Annecy and the Alps

I’ve been in France for less than week, and already, I have to say it: AMOUR. Now that the details of life have been sorted out (somewhere to live and transportation), it’s time to enjoy a croissant from a local boulangerie.  The list of people I’ve met here continues to grow at a worrying pace: Mélina, Anna, Margot, Helena, Deirdre, Fiona, Norah (assistants from Mexico, England, Paraguay, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Germany), Sophie, Claude (two wonderful English teachers who are supervising me), Harvé (the school’s all-around handy man who is trying heroically to fix our internet problem), Yann (the school’s plumber who loves swimming and took me to the local swim club, I’ll be pro before you know it)…and I could go on.

After being ping-ponged around (in my head more than anything), I’ve finally settled into a room at a school in Cluses, still a valley town but about 12km away from Sallanches. The slightly industrial feel the city has is a result of the precision machining plants that are scattered around town. Before such industries were brought into the region, farmers would find themselves unemployed during the winter seasons; Switzerland’s watch industry fueled the development of plants for making tiny parts for watch making in the valley, and the industry grew from there.  Interesting, no?

A highlight of the past week was visiting the beautiful town of Annecy, an hour’s voyage by train, as well as going on a hike with the Cluses chapter of le Club Alpin Français.  We were greeted warmly by this group of outdoors enthusiasts and were privy to some beautiful mountain views that included encounters with the local wildlife. 

Some views from Annecy and the local mountains: