Rendezvous With French Alps & Annecy

There goes a saying “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”
Nothing could be truer for my friend and me when we decided to explore a quaint town of France called Annecy. 
Thanks to my subscription to various blogs and websites such as "Places to see before you die" or "Must visit places in your bucket list" "10 most beautiful villages in the world".... so on and on... (you get the idea).. my friend and I were mesmerized by the pics of Annecy that we saw on Google.
Yes, go ahead... Google "Annecy" images and you will know what am talking about!

Our trip to France was more about exploring the beauty, nature, and just soaking in the local culture rather than tick off the "to see places". Hence, we zeroed on this place, after Paris, as our second stopover. 

From Paris to reach Annecy - took the TGV till Lyon - from Lyon another train till Annecy.

The trains in France are spot on time. Not even one minute late! unbelievable for us.

Usually for transit, there would be ten minutes in between to change the station and we would always wonder what if we missed the train! but the ticket sale counter would always tell us that you wouldn't and it's fine. Only to realize later what they meant. It's smooth, convenient and efficient.

From Lyon to Annecy - am at a loss of adjectives to be used. We were in the train and hence, could not capture the pics.. there is a huge vast never ending mountain lake... where you see the boats sailing, people doing various water sports... better than one's imagination or any movie! We crossed this lake to land in Annecy and start our search for locating the B&B with which we had made the booking. Oh boy...was that some task! Apparently the hotel was a little away from the main town.. that is Hotel "Ace Annecy" had limited bus services .. what an ironical name! 

We figured our bus won't arrive for another 40 minutes or so... and that gave us time to take a quick walk of the village. It's quite a small one, and in 30 minutes one should have walked through all the lanes... Hotel Ibis is right in the center of the town and a good choice to stay if one is planning Annecy. The town is pretty, the day we landed was a local music festival and a lot of young guys, gals were sitting around with their guitars .. singing, playing music. While at few food joints, in their outside sitting area, rock bands with mini sound systems were performing. It was very lively and seemed perfect with the river flowing right in the center of the town, people laughing, playing music .. surrounded by beautiful flowers and greenery... no matter where your eye went. 

We had to step out of a live dream to concentrate back on reaching our hotel. Turned out the bus we were waiting for didn't go the route we wanted to. We decided to check with more bus drivers there.. and it was quite a scene. In no time, we had these three to four bus drivers, all with their maps out... talking in rapid French.. discussing how to help the two "oh so lost girls". For some reason, since we were enjoying watching their conversation so much, and music in the air that we too weren't taking the taxi and letting it be. After a while, they mutually agreed and packed us on a bus. They didn't even charge us! that was super sweet... and after 3km.. dropped us on this bus stop, from where we were supposed to walk only a bit.
Turned out .. it was almost 1.5 km walk... we lugging our luggage.. yet not sure if we in the right direction... got again helped by some locals. I think .. two people lugging their luggage...with mixed emotions of laughing, crying etc.. in the middle of nowhere do stand out! Some guys from the neighborhood who were out chatting helped us with the address and by calling the hotel for exact location details. Seems we were on the right path. All quite a tussle.. but it was fun!

On reaching, were more than happy to find that the place was really nice. Compact, neat, clean and perfectly comfy. Thumbs up for Hotel Ace Annecy. Once you figure the bus routes.. its super easy and fully recommended. If you plan Annecy and this hotel, just ask them to mail you the right bus numbers. 

While checking in... we had the "secret destinations" moment. Girl At Reception (let's call her Nelly) 

Me: "Hi, Can you help us with what all one can explore here in Annecy."

Nelly: "Ah, which part of Alps you want to explore?"

Me: "Alps!!! you mean we are near the Alps!"

Nelly (gives me and my friend one long funny look): "Yeah, you came to Annecy for that."

Me: "No, we came for the village!" (then rapid mumble) "We knew Alps is nearby but not this near! I mean...we didn't think much... we thought we will figure out once we reach... and blah blah" 

Nelly: "Oh then, then you can explore the church, the market, and walk to a small mountain nearby"

Me: "No, No, tell us about the Alps!!"

Nelly (opens a big huge map): "Ok, let me see... where can you go... you are here only for two days, and one for the village and in the other half day...hmmm.. let me think..."

My friend & I (in chorus): "Forget village, we will cover that... tell us the best part of Alps that one can go to"

Nelly gives us some options... and then we are like if you had a day where would you go..

She confidently points to a dot called "Chamonix Mont Blanc"

Now, that is a name my BFF had texted me while I was in Paris .. that I should definitely explore. I had looked at it briefly on the internet and after seeing it a part of Alps.. had really not considered.. as I was like.. I am not even going towards the main Alps.. this won't be possible in this trip.. and Viola.. here it was ... in front of me.. 

Needless to say... the first thing the next day we did was ... take the train to Alps! 

