Today was a pretty easy day for me but a hot one. Again, lots of sunshine and a little bit of wind. We started out this morning with route review after breakfast telling us important things such as where the snack stop is and where the best gelato can be found. Also today I learned that Annecy is pronounced with three syllables by the Germans and the English, and with two syllables by the French.

We have several options today. One is to ride 16 miles to Annecy, another is to ride an additional 8 miles back to the hotel which makes a complete circuit of the lake, and a third is to do an independent ride of 10 miles. So totals are 16, 24, or 26.

We have a small hill to go up from the hotel to the bike path and then we are off on a clockwise circuit of Lake Annecy.

Stopping to take a photo of the path and riders going by.

The lake is a beautiful turquoise color today. As Ross noted, it will be difficult to go home and ride our bike path which has no beautiful lake or mountains.

We’re moving along with cars, bicycles, and joggers.

I have one altercation today, which puts me and my bicycle on the ground, but I land on my knee so I guess that’s a good thing. it takes Ross and another guy on the bike path to get me untangled and up from the bike. Several riders had stopped on their bikes on a little uphill turn, and I had to brake and swerve to avoid hitting them.

I stop on the other side of the lake to take a photo of Jim and Emily breezing by.

Then we make a stop at the Paccard Bell Foundry. Established in 1796, it is still a family-run business. Currently, 70 percent of their production is shipped to the U.S., Canada, and Japan. While there we watch a short movie about a bell that was made by the factory for the University of Tampa within the last few years.

The factory is also well known because it has made copies of the Liberty Bell for other states in the U.S.

This bell was cast in 1914 for the Cathedral of Rouen in Normandy. It is called the Joan of Arc Bourdon and weighs nearly ten tons.

Leaving the foundry, we ride on toward Annecy. In this section, we are away from the lake briefly,

Back by the water.

And we ride into the city and park our bikes. Ross has on his Alsace jersey today.

Our GPS also has a walking tour for us of about a mile and we are on a mission to eat lunch as well as find the best gelato shop. Our tour starts in Old Town and we walk along canals formed by the River Thiou.

The first building of note is the Palais de I’lle a former prison from the 12th century and now a museum.

Next we walk to a church, the Église Notre-Dame de Liesse or the Church of Our Lady Liesse, built in the 14th century. Near the top of the church is a gold statue of Mary.

Inside the church.

Stopping along the canal.

Looking for gelato.

An old archway.

Nougat shop and I regret we did not take this opportunity to partake. How often do we see a shop like this.

So we find the best gelato shop. I don’t get any, still thinking about the nougat. This gelato has to power them though the rest of the ride.

We head back toward our bikes.

We walk past this building with flags of France, Savoy, and the European Union. As our guides noted, the union is now made up of 27 countries with different interests, leaders, and politics.

At this point I stopped riding for the day with plans to go back to the hotel and sit by the lake and read. About four of us hopped in the van and Phillip took us on a detour which followed the ten-mile independent path. Half of this was continuous uphill with the other half all down. But at the top we see the sign for the Chateau Menthon.

The chateau was believed to be the inspiration for the castle in Sleeping Beauty after Walt Disney visited here.

In the meantime, Ross rides on with Jim and Emily. He goes the additional eight miles to the hotel but Jim and Emily take the hilly independent route.

Back at the hotel, they plunge into the deep and cool lake.

DInner is on our own and we walk to a nearby pizza place along the water.

One more night at this hotel.