Annecy

A French Venice. Perhaps.

Retour des Alpages. A festival celebrating the return of the farm animals from the alps, to spend the winter at lower, warmer elevations.

An excuse to exhibit fascinating alpine culture and some of its awesomely silly traditions. And to hang out with the Californians for a day.

Annecy sits on a beautiful lake, surrounded by impressive mountains, sheer cliffs. The sun shone flawlessly, as if every day were so beautiful. Everyone was out and about, running, rollerblading, cycling, walking, paddling, swimming, boating…

The energy grew and grew until finally we arrived at the city center where there were booths selling alpine apple juice, Mont Blanc beer (green and sweet), amazing vats of meaty regional specialties, cheeses, hand-carved clogs, carrier pigeons, California rabbits (which I have never seen before in my life), sheep, first-edition signed comic books, handmade jewelry, tea, wine, fruit, huge cow bells, an alpine choir/band (well, okay, so they weren’t selling the choir, but whatever)… All in the beautiful ambiance of a French lakeside village with canals and bridges, doors that open necessarily for boats or fresh air, lest someone wants to go for a swim, and complete with a chateau on top. Génial.

We wandered the city, tasting the regional specialties, exploring all the little mysterious alleyways, until it was time for lunch.

Again the bus whisked us away, this time along the lake (a beautiful drive, bien sur!) until we reached a lovely little lakeside restaurant.

More regional specialties – roasted chicken, amazing potatoes, salads of all sorts, Savoie white wine, and lemon and raspberry sorbet. I love this program!

We returned to the city center for the parade – but alas, this is no ordinary parade. Appropriately, it is a parade of farm animals. We followed the sounds of cow bells and “maaaaw”ing, through hidden alleyways, past peoples front doors in these hidden alleyways, until we popped out among the spectators, cows, goats, sheep, and herders.

Hazard zone.

Cows don’t excuse themselves to go to the bathroom. They just go. And if you’re in the way, tant pis! (Oh well!)

Quite impressive the streams of liquid (and otherwise) that come from these animals. We hopped back, taking a spot with a less clear but much safer view. The Europeans didn’t seem to mind as much. This was clear, too, when the animals had passed and everyone walked in the path they had followed. Eeeeeewwwww. But the Europeans were unphased.

After the parade ended, we wandered around the city, turning various corners to be pleasantly surprised by beautiful vistas, sneak peaks at the real lives of Annecy – little gardens, well-used balconies, old buildings, well-groomed young French boys and girls unphased and unimpressed by the beauty that surrounds them. Where’s the mall?

But to our foreign eyes, everything was new and beautiful, every moment and each encounter a treasure. Don’t ever let it wear off.