Aosta to Annecy (Italy to France)

Lovely, sunny morning in Aosta - only the second sunny morning of our trip - and the second day we were to be spending more than 6 hours on trains!

We caught the 7.23 from Aosta to Ivrea, had an 8 minute change in Ivrea and arrived in Torino at 9.25.  Luckily no ticket inspectors came along as I forgot to validate the ticket.

Waiting at Torino Port Susa station...

...for our TGV (train a grand vitesse - high speed train) when an Italian high speed train pulled in.  We assumed this was our train (as did everyone else on the platform) but they kicked everyone off, closed the doors and pulled out.  This was 10.15 - the time our train was due to leave.  Within a couple of minutes a French TGV pulled in - not nearly as classy looking as the Italian one, but oh, well.  This was our first class trip.

TGV is a bit of a misnomer on this trip - I don't think we went over 80 km/h.  Through mountains, tunnels, valleys, stations - all very comfortable but not very fast.  Our carriage was pretty empty, so I was able to jump from one side to the other to look at views on both sides.

 We think we crossed the border from Italy to France while we were in a very long tunnel.

Hopped off at Aix-les-Bains to wait for our final train.  Bought some lunch here - nice to feel comfortable with the language to easily be able to ask for extra sugar for the coffee. This last section took half an hour in the top deck of another (slow) TGV.  The countryside here was really beautiful - pastoral, green, cared-for, with mountains in the background.  (Do you realise how difficult it is to get a decent shot from a train window??)

On arrival in Annecy, we walked to our hotel.  This is the first hotel we've stayed in so far, and it's really nice - especially as our window opens out onto the canal!

Our room is on the first floor; the window is on the RHS of the orange, just over my head.

Quick bit of laundry and off to explore.  Annecy is really, really pretty.  There are so many flowers here - in public gardens and window boxes along bridges and the sides of the canal.  I've recognised: tulips, pansies, violas, wallflowers, honesty, poppies, bugle, ranunculus, forget-me-nots (white!) and English daisies.

Annecy is called Little Venice, and the old town is lovely, with the canal running through everything.

Notice the swan just to the left of the Palais de l'Isle?  ('Twas a prison built in the 13th century.)  The swan is heading towards me - it liked my whistling.

Walking upstream eventually brings you to the lake, Lac d'Annecy.  Again, picture postcard perfect with snow-capped mountains in the background.

And a new bird for me - a Goosander (male and female).