The Back Streets of the Old Town Annecy, France, Part IV

There are a number of artists selling their paintings of the local scenery. The artist with his setup here is at the bridge with the view directly onto the Palais de L'isle -- a prime spot. The fellow there on the day we passed by was a really fantastic artist. One of his paintings would definitely make a great souvenir and lovely addition to any wall.




Crossing the bridge leads to the narrow streets of the Old Town of Annecy. They are full of cafes and restaurants and many small shops.





There are hat stores, clothes shops, souvenirs and all manner of items for purchase.


It's fun to pop into them just to see the variety and craftsmanship. There's no end to the creative imagination behind the items that it's possible to buy.

The buildings follow one after the other in continuous succession, but each one different with its own unique character. They lead to a spacious sunlit square.

Turning round and looking back the way we came you can see, in the background, the mountains that are on the other side of Annecy Lake.














There are many restaurants with tables outside, making for a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

It's bright and cheery in the sun and the fountain gives a nice sound and a refreshing feeling.In the far right hand corner of the square there's a quaint and appealing cafe.




Here is an arch leading out of the older part of the town.












Taking some of the streets that go uphill there are some interesting and beautiful buildings. This mustard color house is very warm looking and inviting, and the texture almost makes it look good enough to eat - well, on second thought, maybe not!










Looking up another one of the hills gives a further view of the houses and buildings of the town. On the right hand side of this street is a small park with very nice flowers and trees. It's a peaceful place, and the shade is welcome during the hot day climbing the rather steep gradient.









At the top we're rewarded with a magnificent view of the Basilica of the Visitation. The order of it's monastery was founded at Annecy by Saint Francis of Sales and Saint Jeanne of Chantal in 1610.


Near here, turning around and walking in the opposite direction, is Annecy Castle, which will be our next and last trip in this sequence to Annecy.