Day 12, July 17

Leisurely breakfast on the terrace at Les Suites du Lac...great pastry.  

Drove to the summit of Annecy-Semnoz, which is very close by, where Saturday's stage 20 will end to scout out possible viewing spots.  Took some photos at the finish line, there are beautiful views down to Lac d'Annecy from the top.  

Drove down to Annecy for lunch, sightseeing, and gift shopping.  For lunch we ate at the Bistrot du Rhone, rated #2  out of 226 in Annecy by trip advisor.  Very plain on the outside, you'd never go in.  It is very popular with the locals, many of the diners were businessmen, or businessmen meeting their families, or mother's and daughters taking a break from shopping.  The menu was very limited; two choices...we had a white fish served on potatoes with an incredible sauce made from herbs, peas, and carrots.  For dessert...a fresh strawberry tart.  A husband and wife ran the place.

After lunch we walked all around Annecy, through the shopping district, down to the parks by the lake, and then through  the old city that included a prison in the middle of one of the  two main canals.  Annecy is a beautiful city.  

Returned to our B&B for some late afternoon swimming and then dined at "Le 59" in Aix les Bains.  This was rated #2 out of 80 in Aix, and it lived up to it's rating.  We went with the fixed menu which had few choices, but it was one of our top three dinners in France so far.    For courses we had an amuse-bouche that consisted of two items:  puree peas with goat cheese, and  a piece of fish with peanut sauce.  Second course was an emulsion of broccoli with salted almonds on top.  For the appetizer they served melon flowers, ham, and a jellied green citron terrine.  For an entree...roast pork with small slices of eggplant, and a vegetable beignet.  For dessert I had three local cheeses with honey, and Joni had 3  different presentations of apricots.  Coffee include 3 homemade cookies...beyond description.

Before heading back to the B&B we walked about 1/2 block to the Casino which is renowned for it's ceiling mosaics & paintings.  Although the building inside and out was very elegant, it hardly seemed like the casinos seen in all the James Bond movies.  People were in shorts, jeans...just like the casinos on American Indian reservations.