Going on no sleep for nearly 24 hours we rented our Ford Focus and left the airport. I mentio ed before that we rented the car in France and the next few days we will be traveling in France but we will be spending several days driving through Switzerland. In order to drive through Switzerland we needed to purchase a special sticker. So, as soon as we left the airport we stopped at a station alongside the freeway and bought it for about $60. In the process of entering the station my father sliced the top of his knuckle off. It has been bleeding non stop and a lot ever since.
We drove straight to Annecy. Annecy is a fairly large, urban town with several schools meaning lots of young people. We stayed in the old town where it doesn't allow cars and the streets are all cobbled stone. The old town is dominated by a big lake and a cute canal that flows through. There is an island that used to house a prison in the center of the canal. The water of both the canal and the lake are a gorgeous alpine blue.
Our hotel looked right onto the island which is one of the most photographed spots in town. We checked in and found our rooms looked fight onto the canal. We walked the little shops for a while. We bought a pack of French band aids for my poor father's never ending bloody finger. We went to the tourist I fo station to ask where we could buy some vodka so we can have drinks in our room at night. "You mean wine?" They asked. It must surprise French people that one would not want wine. Don't get me wrong, we are Dr I king plenty of wine but as creatures of habit, we don't go to bed without a nightcap.
The store we went to is a chain called the Monoprix. It is the Target of France. We wanted to just get vodka and tonic water and go but the stuff in the store all looked so so good. It is so different from home. We spend a billion dollars to get quality, fresh food and here their cheapo store is like gourmet. We bought some fresh, local salami, cheese, pate and cookies. We also got some mustard (Dijon) that comes in a jar that you can keep as a drinking glass. I love that because every time I Dr I k out of that glass when I am home I remember the trip and the various places I stopped alongside a beautiful road to have lunch.
We passed a lot of clothing stores. The fashion seems to be white and beige baggy clothes if you were interested. We bought some meat and cheese on delectible french bread and some Fanta.  We ate lunch in a huge park adjacent to the lake. The park was full of French sun worshippers, families, students and tourists. We watched people rent paddle boats and cruise the lake. The weather was unbelievable; warm, blue sky with shet white clouds rising from the surrounding mountains.
We fuled up with a small ice cream so we could enjoy an hour long boat ride around the lake. We shared the ride with a group of local teenaged school kids. They were fun to watch...speaking French and giggling like all teenagers do. Apparently the phrase "oh my god!" Is not just an English thing. Again, the water is a beautiful light blue and the surrounding mountains rose steep and tall from the shores.
When we got back to land we took a much needed nap before dinner. Most people in Europe have dinner between 7:30 and 9:00 anyways. We found a cafe restaurant along the canal. We all ordered the steak tartare and pomme fries. It was perfect with a nice salad and two bottles of local Savoie white wines. We walked the long way home winding along the narrow allyways listening to live music pouring out of, title alcovds and watching the people gathered at the many outdoor cafes.
First full day in France and it already feels like longer. We are deffo getting our money's worth!