Bicycling Around Annecy With Views Like “The Sound of Music”

The sun sparkles on the lake beyond the little terrace of our balcony. We’re resting after a day of biking and then will head out to take a boat ride around the lake.

Yesterday it rained all day but then cleared up in the late afternoon, so we took off on a bike ride. I tried going up a hill with Landon and it was lovely–green fields and cows and little chalets. Then Landon’s bike broke down and a wonderful guy with a van stopped and gave us a ride to the main road, called the bike shop and we waited there to be rescued.

Back at the shop, he got another bike and we upgraded me to a better bike too–lighter for going up the hills. I’d been using a sort of granny bike with a bell on it that was fine for flat.

Today, we rode up a mountain for 8 miles up. Again so lovely with water falls and streams, huge cows lounging in green meadows and the views of the lake far below. Then Landon took off and went to do another mountain and I cruised down and had lunch at a lovely bistro. The have these ‘menus’ which include everything and I decided to have that. It also inlcuded a ‘quart’ or a 1/4 pitcher of wine.

The trouble was, I still had about 6 miles to go after! But I had a scrumptuous lunch of salad, pasta, dessert, wine and coffee and then wobbled a bit back, but I made it. I was thrilled that I rode 54 kms, or 36 miles, the farthest I’ve ever gone and also my first real climb was included in that.

Landon loved his extra riding and so we’re both happy campers. My new bike made a real difference on the climb, so much lighter and I’m less afraid of the cars now too. People here are respectful of cyclists–maybe the Tour de France inspires that. We usually watch that in the afternoon, but today must be a day off for them. I’m in awe of how far they ride and how difficult their rides are.