“Actually, the best gift you could have given her
was a lifetime of adventures.”
Annecy, France is sometimes referred to as the little Venice of the Alps, and it's easy to see why. Nestled by a gorgeous blue-green lake 22 miles from Geneva, with the Thiou river and its winding canals running through parts of old town, Annecy makes you feel like you've stepped into a fairytale. And of course it wouldn't be France without copious amounts of wine, cheese, and sorbet.
Sunset on my first day in Annecy as rain clouds moved in. The pastel sky and the mountains sprinkled with the tiniest bit of snow at their peaks made the perfect backdrop. Rain cleared to beautiful blue skies the next day -- I couldn't have asked for better weather.
Annecy Lake, or Lac d'Annecy, is nothing short of breathtaking. A popular spot in summer for all sorts of water sports and activities, you can take a cruise on the lake or hire a bike for a ride. I chose to do both!
The French countryside is everything I imagined it would be - rustic, peaceful, idyllic. I hired a bike to explore and was rewarded with amazing scenery.
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy
is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet,
alone with the heavens, nature, and God.
Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.”
My 2nd day in Annecy, I took a ferry across the lake to the picturesque town of Talloires. Talloires is a paradise for paragliders, and while I didn't get to paraglide (something I will remedy next time!), I spent the afternoon strolling the wisteria-lined streets soaking in as much of its charm as possible.
I spent the last hour or so of my day in Talloires sitting quietly by the lake, trying to memorize how I felt in that moment. I can't explain how captivating this place is in mere words. I only know I want to return again and again and again.
“You get a strange feeling when you leave a place,
like you’ll not only miss the people you love,
but you miss the person you are at this time and place
because you’ll never be this way ever again.”