nearby Chamonix :: Chateau de Menthon + Annécy

Some photos of the inside of the apartment we rented in Vallorcine. Not sure if the residence deserves its 5 stars, but it was nice enough and perfectly adequate for our stay, so I'd definitely reccomend it for families with small children (the indoor pool, playground and mini-golf were great for entertainment)

Our flight back to Portugal was not until the evening so we decided to take a leisurely drive towards Genève airport by the shore of Lake Annécy, and stop to visit le Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard. We didn't visit the interior, but the garden and exterior are worth a short walk. Just look at those views ...

And finally, we spent the afternoon in the lovely city of Annécy. We've driven through it numerous times in the past during our ski trips but had never actually stopped for a visit.  It was a very nice surprise, I had no idea it was so pretty. Being a Saturday afternoon with sunny weather in August meant that it was crowded with tourists and everyone seemed to be outside, but even that didn't make it less pleasant.

:: here, near the ex-libris Palais de L'Isle

:: we HAD to stop by the famous Glacier des Alpes for ice cream. See the huge line though ? Well, we waited for a table to vacate and sat to be served, which was way more quicker than waiting in line. However, when sitting you must eat one of the ice cream dishes (no cups or cones) so imagine our sacrifice ;-) I very much recommend it, the ice cream was a-m-a-z-i-n-g !