Today I took a very
pleasant road trip with my French friend Lise. We have already spent so many
weeks getting together and chatting over coffee, why not explore France
together as well? Well, more exploring for me, more tour-guiding for her! She
picked me up in the morning and we drove off to Annecy, aka the "Little
Venice of France", and she definitely was a French driver - these French
roads are scary! Driving back home in the States is going to seem calm! =P No,
but seriously, I really enjoyed my car ride with her (we shared a lot of smiles
and laughs!), and driving through the mountains was absolutely incredible…they
were towering all around, and the mountain ranges stretched out for what seemed
like forever! This is definitely going to be a special gem I am going to miss
back home. My goodness, I love these mountains! We ended up arriving in Annecy
in just under two hours, and after Lise found a spot to park we started our
adventure into town. We walked through a huge park where families were having
picnics and tossing around Frisbees, and we walked for a while alongside the
lakeside. What a gorgeous view - crystal clear waters stretching out to the
other side of the lake where the water met with the mountainside. Gorgeous does
not even do this sight justice! There was also a man with his dog, and the man
would toss a stick into the water and the dog would swim after it, a little
game of aquatic fetch. We watched that for a while, I was absolutely hypnotized
by just the sheer…well, joy and cuteness of the whole event. =) After enjoying
the lakeside, we explored the ins and outs of the old-town Annecy, zipping
through market stalls and over bridges, and she shared with me how Annecy is
one of her favorite places in France, and how she would really love to live and
settle down here one day. It was just that little story of hers that made this
Annecy trips one of the best trips I have taken here in France, even better
than Paris. Just the fact that this place meant
something to the friend I was with, it made me feel like there was a reason for
me to be visiting Annecy. I wasn't there to see the sights, and I wasn't there
to take pictures like a tourist - I was there to share an experience with a
friend. And now, Annecy will always have a special meaning for me, too! =)
After she told me about her story, we continued walking through town,
meandering through the old houses and churches, bustling through the crowd and
counting all the German Shepherds that walked by (I counted six - I knew I
would enjoy this town!), and eventually we wandered down a small street and we
bought some sandwiches for lunch. We ate as we walked, and we made our way to a
mall in town where the place was decorated - heavily decorated - for Christmas.
They had fake snow in the hallways, little log cabins with mechanical elves
making toys, a mechanical Santa in a sleigh guided by wooden reindeer, and a
grand Christmas tree that towered over all of the Christmas cheer. We went
shopping through the stores, and Lise bought a spy-gear kit for her little
sister, and I was content gazing at all of the decorations, counting down the
seconds until Christmas, despite it being an entire month and one day away.
Once we got our fill on soaking up the Christmas cheer, we walked through a
small park and made our way back to the car so we could drive a little farther
and visit a neighboring town, Aix-les-Bains. The town was a small town meant
for two specific crowds of people: Either the rich who enjoyed driving down to
toss their Euro bills around in the many casinos in town, or the elderly who
were…well, also rich. Needless to say, we avoided the casinos and enjoyed our
time instead by walking around the town, taking in the pretty sights of the
fountains, the parks, and the gardens. There was even a fountain that was
filled with flowers instead of water - very pretty! After walking through town
for a little bit, we got back in the car, and took our third and final voyage
for the day - our voyage to Lac du Bourget, the biggest lake in France! It was
such a gorgeous lake, resting at the foothills of the mountains, the shored
lined with colorful kayaks and sailboats, the hillsides dotted with small
lakeside cottages and pathways that swerved into patches of forest…it was
actually a very calming visit. It was really one of those moments to take it
all in, really realize where I was, and just be thankful. After scouring the
shores of the gorgeous Lac du Bourget, we got back in the car, and made our way
home (Lise couldn't stay out too late, she had tickets to a concert later that
night!). After a good two hours of stories and laughter, we arrived back in
Grenoble, and Lise dropped me off near the apartment. We said our goodbyes and
I gave her my most sincere thank-yous, and I ended this glorious day by
meandering through the freshly-opened Christmas Market in town =)
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