As we started our climb up the mountain everyone was eager. This was going to be the day everyone looked forward to. We had taken a bus an hour from Annecy to La Clusaz, a ski village in the Alps, for our hike and picnic. The trail was well-maintained easy to follow, yet the first mile was nearly all switchbacks climbing to the top of the ridge. Nobody complained, but the initial conversation started to fade as breathing increased with the climb. Then we were at the top where we took a break and got our first views of the valley below and Alps behind. That view did as much for the group vigor as our water and snack. The rest of the walk along the ridge, through wildflowers, bell-laden sheep and cows brand new lambs and a delightfully pleasant day made the stop for our picnic lunch all the more special.

    

The day prior in Annecy on market day we had procured two artisinal salamis, a block of cheese, two loaves of crusty bread, 10 apricots and a large bunch of radishes as well as two excellent bottles of local wine. We ate at an outdoor table at a closed restaurant where the owners chuckled and said, Sure, go ahead. The walk down the mountain to La Clusaz got us thirsty so we stopped at an open restaurant bar for some Belgian blonde ale. What a day.

Our Excursion of five days in Lyon and five days in Annecy made for an excellent juxtaposition between a really great city and a town at the base of the Alps. Lyon is a large city but one with very little tourist pressure. It was once Julius Caesar’s seat from which he ruled Gaul. It was also the seat of the first Christian diocese west of the Alps. The remains of those Roman Amphitheaters and the first cathedral are still easily accessible. But so too are the medieval town, the renaissance city, and the post-Revolutionary modern city all building on each other. Today it is the culinary capital of France with a bustling street scene of outdoor tables on pedestrianized streets with the quintessential French vibe that one finds perhaps only on jigsaw puzzle boxes and the streets of Lyon.

Lyon is, indeed, the culinary capital of France, but it is so much more. The silk trade of Europe originated in Lyon and still lives on there. The small 4-room museum of silk-weaving to the design of the buildings with high ceilings to accommodate tall looms to the covered and often hidden passageways (traboules) that afforded the workers a way to move silk without getting it wet in rain or snow, the city embraces and preserves its heritage. Walking from one street to another through long passageways between buildings taking up entire blocks is an activity most Americans giggle at when they experience because we have nothing like that here. Those same passageways helped the French Resistance during WWII when they were hunted by the Gestapo in Lyon and you can still go through them today.

 

The ride from Lyon to Annecy is a brief 90 minutes through a verdant countryside that rises to the base of the Alps. Once there, it might as well be another country. And for most of its history, it was. Annecy was the westernmost stronghold of the Kingdom of Savoy with a prominent castle owned by the Count of Geneva. Annecy is also the home of St Francis de Sales, who as Bishop of Geneva administered his diocese from Annecy and moved the cathedral there after Calvinists kicked Catholics out in the 1500s. He wrote countless letters from his home in Annecy which were compiled after his death into numerous books. His relics, as well as those of his friend and foundress of the Order of the Visitation, St Jane Francis de Chantal, are in the Basilica of the Visitation above Annecy. The Chateau du Menthon-St Bernard is a historic, architectural and artistic treasure halfway down Lake Annecy and easily accessible. Our private tour gave us time to wander freely, ask a lot of questions to our guide, Kevin and marvel that one family can keep something together for 26 generations since 1100. Annecy also has the most inviting and expansive market days we’ve visited which make the most inviting village even more lovely.

 

Our host in Lyon, Laurent Velay and his delightful bride, Shirin, were as helpful as they were loving. Little hints about what to see, where to eat (our meals at Le Traquenard and Bistro Jutard were wonderful), the best time for Mass at the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fouvriere were all given with love and a desire for our guests to have the same experience. The same was true with Amelie and Romain, our hosts in Annecy, who keep their small combination hotel and home clean, welcoming, stocked with excellent food and a lovely terrace to sip cocktails on while overlooking the town. With hosts like these, it is difficult to get lost or run out of things to do.

 

We’ve said it before and we will continue to say that we can’t do this without the wonderful guests who come with us. We can go on our own any time we wish, but that’s not the point of these Excursions. You are. This group in May meshed almost instantly and it was a joy for us to see them want to spend their free time together every day. Witnessing relationships become lifelong friendships makes this what it is. We hope all of you can experience that.

 

We really hope to get back to Lyon and Annecy in 2027. If we do, we are considering adding Le Puy and Grenoble to the itinerary and offering back-to-back week long trips for guests to choose either or both weeks.

Our upcoming 7-day Excursion to Genoa this Oct is full. Our 10-day trip to Bologna and Siena looks full as well. For next Spring we have back-to-back weeks in Andalusia, Spain which as of this writing have 3 of 6 spots claimed for both weeks, and one spot for one of the weeks, leaving 2 seats available for both weeks and another for one week. All seats on our May 2026 Excursions to Italy are already claimed. Those itineraries seem very hot right now. We have one more trip in the works for Oct 2026 most likely to Croatia. 2 of the 6 spots for that are called for leaving 4 available as of this writing. If you are interested, please reach out to us soon. We will also be scouting next year for future Cultural Debris Excursion locations. It takes a lot of work to find the right spots to fit our vision and we are committed to finding them for you. We are planning to scout Toulouse and Bordeaux in France as well as Turin and a couple other spots in Northern Italy. If there are places you’d like us to scout or consider for the future, please let us know.

We will write you all again this Fall after our Italy Excursions. Until then, stay strong.

Peace be with you all.