Arriving in Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps we realised what a tourist mecca it is, for not only the French but also the Italians, Swiss and I think Europeans in general. It is only 40km south of Geneva and is on the very pretty Lake Annecy.

The lake and its banks were a hive of activity with small motor boats, paddle boats, standup boards, swimmers and sunbathers in the late afternoon when we did our boat trip around the lake.

Lovely hotels and homes with their manicured gardens line the banks of the lake.

The views of the mountains in the background are stunning and there is still a little snow up there.

Around the small harbour and the little river that flows out of the lake is picturesque.

Annecy town has so many restaurants, cafes and glaciers (icecream shops) to cater for the tourists. After a walk up and down the main area we finally chose to eat at Azzurro and had the seafood linguini.

The evening was abuzz with people eating their later afternoon ice creams and perusing the menu boards for their dinner choice. It was fun to be in a busy environment for a change.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Burgundy.