Getting familiar

Tuesday in Annecy started with coffee, croisants, and yogurt on the courtyard terrrace. The weather is perfect- a bit cool in the shade, but we find out quickly that outside the residence, it is quite warm.

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We decided to walk over to the tourist office, by way of the lake. There are many people around, but it does not feel crowded or tourist-y. We find a map with a guided tour of the city which we decide to modify for ourselves. By the end of the day, we were hot and tired, but very happily informed. We saw several beautiful churches. We walked up to the castle at the top of the hill. There is a small admission fee, but in addition to the self-guided tour of the castle, there were several different art exhibits, all quite interesting. Currently, there is an animation festival going on and some of the drawings and video were also on display.

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We looped around the town and its many canals enough that it started to feel familiar. Before going out to dinner, we went back to the apartment and showered (with a steam bath, too!) and changed. Our hosts had suggested three favorite restaurants, but the first one required reservations (one table was occupied but they shooed us away from all those empty tables awaiting patrons who reserved ahead), the second was closed, and the third one welcomed us with open arms. The waiter was friendly and spoke English. I ordered a salad with goat cheese and Steve asked for a recommendation. Upon hearing the waiter's suggestion of ribs, Steve hesitated, saying he didn't want too big of a meal. The waiter scoffed and said, "Ahhh! You're in France now. Eat like the French!"

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So we did.

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Here is one observation of French restaurants: The wait staff is in no hurry to take an order, deliver an order, check in for refills, or present a check. No upselling here. No tipping either, so that may impact the service. I've looked around at the other diners, and no one seems to be in a hurry, They just sit there talking and smoking. I've seen a few cell phones here and there, but not many. Try to picture a few chilled out waiters lolling around the back of the restaurant and a bunch of families and couples parking themselves, for the duration, with no sign of urgency whatsoever. No wonder that first restaurant refused to let us take possession of one of their precious tables.

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Post dinner stroll included a delicious gelato. Formidable!

#Annecy #France #FrenchAlps