Place from where changed train for Chamonix

Again we had to change two trains to reach Chamonix Mont Blanc. The second train was a tiny one that goes slowly but quite uphill. Had the toy train sort of charm. While crossing the Alpine town of Annecy and entering Chamonix - we were again struck by the lifestyle of farmers there. Merc, BMW, plunge pools for every house, the tiny villages yelled out riches. Such a stark contrast to our countrysides! feels sad...pinches one to the core... but a truth of this sort usually does that.

Chamonix is surrounded by Italy, France and Switzerland. No wonder the moment we landed, we found the place to be quite touristy. Buzzing with tourists, every corner we thought we heard a different language, quite a few shops had great collection, great place to buy souvenirs - the kind you will not find easily except in an Alpine town - such as horn whistle, carved knives fit for a Viking collection and awesome cool stuff... which sadly we couldn't buy any due to shortage of time.
This is a place for at least one night stay for sure! don't miss that if you head here. Had we known - we would have planned accordingly. A day trip does no justice to this place.

We were surrounded by cable cars! After strolling through the town, we decided at end moment - why not... let's do it! The tourism office after realizing the "short" time we had, suggested us the nearest one - which turned out to be Le Brevent. They told us to take the road uphill and to be fast to make it! Get Set Go time for quick good uphill exercise.

Le Brevent Station

Again amazed at the efficiency with which they work. It took us a moment to gather how they operate as once you punch in the ticket, getting on the gondola lift is your own task. In India, we are so used to people helping at every step, and here we were taking off from the platform to this car cabin in air, meant a small jump... we looked around if hopefully we are doing it right! to realize that was the only way... things running by themselves. That's what technology is for.. after all!

Journey to Le Brevent is in two parts. One gets off from gondola lift at Plan Praz 1999m to get onto another cable car which takes one to 2525m.

When one changes cable cars midway - the halls of the stations are lined with historic stuff which is really something. To see vintage pics of men and women exploring these heights when one didn't even have good protection from snow or roads made. To reach these heights in wooden cars.. almost akin to sleds makes you wonder on human spirit!

To amaze one more - some people start the trek from Le Brevent to walk all the way to Aiguille while some end there and while some are passers-by. When we visited - the summit seemed under construction and a small portion could not be accessed. However, we barely noticed that, as we went around the summit and soaked in the panoramic view of Alps. Cannot be put in words.

We were so lost in Alps - and my travel partner who excels in missing trains, buses, flights... for a change saved us! She was like "Hey, what time is the return train" only to realise we have 40 minutes to make it!. and we were at 2525m lost in the beauty of the Alps and Alpine lakes!
And then the cable car wouldn't leave the summit till its full - we were in soup! ran non-stop from the base of the station to Chamonix railway station. Needless to say - again a sight! we had kind people stepping on the side and giving way to two (decently) crazy running girls ... well well.. we did make it. I bet, had we also not.. we would have cried a bit on missing it.. but might have stayed a day more there happily... who knows.
Chamonix has lovely food, even loads of good veg options as apparently it's quite a busy town and frequented by people from all over the world. A must stay place for at least two days!

The next day we explored Annecy before taking the train and landed doing my fav activity - explore the local grocery market.

Apparently every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, there is a market where the locals come with their produce. It has a very old world charm to it. It being a Tuesday, we were lucky to have experienced it.
Post that, we bid adieu to Annecy, but can say this safely, a piece of heart got left with Alps. Will visit that part again someday! 

Paris je t'aime

Where do I even begin? I sound like Elizabeth Barret who when in love wrote... "how do I love thee.. let me count the ways" I wouldn't be exaggerating that I felt the same for France.

France is the most visited country in the world; Paris is called the most romantic city in the world. I did not have these facts in my mind when I decided to visit this place.

But once there, I knew why these facts haven't changed over the years...

Disclaimer: This blogpost is not about French architecture trail, or historical facts, or its museums or a top places list to visit in 10 - 12 day visit to France.

The consistent temptation - aided by nudges from everyone around about exploring more than one country was really hard to resist. However, how tempting it was, my friend and I stuck to our plan... and roamed the streets of Paris, exploring local markets in French villages and.. yeah.. this trip was mainly about chilling, catching the pulse of French culture.

Our itinerary was simple - Paris - Idyllic Alpine Village Annecy  - Provencal Village Vensaque - back to Paris

Paris: Landing in Paris - we were greeted by friendly immigration officers, whether one blames it on Jet Airways or Charles De Gaulle Airport itself - it wasn't very organised. Finding out our belt number was quite a task, and then figuring out where it is even bigger. Post our adventure of one hour or so on the airport.. we finally lugged our luggage to the Metro and off we were! The moment our metro starting crossing the city - we were delighted to see the quaintness outside.. and for me the broad daylight even at 9 pm was such a treat! 

