Back to Annecy, though!
Wednesday morning, I woke up ready to go on an adventure. I had the sun on my side, so I set off up the little hill to the beautiful church that I noticed from afar the night before. It had looked brilliant from across the lake with the sun setting behind it. After a few wrong turns walking through the city, I ended up right below the church, with a choice of three paths--all headed up, although I couldn't tell where to (hopefully up to the church?). After a few seconds of deliberation, I chose the path to the left (definitely the least traveled of the three) and soon found myself wandering through a forest.
And this is how I accidentally went hiking in Annecy: I chose the wrong path to a church on a hill, became extremely lost, and just decided to keep following the other trail to see what happened anyway. My hope against hope? To climb up high on the mountain behind the church (where I ended up) and stumble upon a gorgeous viewpoint. Forty-five minutes later, having not seen a single other person the entire time and still climbing upwards through a forest on a poorly marked trail, I decided to call it quits if I hadn't reached a viewpoint within 7 more minutes.The further I rose, the better the view became, except for the frustrating fact that each view was hidden behind hundreds of tree branches--I needed a clearing, a viewpoint that I wasn't sure existed.
Seconds before I turned around, disappointed, I spotted something among the trees--a building in the middle of this forest? As I walked closer, it turned out to be a restaurant--quite a fancy one judging by the menu and the prices--called Les Terrasses du Lac. It was nestled in a clearing... which is where I found my viewpoint.
I stood, admiring the view and snapping pictures, for about twenty minutes. I couldn't imagine a more beautiful spot for a restaurant, although I have to wonder how many people know about it (as it's clearly in the middle of nowhere).
After the viewpoint, I turned around and headed back down the hill. When I arrived, I chose one of the two paths, which led to the church. Unlike Strasbourg's breathtaking gothic cathedral, la basilique de la Visitation was a bit simpler, and quite new in comparison (built in 1909). It was still very imposing, and it commanded a gorgeous view of Annecy and the lake. When I was finished touring the church, I sat on one of the benches outside for almost an hour, listening to music, feeling the warm sun on my back, and looking out over the city and the lake. It was absolutely perfect.
Rested, I took a walk through the city. I found Annecy Castle, which was strikingly different from both the fancy chateaux of central France and from the rugged stone castles I am used to in England and Ireland. By comparison, Annecy Castle was quite simple, and really not much to look at. Built by the counts of Geneva back in the 12th century, it was abandoned by the 17th century and now serves as a museum. What impressed me is that the walls of the castle are actually 4 meters (13 feet) thick, which is just incredible.
I tried going into the castle--the museum had some interesting exhibits--yet unfortunately I timed it wrong, arriving there at 11:50 a.m., and was denied entry as the entire castle closes for lunch between noon and 2 p.m. As my train to Paris was set to leave at half-past three that afternoon, I didn't ever get to fully visit the Chateau d'Annecy. Perhaps next time!
I wandered around the rest of the old city, stumbling upon the Palais de l'Isle, which is a tiny little castle built in the middle of Annecy's Thiou canal. It's even older than Annecy Castle, and it's quite picturesque.
That afternoon, I ate lunch at a café, then took another walk around the lake--this time, in the opposite direction. It is useless to repeat over and over how beautiful it was. My advice is just that if you are ever in France, I recommend heading to Annecy for at least a day or two, no matter the season. I know the main tourist season is in the summer, but it's gorgeous in the winter as well. If possible, I'm going to try to visit again in the spring, when I can actually go hiking on one of the surrounding mountains.
By the time I was finished with my walk, it was time to head to the train station. I picked up my luggage from the hostel and headed to catch my train to Paris, and my last trip of the year was over. I am so happy that I was brave enough to go to Annecy by myself for a few days. It would have been easy to stay in my familiar Strasbourg for the last days before heading home for the holidays, but instead I went a little out of my comfort zone to explore a new place in a beautiful region of France, and I am not at all sorry.
I'll be back in Paris by the beginning of January, so expect a new post then. But for now, Happy New Years, everybody!
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