On the way to Annecy from Strasbourg we had lunch in Bern, Switzerland. We surprised the kids by parking right next to the bear park (http://www.baerenpark-bern.ch/).

  

After lunch we walked over the bridge into Bern’s old city. We discovered that everything in Bern, perhaps Switzerland, is expensive and even I can’t justify coffee at just any price. Still the city of Bern looked lovely and one day I would like Karen and I to return and stay a few nights (with loads of money …).

 

We didn’t arrive in Annecy at the campsite until about 7:40pm just before the office closed. Our cabin wasn’t flash but tidy enough and about New Zealand standard for cabins at a campsite. I had to adjust my expectations a little compared to the brilliant apartments we had been staying at so far on this trip. However the view from our cabin out toward the lake was fabulous:

Karen and I had briefly visited Annecy 18 years ago during our OE and it was one of our places we felt we had to take the kids to see because it’s a lovely city and such a beautiful location. Although by this stage of our trip the kids don’t really appreciate yet-another-old-city as much as we do, I think they liked Annecy and its crisp clear lake is quite remarkable.

  

The initial rain at our arrival moved on and we were blessed with sunny weather on the Thursday and Friday which helped us form a positive impression of the city. By Saturday when it was time to leave for Lucerne the rain had returned in full force.

 

(Week 32B: Wednesday, 26 September 2012 – Saturday 29 September 2012)