Annecy

My new job has been keeping me really busy.  I've been teaching some interesting topics, and feel like my students have been enjoying them too. I've talked about everything from the street artist Banksy to an event aimed at reinvigorating Colfax Avenue in Denver to internet coming to the Amazon.  Having such a variety of classes this year is really keeping me on my toes.  I also gave out the first graded homework assignment last week, so I'll receive them all back in the next few days.  I'm now on a mission to find the perfect cafe where I can hang out for an afternoon and work on grading!

I feel like I've been working pretty hard lately, so I was excited for the opportunity to join a couple new friends this last weekend to take a day trip to Annecy.  Annecy is a cute little town an hour and 40 minutes north by train from Grenoble.  It's best known for the lake it sits next to and the little canals running through town. 

We arrived around 11:15 on Saturday, and little did we know that a huge festival was happening!  The small street were packed with people enjoying the market stands, food vendors, and music players.  We walked and explored for a while, picking up cheese and sausage samples along the way, before meeting some others for lunch.  It was difficult to find an open table since so many people were in town, but eventually we managed.  Without even ordering, the waiter brought us tartiflette, the menu of the day.  Tartiflette is a regional dish that I've also seen in Grenoble.  It's a heavy, mountain-type food of potatoes, cheese (lots of cheese), pieces of ham, and onions.  It was certainly delicious, but I don't think I could handle it every day.  The tartiflette was followed by a large slice of apple tarte.  Also delicious and a nice dessert.  

With full bellies and happy souls, we continued exploring and went to Lake Annecy.  Along the lake, we could see some golden leaves, showing us that it is indeed changing seasons.  I feel that autumn doesn't have the same feel or smell here compared to Colorado, so it was nice to see a little bit of something familiar.

Eventually we made our way towards the chateau and then to a free exposition of animated films.  We even made our own! By then everyone was starting to drag a little, so we picked up a hot chocolate before hopping on the train for our long ride back home.

It was nice to start exploring this region.  Wherever I go, I think its important to get to know the region that I'm staying in.  Traveling is wonderful, and while I do enjoy going all over the place, when I explore my local area, it makes the place feel just a little bit more like it's where I belong.