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 !

Chamonix :. Lac Blanc + La Ferme des 3 Ours

above: I love how toddlers can be easily entertained with very few toys (with some dried pasta, empty yoghurt cups and egg cartons, not to mention pinecones we picked up in the forest). The children's books I got from the small flea market in Vallorcine (paid 1€ for 3), and they are so cute I'll have to make a separate post later.

below: our last hiking day was also the foggiest. We had planned to hike to Lac Blanc, one of the most popular hiking trails in Chamonix, and despite the fog we went ahead with our plan. It was so foggy we couldn't see past 2 or 3 m ahead sometimes, but this trail is one of the most well marked so it 's quite impossible to get lost.

We made it there in a bit less than 2 hours, and were almost done with our picnic by the side of the lake when it started to rain. We took shelter in the Refuge where after some hot tea and a huge and flavorful slice of Tart aux Myrtilles decided to head back.

Later that night we walked to La Ferme des 3 ours for our dinner, and it was possibly one of the best meals of the whole trip.