May 15, 2014
Hiking the Annecy-Sévrier way
Morning of Day 2 in Annecy, we woke up early to be greeted by grey sky and drizzles, but undeterred, we put on our walking gear and headed in the direction of Semnoz. Based on direction given to us by Marc, the Église de la Visitation was our key landmark, and continuing along the avenue de la Visitation, we came to the starting point of our intended hike.
Multiple options of varying distance were available and we opted for a 3.5 hours (blue) circuit, figuring that’d get us back in Annecy for a late lunch. If we’d wanted a route with higher elevation, the 2.5 hours (red) circuit would be ideal, but Marc warned us that with recent rainfall, it may be just a tad too slippery without hiking sticks to aid us.
The first part of the walk was rather straight-forward, as we opted to commence on the side facing Vovray. The path was a single, unforked lane of wood chips lined with trees and other greeneries. We were never alone for too long either, as various joggers/runners whizzed by us, their dedication to the sport earning much of my admiration. We also took a quick pause at the Vovray view point, but the misty rain obscured the view of the far horizon.
It was at the turn of the circuit, to loop back towards the starting point, that we started to pay more attention to our route. As a number of paths started to criss-cross onto one another, we were constantly looking out for blue markers and arrows, be it on trees or rocks by each junctions. We did get a tad confused when we came into contact with the Route de Semnoz, which could used better sign-posting, before finding our way again in the woody area just a bit off the main road.
Ambling along, we started to wonder how far along had we been on the circuit, and when would we get back in town. Afterall, we set off that morning with just a couple of bottles of water, but accidentally left our snacks/cookies behind. My stomach was beginning to grumble when we came once again came into contact with Route de Semnoz. Much to my delight, right by it was a Michelin-recommended restaurant! Our lucky star must also be shining since it was opened that day, on 1 May!!
Les Terrasses du Lac is located on an idyllic spot with a magnificent view of Lake Annecy. Had it been a sunnier day, we would have requested for a table on the terrace outside. It would have also rendered me less conscious of the fact that I was dressed for hiking and not for fine dining… especially once other customers started coming into the restaurant, en famille, all chic and stylish. (I hastened into the bathroom to at least fix my hair!)
Lunch was a veritable feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. Large glass windows by our side meant we still had great view of the lake, and the dishes which we were served were also pretty as pictures. We warmed up with a miniature pot of beef consommé, courtesy of the house, before the starters came along.
I happily tucked in succulent thin slices of beef carpaccio, garnished with shaved parmesan and balsamic reduction, while F thoroughly enjoyed his tomato-strawberry gazpacho with basil cream. Excellent mains were served next. We shared tender chicken ballotine with polenta and estragon creme, and pan-seared féra (fish from Lake Annecy) with asparagus and Szechuan pepper sauce. Yes, plate-swapping across the table may have occurred… ;)
To complete the meal, F selected a crème brûlée of ginger and lime with lime madeleine, while I went for a bold crumble of reblochon in Génépi, essentially eating a sort of fondue as my “dessert”. After the underwhelming dinner at 20/Vins the previous evening, I was feeling rather smug to have turn the table on mediocre meal and return to the world of pleasurable dining for an additional cost of €2 per person.
Happy and well-fed, we took a good, long, admirative look of the lake from the terrace, before continuing our downhill path in the woods. Even between the trees, we were now getting glimpses of the lake, prompting F to longingly wish for a swim, which he did later the same day. The call of the crystal clear water was just too strong for him to resist, even though he emerged semi-frozen after that.
This path that we took was but one of the many routes in the area, and we have heard of many other worthy circuits to hike too. At this stage, we were both thinking, we could really do with a longer holiday here instead of mere four days. We still have much to see around the lake, and we wouldn’t even have time to check out the Gorges de Fier not far from Annecy either. In fact, F would even rather we move here next if we decide to leave Paris for another French city. I could definitely see the allure in it.
All posts in this series:
Annecy: Lake Annecy | Flickr Photoset
Annecy: A very picturesque Annecy | Flickr Photoset
Annecy: 20/Vins: more like 12/20
Annecy: Hiking the Annecy-Sévrier way | Flickr Photoset
Annecy: Lunch at La Ciboulette
Annecy: Biking around Lake Annecy | Flickr Photoset
Heard about this place from a friend.. Its truly amazing.. :)
Make it a stop on your next trip to France? :)
delicious meal after a great hike with splendid view….awesome!
We got really lucky with that resto!
love the photos! so beautiful and scenic. and delicious too this time! ;)
Yeah, can’t beat that combo, can we? ;)