My friend and I did a home stay with a French family in the heart of the Paris, right next to Luxembourg Gardens. An elderly couple who were into sculpting, graffiti and painting. Staying with them gave me an insight into the ways and the lives of a French common man. 

Once with them - we realized that Parisians have so much beauty in their everyday lives. All the houses, flats around had wooden interiors with glass roofs. Lots of  greenery in form of balcony flower plants, ivy and creepers everywhere. The houses were marked by solid wood furniture that looks grand. Glass tops allow natural light to stream in the house everywhere ... making it super cool! The crockery used everyday is ceramic plates, ceramic mugs and jars, wooden spatulas etc. Anne & Jean (couple we were staying with) mostly cooked in Le Creuset pans...so just the living room and the kitchen packed with layers of wood, ceramic stuff, painted cotton fabrics, wicker baskets made a perfect picture for life style magazine. 

Metro is the easiest, cost effective and fastest way to travel in Paris. Rather than take a metro week pass, we took the day pass priced at approx 7 euros - for days when we would hop from one corner to another. Rest of the days saw us exploring the streets on foot, hence expense on travel was even lower. It was something to see French men immaculately dressed, with a cross bag ... on a bicycle! same goes for women. I was surprised to see so many people on cycles going to office, picking and dropping school going children, shopping or just for fun. Cycles were everywhere! which made me search on how Paris became a biker friendly city and found that about 10 years ago, city authorities of Paris, led by Denis Baupin, then Deputy Mayor of Transportation, decided to reduce the space occupied by cars, replacing it with wider bus-bike lanes and bike paths. You can read more on this here. How cool! we definitely need this in Mumbai and Delhi. 

 

There is so much to see in Paris, that even for a person who is quick , would need minimum 20 days to soak in everything - Eiffel. Luxembourg, my fav. Goth architecture Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Triomphe. Palais Royal, Moulin Rouge, Lido, Opera, Theater, cuisine... one can go on and on... and who can forget its world famous shopping destination too!  

Paris is known as The City of Lights... once there, I did not find anything remarkable in their lighting. Certainly just the bright Eiffel cannot make the city earn this name! Dubai, Singapore, Las Vegas are the ones which more fit the bill. Thanks to Google, I found out that the name has nothing to do with the Eiffel Tower lights or the streetlights of the city. Intellectuals are the lights!! the name refers to the high-concentration of writers, artists and academicians that have always been drawn to the city.

Sigh - even the name is poetic! 

Apart from all the historical monsters as mentioned above, that are on everyone's to do Paris list - few things that cannot be missed are - Seine River tour... Its so beautiful that its almost criminal! Now Seine by the day or Seine by the night was the big Q in front of us that we ended up touring twice! Seine by the day is my fav as it shows the architecture of the city clearly. How every building blends into another, yet has its own identity... no jarring lines, no odd structures that are an eye sore... 

By law, no buildings can exceed six stories in Paris. As its important that "Pour que tout le monde ait du soleil" which means "so that all have sunshine", resulting in a metro that has retained old world charm, unique in the world. 

It was a noon with a hint of rain in the air when we sailed on Seine.. so was right out of a story book.  

Surrounded by the beauty, by the love lock bridges, by people dancing and singing on banks of Seine, there one can muse why Paris motto is "Fluctuat nec mergitur" meaning "It is tossed by the waves, but does not sink."

Another was Saint Ouen Market - its 150-year-old market and the world's largest and most famous flea market. I think this was the only place that was on to-do list in Paris. Eiffel tower or Louvre is something one will visit - so for all historical destinations, we really hadn't even checked the timings or days or how to get there...as that's what all tourists do and info should be easily available anywhere. For St. Ouen market, we checked on days, as it is only open on weekends and made our plan around it. It has labyrinthine alleys and stalls where one can find anything imaginable.

Ever been to Mumbai Chor Bazaar... well.. this was French Chor Bazaar. If you like exploring places where you can find first LV bag, Dior 1950 collection, miniature perfume bottles, how did old Chanel smelled like, magazines out of print or more antiques, here is where you go!

The rates are exorbitant. We couldn't buy anything except a few trinkets here and there, but the market's ambiance is adorable to explore.

Lastly, every city is made by its people. French people were warm and helpful. A lot of French guys volunteered for help when I was travelling cross cities and had heavy bags with me. My friend would always get lost when she would go on a run.. to be helped by people who didn't hesitate to use Google Maps on their mobiles; for pure vegetarian food... they would take the trouble of reading all ingredients and informing. At so many places when lost and where we could not communicate due to language barrier - we were escorted till the closest correct metro station or bus stop. (which made me think if I would ever do the same - tell the way (yes), GPS (yes) but escorting takes time .. even if 5 minutes) - which was very heart warming. 

Chance discovery for us... and not to be missed - Eiffel blinks at 12.00 am! What a sight it is.

Our home in France

& 

Our friendly neighborhood Luxembourg

That's all on Paris for now...truly a seat of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

One feels it in the air.