Vendanges, Voyages, et Une Belle Vie: Talloires, Annency, and a hike

On our first full day in Talloires, we went to the office of tourism and the post office. Then we headed to the end of the lake to wander through the old part of Annecy, which is built around beautiful canals that are lined with picturesque shops and restaurants. We discovered a tiny boulangerie tucked in a corner of one of the cobblestone streets, where we bought a baguette for our dinner and couldn't resist an almond croissant (which we later enjoyed in the sun on the bank of Lake Annecy).

In the afternoon, we headed out on a 2.5 hour hike to a waterfall hidden in the forest. The trail had some incredible views... Just see below:

On our way down, we took a "shortcut" (in Parke's honor) which led us down a steep, slippery trail. Martin, being as wise as he always is, decided it was necessary to use a walking stick for support (after he had seen all the elderly women carrying them... Mind you, there's were metal). He tried to convince Kate of his new stick's durability, but she was much too sure-footed, and also warned him that he seemed more off balance than without it. He felt otherwise. About two minutes after he picked it up, he actually needed the support of the small, frail branch which immediately snapped in two pieces and Martin slipped right on his butt. After a laugh between the two of us, he ditched the walking stick idea and was forced to listen to Kate boast about her incredible mountain wisdom.

We made it back to the apartment around 6:30pm and enjoyed a glass of wine watching the sun set behind the mountains.