With a couple days up our sleeves before the French Painting Workshop started, we had time to get our bearings and explore the lake and old town of Annecy. The town is just over the Swiss border and sits on a a series of canals that run out of a beautiful, spring fed lake. The town and lake are surrounded by the spectacular French Alps, so that postcard feeling of alpine bliss is everywhere.
Two small Painting Inspectors watch with a critical eye.
There is very little the French wont eat. We enjoyed snails, frogs legs and a selection of various internal organs transformed into mouth watering delicacies in this little restaurant.
Annecy hosted the International Animation Festival while we were there.
This giant inflatable screen and elaborate sound system provided a lake side outdoor venue for the festival.
Red chairs in the rain.
Lecturers from the Annecy Conservatorium pose for us as we paint the ancient entry door.
We had rain on the first day of the workshop then, fortunately, fine weather for the remainder
Annecy public gallery in the old castle.(Noreen dancing sideways)
Wild wooden horses
Border confusion.
Produce Markets keep the town busy three days a week.
Fromage
Tiger riding bike
Straw to line the nest.
This dog carries brandy to lost soles in the alps
Day one, painting in the rain
Splashing Paint 
Absolutely beautiful pictures John. I wish I could have been there!!!! Bien fait!
Great photos, as usual, John! I think I can see a lot of your future paintings “in waiting” amongst these. Well done!
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Looks like it was a beautiful place in which to paint.
Wonderful pictures, great motives
Boy, so many paintings in these pictures. Wonderful!
My bucket list John…my ancestors are from there..Dansie
Wow – I can’t wait for my “splashing” to improve enough to join you on one of these great tours. I just love the photos and can see that I should be taking advantage of my camera more, even here in Australia. I love the colours – so vivid, so bright! Thanks so much. Gail McDonough
Nostalgia – I went to Annecy on my first foriegn school trip in 1982 – and I even remember that bridge; not bad for someone who can’t usually remember what he did yesterday…
thanks for the great photos, what a place!
What a wonderful collection of photos and memories to work from. Went to Europe including
Paris and was intrigued with all the buildings and oh so many chimneys. Would love to go and explore more.
Great photos John. We have a dangerous goods
freight conference here in May 2015. This has got the team excited.