{a fresh spring breeze}: Anncey

Our last stop (besides Paris, to get our flight) was Anncey. Say it with me: On-see. I don't know if it's because it was our last city, or because of the Swiss-like buildings, or because it was really old, or because of the Alps....but I loved Anncey!

The lake, the huge park, the Alps, the small town, the old buildings. This is my kind of place! At the end of our time here I decided that Anncey is the kind of place I could vacation for a week (but in a warmer month ::grin:: ) and be f.i.n.e!

We had great plans of leaving Anncey and going to Geneva or Champonix. It was pretty expensive and the train rides were kind of long. We wanted to stay put and relax. Our first night there we went to a really great fondue place. I don't really love cheese, but I happily ate the melty cheese and bread. Plus, I got a huge bowl of lettuce (because salads in France are just lettuce with some mayo-y sauce, unless you ask otherwise) and I love lettuce.

Day two in Anncey was so great. Kent and I got up and went to the HUGE farmers market in the park across from our apartment. This probably ranks as another top 5 for me. We walked around for quite some time and got some fruit, pastries and eggs for breakfast. The best things we got: fresh strawberry compote and a pistachio bread. Oh my soul. So good!

Knowing it wasn't fair for us to be the only ones to enjoy this market, we all went back after brunch and got things for dinner. We dropped off our goodies and headed into town. We got gelato (and crepes) and walked around. Things were kind of crazy in town and we were sure the whole town was having a bachelor party. Turns out, it was V-E day in France and that's a BIG deal.

The gals shopped around a bit and I got a great poster, thanks Kate and Karen, for mother's day. We encountered "squatty potties" and opted not to use them, but went for the only stall with an actual toilet. The guys played in the park and we met them there. We rented a speed boat for 30 minutes and saw the Alps close up. Ohhhhhhh, my friends, I love the Alps! The are so huge and so beautiful! The speed boat was not speedy at all and we laughed the whole time because we were going so slow!

After finally making it back to land, we got more gelato and did a walked tour of "Old Anncey". It was going well until we got lost, or the map was wrong (I say it was the latter). It was during this tour that Benjamin peed on me. I wish I had the pictures that Kent took of me changing B's diaper while Kent held him. Right about then, it started to rain. We stopped at Monoprix (think: Target in France) and got a few things. We made dinner: a rotisserie chicken, baby potatoes and a salad (American style).

We played spoons and went to bed. This day was hilarious and wonderful. We laughed a lot in Anncey, maybe that's why I loved this place. It felt so real, so warm (although it was not warm here). I felt like we all let our guard down at one point or another.

Day three (sorry this is so long!) started with another market! This time in Old Town and it was crazy packed. We could barely get through! Sarah and I wandered and found stuff for dinner (sausage ravioli, gnocchi, baby potatoes, veggies) and a quick lunch. It started to rain, so we ate lunch in the apartment.

Now this wasn't in the plans, but we stayed inside most of the day. It was raining and we were all ready to relax. Patrick and I went on a date and this, my friends, ranks number one of my favorite things in France. We had so much fun! I love spending time with Patrick and sharing and growing and falling more in love!

This day was Sunday, my second Mother's Day. I was spoiled! I felt so loved and so appreciated! Kent, Kate and Sarah got me some coffee, Patrick got me another poster (you'll see how great they are when they are on my wall), and they got a delicious cake for dessert! I loved this day. Really. It was so special and so full of love.

We cleaned the apartment after dinner and then relaxed. What happened next was sheer chaos. We played hearts (and 99) and laughed until we cried. We said inappropriate things and watched YouTube videos. We made inside jokes and then, we hit a wall of exhaustion. It was so late, but it was our last night together. And it was perfect!

We were up early the next morning and off to Paris. We stayed in the Marriott near the airport (thanks, Karen!) and then we were off bright and early to our respective homes.

Oh, this trip was fantastic.

Us in Anncey