Issue No. 28

Annecy market
I love French markets. I’ve been to
hundreds but I can truthfully say, I would
go to Annecy for the market alone.
There’s been a market here for centuries,
going back to the middle ages. Every
Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning
stalls are set up and the streets fill with
shoppers.
I arrived around 7am on a beautiful
autumn morning with the dawn sun
rising slowly over the mountains,
warming the air. I watched mesmerised
as a man in a beret cycled past, an old
lady pulled a trolley over the cobbles, a
baker bought out a tray of still steaming
croissants, the scent carried on the air.
Beautiful displays of vegetables and fruit,
bread and cakes, cheese and chocolate,
artisan gifts, baskets and more, were laid
out along the ancient streets and over
the bridges. This really is a market to fall
in love with.
Make like the locals and enjoy a hot
chocolate or coffee at the Buvette de
Marché, the oldest café in Annecy.
20 Rue Sainte-Claire, 74000 Annecy.
Eat: There are many reasons to go to
Annecy and one that might be less wellknown
(for now, get in quick while you
can) is gastronomy. Fresh fish from the
lake, alpine cheeses, locally grown wines,
génépi – a sort of gin/absinthe hybrid
liqueur with a kick, farms galore, numerous
artisan producers, chefs drawn to
the amazing array of seasonal produce,
saffron is grown in the valleys as well as
other herbs including cumin and dill.
It’s not easy to pick just three restaurants
to highlight in this gastronomic city, but: