Annecy, France – I didn’t get to cycle around the parks of Versailles or along the banks of the Seine, but I did get to cycle around the Lake Annecy loop. It’s hard to imagine a prettier place for a bike ride than Lac d’Annecy, a gorgeous kettle lake, ringed by the alpine mountains of the Haute-Savoie region. The loop around the lake is a legitimate 26-mile ride that involves some street riding and at least one significant hill. But it’s is mostly pleasant riding, with many enticing stop-offs and detours, and spectacular scenery all around.
A note about bicycles: 26 miles is long enough that you need a decent bike. We opted for more comfortable cruisers, as opposed to lighter, faster touring bikes, and that was a mistake. Two of my riding companions had trouble with their bikes and had to ride in low gears, which is annoying on a longer route with varied topography.
The bike situation also created a disparity in cycling speeds, so one twin was ahead and one was behind, which made it impossible to stop, for fear of losing track of one kid or the other. So we rode right by many charming villages, waterfall detours, lakeside cafes and cool swimming spots, with only a longing look. (The latter was particularly heartbreaking for me, but I’ll get over it.)
In the end, we did a straight ride, which was also lovely. Twin S has been cycling a lot at home, and he enjoyed the freedom of the ride and the incredible scenery (and the lack of cars, no doubt). Twin V was frustrated by his bike, but he liked being active and being outside. Most of all, I think he liked going at his own pace (ie, he didn’t have to wait for us). Daddio and I just reveled in our incredible surroundings and our good fortune to share this experience with our kids. Nay, our teens.
