Annecy
Day 10
Annecy is another special, hard to imagine it's real, place. We stopped here for part of the day after leaving Chamonix. First a walking tour of the town. I loved the palette of yellow, pink and green pastels that dressed the buildings and the colors were enhanced when the sun would break through the clouds. The intermittent light rain was just enough to require umbrellas, which added more color. The nickname of "Venice of the Alps" is so appropriate, as a couple of canals run along the cobblestone streets. And then there's Lake Annecy, one of the cleanest and most scenic lakes in the world. I can see why this is one the top places French people want to live. One of the communities we passed by on our boat ride is said to be the most expensive village in France. Developers destroyed vineyards to build the homes. We could also see a gorgeous castle up on a hill. It is said to be the inspiration, along with Castle Usse in the Loire Valley, for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. We wrapped up our visit in this charming town with lunch. Pizza. Can never go wrong with pizza!
In the middle of one of the canals is the Palais de l'Isle, another very popular place for photos. It is shaped like the front of a ship. It dates back to the 12th century and was a prison off and on through the years. Now it's a museum.
We took a boat tour around the very large Lake Annecy. Communties were scattered along the hillsides, along with a few very impressive castles that may have been the inspiration for a fairytale or two, like the 12th century Chateau de Menthon-Saint-Bernard you see here. It does conjure up visions of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella for sure.
