Avanti Savoia! (or rather Haute-Savoie)

The story

Haute-Savoie in France is an ideal place to treat yourself to a romantic weekend, close to Italy but still with the charm of "travelling abroad".

So, the two of us set off on a Saturday morning from Varese to reach Annecy and in less than 4 hours we're there.

We go through the Mont Blanc tunnel paying the relevant toll. We happily discover that by buying a return ticket you save practically 50%. But careful: the return trip must be made within 1 week.

Annecy is a splendid, colourful city on the shore of a lake, crossed by canals and little bridges: a small Venice but cheerier, though lacking in artistic heritage.

Our hotel is located right at the most scenic and most photographed spot in the city: the Palais de l'Ile, from which it takes its name. However we find it's a mid-quality hotel, nothing special: rather small rooms at a fair price, a small breakfast at an outrageous price, and a convenient nearby affiliated garage.

The Palais de l'Ile originally housed the old Prisons. It looks like a small fortified castle surrounded by water. Inside it houses a museum of Architecture and heritage.

In the morning we wander through the little streets of the old town, walking alongside the canals, crossing the bridges, peering into the various little shops, restaurants and above all wonderful and inviting boulangeries. The window of one of these, on the road leading to the castle, strikes us a lot: there are giant brioches so inviting that we can't resist. We buy a "croix de la Savoie", that is a giant croissant rich in butter and sugar in the shape of a cross: fantastic!

We visit the exterior of the castle, which inside houses some museums relating to the area.

In the afternoon we had intended to take a boat tour of the lake (a 1-hour lake tour with the local navigation company); but the weather is too cloudy and the trip would be wasted.

We therefore opt for a visit to the castle of Montrottier, in the locality of Lovagny, a few km from Annecy. The castle is very rich in furnishings, with rooms fully furnished with rich collections of furniture, ceramics, weapons and various objects.

On returning to Annecy we dine in a crêperie with a savoury crêpe and a sweet one. Then we stroll among the illuminated canals and take a few photos.

Day 2: YVOIRE - THONON LES BAINS

The next day we leave Annecy to head for Lake Leman (Lake Geneva).

Our first stop is Yvoire: a medieval village on the lake shore, entirely pedestrian, with old-time stone buildings and many craft workshops.

Unfortunately it's Sunday morning and low season (March). Consequently, almost all the workshops are closed and the village is practically deserted. We take the opportunity to visit it in complete peace.

The next stop is Thonon Les Bains; a tidy lakeside town, pretty but not very interesting.

We visit the port, the colourful fishermen's village, the pedestrian centre with lots of shops all closed (it's still Sunday).

We have an excellent lunch in a restaurant with outdoor tables in the port area.

We eat a typical French dish: the croque Monsieur. It's a rich toast, with béchamel, cheese and sometimes ham but with the peculiarity of being completely covered in cheese.

Near the port we also notice a particular wash-house, surrounded by stone slabs, that arouses our interest.

We stay in the lake area until the time of the guided tour of the castle of Ripaille. The castle is very well preserved; however the interiors are rather bare and the building looks excessively restored; probably the interest in using it as a venue for weddings and events has taken over.

This is where our short weekend in France ends.

Perhaps the winter season isn't the best time to visit this area, which reaches its peak splendour in spring/summer and, despite it being March, here it's still rather cold.

In the surroundings there would be other castles to visit such as the castle of Clermont, the castle of Thorens and the castle of Menthon Saint-Bernard; unfortunately though they all open in summer.

Still, we're not at all disappointed and we return to our homes happy and recharged, ready to face our usual commitments.

(The background midi file is "La dame de l'Haute Savoie" by Francis Cabrel)