Quaint! That's the first word that comes to my mind for Les Pensieres. Located in a 15th century…read morebuilding, as part of the Merieux Foundation, Les Pensieres hosts public health related conferences. We were supposed to meet in Geneva for a meeting. However, the meeting organizers did not realize the fact that the Motor show is happening during the same week. Most hotels in Geneva were sold out, or ridiculously expensive. While the organizers panicked at not being able to get hotel rooms for the attendees, the Merieux Foundation graciously stepped in and agreed to provide a venue for our meeting. So, off we went to Annecy! Don't be fooled by the 15th century old school charm. Les Pensieres boasts of hi-tech facilities with video conferencing capabilities. The rooms are beautifully done, as no room is alike another. Breakfast was glorious with an assortment of cheeses (we are in the Haute-Savoie after all), charcuterie, and breads. Every lunch was an ornate 3 course affair and we tried hard to stay awake for the afternoon meetings. Les Pensieres could be an ideal location if you are vacationing in the Annecy region, but they do not let individuals rent a room to stay. You can only stay if you are part of a public health conference or organization meeting. Too bad, because I would travel to Annecy to stay here for a long weekend.

Absolutely gorgeous lakeside estate setting. It feels like you are in some show on the BBC when…read morestrolling the grounds. I was there for a scientific conference for three days and hated to leave. The food was classically French, with lunch and dinner three course menus that left you happy. The town of Annecy is a very pleasant 6km walk along the lake with many sections comprised of a boardwalk. If you ever get a chance to visit it is well worth it.

This 12th century building feeds a group of preschoolers daily at its large table due to the fact…read morethat they have no other place to eat. This restaurant is on a mountainside next to an old church and serves locally harvested vegetables and homemade sausage. It's near Champfromier where I was working at a local business. I can't say they speak much English but the food had been excellent the two times I have eaten there so far. For an authentic and very fresh meal, I highly recommend it.

An absolutely spectacular retreat! Comfortable rooms, friendly staff who aren't afraid of…read moresnowshoes, and an excellent meat fondue. We overnighted here during a snowshoe weekend above Montreaux. The room was great (in particular, one large mattress instead of two small ones pushed together), and the view out our window spanned Lake Geneva, but the food was probably the high point. For dinner after our Saturday hike, we got the fondue au chaudron --- thin-sliced raw meat, which you cook at the table in a copper cauldron of bouillon (or wine, if you prefer). The meats were beef, veal, and pork; veggies included green beans, carrots, zucchini, and something I think was a parsnip. The four sauces --- mostly mayonnaise-based --- were garlic, Calypso (something like Russian), curry, and Tartar. The house red wasn't anything special, but went fine with the meal. Breakfast (included in the room rate) was simpler, but also excellent --- croissants, whole-grain baguettes, butter, honey, jam, coffee, and orange juice. They had no problem providing decaf ("sans caffeine").