Getting out there

Les vacances de la toussaint (Halloween holidays) have arrived and seeing as I have met my school,teachers, students and even got some teaching done it's high time I went out and explored the beautiful city of Annecy and the many experiences it offers.

The easiest way to do this is by bike (unless of course you have the luxury of a car), there are several places to rent depending on your preference but being mere peasants we opted to go with Vélonecy. This service is run by the Bus conglomeration SIBRA and you can avail of  low rates ( as little as €2.50 per day which is well worth it) if you have a bus/train pass, an active student card from an Annecy university or you can provide proof of residence in Annecy. The bicycle itself is a standard city bike, nothing special (if you're into that sort of thing road bikes can be rented here at a higher price) supplied with a basket and key.

(Note: You need to put down a deposit of €250 to rent the bicycle from SIBRA, which can be done by card.)

Without doubt the cycle route around the lake is a beautiful way to spend a day soaking up the french countryside. Half of it has a dedicated cycle path and half is on french country roads, with a total distance of 47 km it is no small feat. If you decided to give it a go an the sun comes out to play you will be presented with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, the lake and the small towns that surround it and holy **** it's sweet - Go see for yourself!

A word of caution before you fire off, be respectful of other bike path users, helmets help you keep all the memories you have made inside your head. We witnessed what can go wrong twice, the first was a sickening reminder of what can go wrong, being resuscitated on the side of the bike path is not something you want to happen to you so be careful!