Provence: Day Seven - Our Last Day

Annecy

Friday, April 16

The morning was hazy, which was disappointing because we were really hoping for some sunshine so we could rent a boat and spend a little time on the lake.  

When we got to town we discovered that Friday is market day in this town, and it was cured meat, cheese, and produce galore.  We picked up some scrumptious bakery goods for breakfast and walked the cobblestone streets, eying the merchandise and enjoying the whole scene.

Taking a turn up a steep street, we climbed up to the Chateau of Annecy for a look.  Unfortunately they were closing up for lunchtime so we couldn't enter the premises, but we got a nice look of the outside.

Being as it was our last day, we went for gluttony.  For lunch we decided to try the evilly delicious local treat, tartiflette, at another restaurant, and ended up following that with some good old chocolate fondue with fruit for dessert.  In the middle of the day, yes.  By the time we rolled out the sun was tying desperately to break through the clouds and haze, and there was hope for a boat outing.  

In the end, it came down to the wind and the fact that when the sun did hide for a few minutes behind clouds, it was really cold.  We opted to take an hour cruise around the lake on a bigger boat rather than renting a small, private one.  (We're hoping to visit again this summer when it's warmer and we're more likely to want to jump into the lake.)  The ride was nice and we circled the majority of Lac Annecy, seeing a couple castles and a peek of the Alps here and there from behind closer mountains.  The wind got a little harsh toward the end, but the sunshine kept it civil.

Having decided the lunch restaurant didn't do tartiflette quite like the first place we visited, we returned for a sure thing on our last night.  Potatoes and butter and onions and bacon and cheese!  That's also where we learned about the volcanic eruption in Iceland from a fellow traveling couple from the UK.  They were a lovely older couple and we chatted about Annecy, other parts of France, and of course, the food :)

It was a walk-around day, clocking in 18,495 steps.  

Though I missed Heidi, our bed, my Writer's Group meeting and a wedding, it was a fabulous trip we won't soon be over.