Day 3 - Aix-les-Bains to Annecy

 The next day was a fairly short ride to Annecy, but was over the hills on narrow, winding farm roads, luckily without too many vehicles.  The morning began with breakfast at the hotel, after which we finished packing and brought out the bikes.  Once again, David led a charmed life, as the battery went back into place and all systems were ‘go’.

When we first biked into town the day before, we looked up and saw the fantastic structure shown below.  Built as a private house at the turn of the last century, it fell into ruin and was purchased and recently restored by another private owner.  It is a French historic monument, and as such must be preserved in essentially its current form.

Chateau de la Roche du Roi from the Web

On our way out of town, we first went to a bike shop in downtown Aix as Roger’s bike had been making worrisome noises.  On consulting with the shop, it was determined that much disassembly would have to be done for a diagnosis, so it was decided to continue on.  We wound up into the hills through Aix, guided by Gérard’s excellent electronic routing, and came out into farming country. 

We climbed further up into the hills on narrow switch-back roads, admiring the scenery, and noting the number of new houses being built, or older homes being extensively remodeled, evidently for a vacation or retirement home.

Gérard Approaching the Top

David at the Top

We stopped at the top of the hills for a short breather before descending into Annecy, admiring the views along the way.

We located our hotel, in the outskirts of town, checked in, and biked off to old-town Annecy to look for a dinner spot.  It was the night of the Fete de la Musique, so the streets and restaurants were already packed.  We eventually found a place to have a drink, before pushing on to a dinner place. 

Dinner in Annecy with the Crowd

Note: The Fete de la Musique is a nation-wide, one-night event in June whereby live music is available in many bars, restaurants, music venues, parks, etc., and LOTS of people turn out for a very festive evening.  As we ate dinner, we could hear music coming from various locations nearby. 

Distance for the day - 42 kilometers.