: Beaufort (the BEST!!), Reblochon, and Tome de Savoie to name just a few. During that first year in France, we visited the Beaufort Cheese Factory and discovered this outstanding cheese. It is the queen of hard cheeses, and the price reflects that fact. To our great surprise, we learned that winter cheeses were darker and stronger compared to those made in spring. It all has to do with what the cows eat—hay in winter and fresh grass in spring. Having grown up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, we'd never considered such a thing.

Reblochon is similar in consistency to Brie but much stronger. Again during our year in Albertville, we discovered this cheese, best when bought from the open market, made by a small, older woman up in her mountain home. I think it cost less than $2 for an eight-inch round, and it couldn't have been fresher.

Tome de Savoie is a mild, creamy cheese with a medium-firm consistency. Yummy!

Regional dishes revolve around cheese (surprise!), potatoes, and several types of sausages or dried charcuterie. Most are best in cold weather as they revolve around cheese, more cheese, potatoes, some kind of ham or sausage. The fragrance of melting cheese wafts through the streets of Annecy. I'm allergic to all forms of dairy, but that doesn't stop me from breathing it in. Thankfully, the charcuterie (and salads) are excellent as well.

Favorite Savoie dishes, guaranteed to warm you from the inside out:

Fondue Savoyarde with local cheeses and white wine.

Tartiflette: potatoes, onions, and small pieces of smoked ham smothered in Reblochon cheese.

Raclette: you need a special tabletop appliance with little pans to melt cheese, which is then poured onto potatoes; charcuterie and cornichons on the side. Originally, a half-wheel of cheese was held over a flame, and the melting cheese scraped (raked) onto the cooked potatoes on your plate.

Local sausages with hot mustard

Fondue Savoyarde Tartiflette Raclette

A highlight of this trip was returning to the restaurant Chalet des Trappeurs, where we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. We found it unchanged, to our delight. The current matriarch proudly told us her family has owned and run it for fifty-two years. They have a great thing going in this old mountain chalet.

Chalet des Trappeurs

In September 1988, the snow covered the driveway; we had to park at a distance. I was four months pregnant with our third child, so I clung to Dudley's arm and took mincing steps up and back. This time, there was little snow left on the ground, and the first notes of spring filled the air.

All the previously mentioned cheese dishes were on offer, but we chose their fantastic beef menu. Fresh, thinly sliced beef for us to cook on a tabletop grill, ten homemade sauces, and a side of gratin—another regional specialty of cheese and potatoes—served still sizzling from the broiler. My jacket potatoes were nice, but seriously, in heaven you'll find me at the cheese table making up for lost time.

While in Albertville all those years ago, our language school paired us with locals to improve our French. Dudley's helper went above and beyond and invited us to dinner with several friends. It was our first French meal, in a French home, and we'll never forget it. Lightly cooked white asparagus, chilled and served with vinaigrette, was our first course. For the main dish, she served wild boar, hunted by her husband, and learned the French word: sanglier, which has come in handy living here. She had little knife holders on the table, a place to rest your knife between courses. We were still learning to use our knives in a European fashion, holding it in our right hand and fork in our left, "upside-down" according to American tradition. I felt so awkward. But the knife rests were useful in keeping the tablecloth clean between courses.

One final anecdote! Before we left Albertville, another French family invited us to a meal (such a blessing!) That was my first taste of rabbit, and it was very good. After much food and many hours at the table, as is customary, our host offered us a local digestif called Génépi. Basically, a shot of alcohol to help you digest. It's not a bad idea, but I declined for many reasons, including nursing three-month-old Hannah. Dudley pretty much had to accept, especially when our host proudly explained he'd made the Génépi himself. His brother and he found the requisite berries in a crevice in the mountains, "after the first frost and before the first snow" for peak sugar content. I had to check with Dudley later to make sure I'd understood him correctly! Dudley did his duty, and I believe digested well as promised.

After this recent getaway, we returned home refreshed and grateful. Celebrating milestone birthdays is important and deserves special treatment and the creation of fresh memories.

La vie est belle!