What I felt first was her intense perfume. She smelled like flowers and vanilla. Then I heard the sound of her heels, she approached me and with a smile upon her face began chirping something in French. She was laughing, talking and gesticulating, and I didn’t try to understand her. I simply let her positive energy overwhelm me and I found myself laughing together with that refined, joyful woman, who was waiting in line with me. That’s when I realized that laughter is the universal language understood by all people on the planet.
My general impression is that all the French women I have met are like that. Fragrant and smiling. How wouldn’t they be, when they are surrounded by birdsong and peace and serenity of a French village? When you are in that kind of surroundings, it is impossible not to fall in love in the mountains and villages, even if you were born in a city in a plain.
Thanks to my hosts, I want to visit this country of entertainment, good wines and first-class cheeses again. We visited picturesque villages in the hinterland from the morning until the evening, and Yvoire and Annecy left the strongest impression.
You need to:
- know a few words in French,
- let yourself enjoy cheeses, wine and laughter,
- love walking, nature and people
- and having a good time is guaranteed.
Yvoire, Rhône-Alpes, France
This medieval town, settled on the shore of Lake Geneva, is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France. When you walk inside Yvoire, if feels like you returned 700 years in the past, because there is no traffic, but only people walking the streets, high town walls, narrow stone paved streets and small houses full of flowers. An impressive 14th century castle dominates the village.
This village is perfect for walking and enjoying the day. Old and very chic houses full of flowers are real treat for the eyes. As we walk deeper and deeper in the past, guided by the narrow streets of Yvoire, we spread our nostrils to inhale the scent of roses, and medieval silence is filled with birdsong and murmur of waves in the distance. When you are tired of wandering around the past, there is a lake shore which reminds me of the seaside, and with all those sounds, smells and the view over mountains, meditation is guaranteed.
Annecy – “Venice of the Alps”
As soon as you enter the old part of this town, you will understand why it is called “Venice of the Alps”. The town is intersected by many canals, with ducks and swans swimming on them. It only takes one look on the canals and taking one deep breath to place you in the 12th century. The water is perfectly clear and it simply lures you to dive in and have a swim. There are no singing gondoliers, but everything seems sophisticated and stylish. Old lady Annecy knows her value and shows it in elegant manner.
A triangle-shaped medieval prison, built in 1132, is the first thing to associate Annecy with, and it is one of the most photographed buildings in France. The prison is situated on a small island and it resembles a sailing ship.
There are tourists everywhere and they fit the spirit of this medieval town perfectly. They walk and enjoy themselves, and only an occasional camera flash reminds us that we are in the 21st century.
France is the country of castles, and the 13th century castle of Geneva counts gives special charm to Annecy. It is reached by climbing narrow streets and hallways.
Probably the best piece of advice you can get when planning what to visit in this town is: do not plan anything! Just explore, wander and enjoy discovering what’s around the corner, in some distant narrow street or a hidden passage. Except from being elegant and sophisticated, old lady Annecy is also very mysterious. It will make you feel that, although you fully enjoy what you see, there may be something else waiting to be discovered, just around the corner – you just need to look better.
Ponts de la Caille
And you? How far would you go to conquer yourself?
My fear of heights awakens and it feels like it provokes me. “You will not stop me from enjoying this”, I think to myself and defiantly step onto the viewpoint from two bridges and rocks can be seen.
While I am observing the impressive construction, built to connect people and facilitate communication between them, I cannot help but wonder how much strength and courage it took to build it? Bridges strongly impress me, because they are the symbol of men’s triumph over nature. They are big and quiet witnesses of people’s tendency to mutually connect, to make peace, to stop the separation and farewells. Bridges are symbols of connection between people.
As I walk along one of the oldest and the highest bridges in France, words of our Nobel Prize-awarded writer Ivo Andrić are stuck in my head: “They are all basically one, and they are equally worthy of our attention, because they show us the place where a man found an obstacle and he did not stop, but he conquered it and overcame it as he was able, according to his understanding, taste, and the circumstances in which he found himself.”
So strong and powerful, bridges transmit the feeling that a man as a unit is stronger than he can imagine, and that all people, wherever they live, are basically equal – and they tend to connect with each other, overcome the differences and find soul mates.
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