Istanbul: Paris and Nîmes : Barcelona and Cádiz : Seville : Granada : Córdoba :Mérida and Cáceres : Salamanca, Avila & Segovia : Madrid & Valencia : Art in Paris : Art in Spain
Annecy
I have long been intrigued by descriptions of Annecy, an alpine town in France, not far from Geneva. Set beside Lake Annecy, it is known for its old town of cobbled streets and canals. On Saturday we took the train to visit it. We explored the old town; climbed the hill to Chateau d’Annecy and visited the art museum there; popped into the Basilique de Visitation, a church with colourful, modern stained glass windows and then came down to stroll along the lake with its pristine green water. It was lovely to be among many people out and about, enjoying the lakeside park and eating ice cream.
Nyon and Morges
Sunday saw us visiting Nyon, a small town up the lake from Geneva, for its monthly flea market. Stretched along the lake are many stalls selling bric a brac and clothes etc. One is always hopeful of a bargain! Fortunately nothing caught my eye this time.
We then went on to Morges, further up the lake, to admire the tulips at its annual tulip festival and I had one of best ice creams of the entire trip – morello cherry flavour studded with whole cherries, yum!
Walk in the vineyards
Mid-afternoon we returned to Geneva and took the train to walk in the vineyards to the west of the city. The spring flowers were out and vines had fresh green leaves. It was an invigorating walk, going from one station to the next, and designed to get me in trim for the weeks of exploring that lay ahead.
The last day of my trip
Three weeks later on Sunday afternoon we flew back from Valencia and I had a day to spend in Geneva before flying home on Monday evening.
Carouge
On Sunday evening we went for a long walk to explore Carouge. En route, resting on the banks of the Rhône at a summer pub, I was introduced to a local brew of draft beer with ginger. Hmm.
Carouge is an old town built by Italians, but which is now part of Geneva. It has low rise buildings and the feel of a country town. It is near the Arve river, with milky turquoise cold water coming from melting snow. After wandering around exploring we had pasta for supper and to round off the holiday, I had another superb sour cherry ice cream for dessert.
Gardens of Geneva
Monday found me revisiting one of my favourite spots, the Botanical Garden. One could smell the bearded irises before one saw them. After admiring them and various shrubs in flower, I wandered down to the lake and caught a ferry across to the other side.
Here are more gardens to explore. Previously large private estates overlooking the lake, they are now open to the public. As they face north and must be a little cooler, Rhododendrons were still flowering prolifically there.
Walks along the lake shore takes one past several beaches where people were sun bathing, swans were coming ashore to eat the green grass and terrorise toddlers, and baby ducklings were venturing out on their first swims. It was a lovely way to end what had been a fabulous holiday.
Read more about my 2025 trip – Paris and Nîmes
2025 Trip: Weekend in Geneva Gallery
