Water Cities, Part 2: Annecy and Geneva

Where were we...? Ah, yes:

Annecy

Now, this city is something special. I arrived in town late on Monday night, and so basically just had enough energy to walk three blocks from the hostel and get a mini pizza for dinner before I crashed for the night. Again, though, I was up early the next day and off to look for adventure.

I started off by walking through the heart of the old town and then walking along part of the waterfront of Lake Annecy. Such beauty!! Even though it was overcast the whole time I was there, for whatever reason, that type of weather was perfect for the setting in late winter/early spring. The mountaintops still had some snow on them, the lake was calm, and there were SO many swans, seagulls, and ducks floating around. The tranquillity and peacefulness of the place were so contagious. It was really lovely to wander around at my leisure and take photos of all the beauty I saw. 

Old town is a beautiful neighborhood. The mountain/lake location of the city reminded me a bit of my trip to Stehekin this past summer, and the architecture of the old buildings reminded me at times of the Cinque Terre, and also of Whistler. All wonderful memories to be reminded of in a lovely new place! 

The awesome old city prison on a little island in the river. :)

In the afternoon, I went on a boat cruise of the upper part of Lake Annecy. There was some commentary given about the lake and the history of the region, but it was most pleasant to watch the hills, mountains, and little lake towns go by and try to snap some shots of all the gorgeous scenery!

I'd like to live in this chateau on the lake, please.

The rest of the day was pretty laid back. I spent some time in a cafe warming up over a cup of coffee and writing postcards, and then I headed to the grocery store to pick up dinner supplies before heading back to the hostel. On my last night in Strasbourg, I had been looking at a map online and saw that Geneva, Switzerland was only 90 minutes away from Annecy by train. I knew then and there that I HAD to go on a day-trip to Switzerland, so that was the plan for my second day. :)

A panorama of the lake and city. Click on it to make it bigger!

This was outside of a bar in the old town area. I really want to make
this for my back yard whenever I buy a house!

The Pont des Amours, where the canal ends and the lake begins.

Geneva

I woke up early on Wednesday and hustled off to the train station to buy my tickets and start the journey to Switzerland. I had to take a short train ride and then an hour-long bus ride, but I got dropped off right in town. It took me a bit to get my bearings and figure out which side of the lake I was on, but I quickly figured it out and headed toward Lake Geneva to see the skyline and the Jet d'Eau.

The Jet d'Eau is the highest water jet in Europe at 459 feet (totally random). It started out in the 1880s as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network and just kind of evolved over the years into a bigger and bigger jet and a more and more beloved city landmark. Wild!

After I saw that and walked along the lakefront for a while, I headed into the heart of downtown and walked, walked, walked! Geneva is a busy city, filled with luxury hotels, watchmakers, and fashion stores. Unfortunately, I only had enough money to buy a coffee, but I could see how you could really live it up in this city if you had enough cash! Swanky swanky. 

There were SO MANY watch stores, signs, advertisements, etc.!

I walked around to the other side of the head of the lake and along one of the outcroppings that hosted a small lighthouse, a tiny 'beach', and a spa/sauna.

I loved this take on "The Scream". It's a sign saying, 'Please
bring back your glass!"

After eating my sack lunch on a bridge between the new part of town and the old, I headed up the hill into the old part of town for a look at the historical buildings and monuments. I went into St. Peter's Cathedral, the most famous church in Geneva, and was impressed by the architecture and the colors in one of the wings of the church.

 

I stopped for my coffee break and chatted with some fun locals for a bit before heading to see the Reformation Wall in the Parc des Bastions. There were also about a half a dozen life-size chess playing areas, so I took some pictures of a bunch of old Swiss guys playing a fast-paced game. 

The Reformation Wall

Before I had to catch the bus/train relay back to Annecy in the late afternoon, I returned to the big park by the waterfront to see the Flowering Clock and look out over the lake one last time. I'm really glad I took the opportunity to explore the city and add another country to my list of places visited. Spontaneous travelling is almost always a good choice. :)

I wasn't scheduled to leave Annecy until the late afternoon the next day, so I slept in as much as I could before I had to get all packed up and checked out of the hostel. I then wandered back through town and to the lake again and sat on a bench for a good chunk of time, just looking out over the water and enjoying the peaceful beauty of the mountains. What a lovely spot. Hopefully, the next time I'm back in Annecy, I'll have enough money and time to go skiing! That city is a great gateway to the French Alps and places like Chamonix. Next time, next time...

I have another couple of days of freedom and relaxation before I head back to work on Tuesday! I can't believe I'll only be working for six more weeks! I am so excited to have more time in Nantes, and then to spend six straight weeks traveling through Europe with family and friends before I head back to the Northwest for the summer. It's all going by so fast!