Annecy - Cycling Around The Lake

The next morning Taiwanese friend and I went to the Tuesday farmers markets in the old town.

Stalls lined the streets with piles of cheese wheels, many robuchon, a specialty of the area and others which appeared to have soil caked on the outside.

Everyone had come to buy fresh produce, bread and cured meat. The streets were lined with stalls and were bustling.

After grabbing a raclette baguette, we walked around Lake Annecy. It rained hard. At one stage it was hailing tiny pebbles.

Taiwanese friend was squealing with delight as she had only seen snow the day before for the first time and now hail.

The grey clouds looked like they were finished doing their thing. We hired bikes and rode around the lake, looking splendid in it's clear blue attire.

Then sun came out and the world was beautiful again!

We passed many enviable alpine houses. It was stunning and tranquil, the type of place I'd want to be stay to write my memoirs one day.

We saw cows in a meadow wearing bells around their necks. Just like on souvenirs of alpine country! It sounded like a windchime symphony. No wonder they look so contented.

We rode for four hours and although Taiwanese friend felt there were some hairy moments on the bike, she said she felt like a kid again. I think I did too.

We dropped the bikes off and went back to the hostel. My time in Annecy was complete. It was a place I never expected to go to. It just happened to be where I connected the dots on the map from Lyon.

I took a bus to Geneva as strangely there weren't any direct trains (it's only 40 minutes away by car). I arrived three hours early for my flight and was floored by how expensive everything was there. A 16 CHF Burger King meal was actually a bargain in comparison to everything else.

Atleast I got a free mug, not that I needed it. I turned to the woman next to me and offered it to her. She looked sad earlier and was grateful to accept it. She said she was collecting for her kids.

She was from the Philippines and works in the airport hotel for the past 30 years. She is widowed and wanted to move back home because her pension won't cover her living in Switzerland. She retires next year and everything is too expensive.

I was reminded that not everyone here is wealthy or middle class. Some people just get by.

I was sad to board my flight. It's back to reality in London. The sound of British youngsters on my flight (girls with too much makeup and not enough enunciation) induces the feeling I can only describe as "balls retracting in cold water"*

Farewell sweet Annecy, land of hot cheese and a beautiful blue lake.

*I should point out that I've ever experienced this in real life.