In Annecy: day three

May 18, 2025

Once again, let's start with a hot news update. I left you hanging on the news that I booked our return flight for the wrong date, but was fortunate enough to be able to cancel it without penalty because it was caught soon enough. Since then, plans have finalized: we're flying home one day later, on the 30th - two days after the end of our stay in Pont en Royans. We did this because the apartment we're booking in Portland won't be available until the 30th so we have a two day lodging gap to fill. It could be either here or in Portland, but staying at an airport hotel in Lyon works the best - for us, and for Janos, who's still willing to drive us there.

So, we've booked a flight, we've booked our stay at the airport hotel, and we've booked accommodations in Portland through the end of August. We're all set, other than to finalize the plan for shipping our suitcases up from Bari.

Today is another hike and bike day. Suzanne and Janos are hiking over to the police station to inquire about her missing wallet; Susan and Rachael plan on taking a hike up the ridge south of the lake; and I'm taking a moderate climb up into the hills north of town.

Susan and Rachael head off on their intended walk at 10, but for reasons neither of them can quite explain they miss the route completely even though Rachael's got it,loaded to her Garmin and Susan's got it on her phone. Instead, they walk north into the foothills on the opposite side of the bank and return with what I would characterize as lukewarm reviews; and as near as I can tell Rachael never even once pulled out her phone to take a shot. So let's just include the map to give them credit for the distance and move on to my bike ride, which includes plenty of photos to fill the void.

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I leave the apartment about a half hour later, once I summon the will to wrestle my bike into the elevator again. Actually, it's getting easier now that I've got the technique down. The space in this elevator is small, but more usable than that one in Nice. It's pretty awkward inching my folded bike with the stem removed and the handlebars draped across the frame into the elevator, walking hunched over and crablike in a posture that does my back and knees no good at all.

The ride though is excellent. It begins with a short ride along the western end of the lake to see if any new birds are on the water today. I pick up the first goosander of the year, inching me another bird closer to my new goal of 200 birds for the year.

A goosander, also known as a Eurasian Common merganser. With that distinctive hooked beak though it looks nothing like the American Comm merganser.

After that I head more or less straight north and out of town, gradually working my way through suburbs for the first three or four miles before starting with the day's modest climb. I don't stop often for photos, but a few spots catch my attention.

Here's an attractive row. What is this stuff?

Closer still. Google Photos thinks it's bougainvilleas. Any other ideas?

Some little village along the way - I didn't catch it's name.

Once I start climbing I quickly leave the suburbs for greener slopes and pastures and it's not long before views or the mountains north of the lake give me a reason to stop.

We're zoomed in here on the ridge on the opposite side of the narrow valley we're climbing through, carved by a small stream.

The view east across the north end of the lake, in the direction of the Araviz mountains.

Here we're looking southeast up the valley carved by the Fier River. I'm transfixed by the glaciated shape of the valley, and especially by that sheer cliff on the left.

Approaching the northern end of my loop. Once I've gotten out of town this is a really attractive cycling area. I've passed a couple of side roads marked as bike routes that look like they'd be as fine as the one I've chosen. I think you could come up here often and find a number of different satisfying rides.

Saint Martin's church, in Allonziere-La-Caille. I turned west here toward the low pass I'll cross before dropping back toward Annecy.

Interesting. What is this? At first I thought it was a trophy wall of animal pelts. Fox tails?

It's not much of a pass today, but enough that I feel like I've gotten a workout by the time I arrive. I stop for the obligatory shot at the summit and then look around. To the east are the mountains, but what really catches my attention is five large black birds soaring aloft. They're too far off to get an idea of an identifying shot at first but slowly they work my way, close enough finally to see that they're black kites.

There are at least five of them in the group, and from their behavior u thought they might be red kites at first.

Another view east. There really is a lot of snow in the mountains up there. Views like these give me a few pangs of regret about not going up to Briançon as we had planned,

Not far off the other side of the past I see something out in a newly mown pasture and stop for it, thinking maybe it's a raptor. I'm thrilled though to see it's a fox. He just stands out there staring at me for a while, then turns tail before stopping for a last look and finally disappears into the woods.

I haven't seen too many foxes in the wild, and certainly not ones that stay put long enough for me to get a decent shot. So I'm really shocked when a half hour later I see a second one. A two fox day!

So it's a two fox day, but it really should count as a two pass day to because there's still another four hundred feet of climbing to the high point of the day at Ferrieres.

It's a very quiet road but this guy was worth pulling aside for.

There's that same formation we saw from down below.

Inspiring cycling country. All the small roads here look worth exploring.

Susan's not here today. Somebody's got to do the honors.

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Today's ride: 23 miles (37 km)
Total: 717 miles (1,154 km)

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Jacquie GaudetThe American/British couple we met touring in Portugal had spent some time visiting different areas when they wanted to move to France. They decided on Annecy and it’s obvious why!
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