France's Haute-Savoie

When I was a girl in 1954, I went with a school party to the town of Faverges in the Haute-Savoie, France. In July 2010, my daughter Carol and her partner offered to take me back to the area for a long weekend. We stayed at Les Grillons, a delightful hotel in the picturesque town of Talloires on Lake Annecy. It was a real pleasure exploring this popular resort with its ancient buildings and lovely mountain scenery. I particularly remember a baker’s shop with an incredible display in the window of delicious cakes to die for. 

The next day we motored to Faverges and I reminisced as we roamed the streets and visited the hotel where I’d stayed and the church I’d wandered into with my friends on Easter Sunday morning (it was so packed, we could only find room to stand at the back). This is the area where the British spy Odette Hallowes worked during the Second World War, and indeed the wireless operator of the Spindle network, to which Odette belonged, was based in Faverges. 

Highlight of the trip: old town of Annecy (image source:  Mny-Jhee / Shutterstock.com)

Another highlight of the holiday was a visit to the lovely old town of Annecy, with its narrow streets, cosy restaurants and a canal that has the Palais de l’Isle in the centre—once a prison, now housing the local history museum. This was a treat I missed in 1954, opting to go walking in the hills around Faverges instead. 

On the way to Geneva airport, on our final day, we called at Yvoire, a mediaeval village dating from the 14th century. This has to be the most interesting, exquisite and colourful place I’ve ever seen. Beautiful
flowers, wisteria and geraniums were everywhere, virtually covering the stone houses and tumbling from wooden balconies. Alas, our time there was too short—we had a plane to catch—but it was the final touch
to a perfect short break, with ideal sunny weather thrown in! 

Easyjet Holidays (0843 104 1000; easyjet.com/holidays) has three-night stays, with b&b, at the Mercure City Centre, Annecy from £186 per person, including return flights from Southend to Geneva. To find out more about Haute Savoie, visit savoie-mont-blanc.com/en