{"id":30944,"title":"Top Dips! Best places to wild swim in France #1 - Lac d'Annecy","description":"Chez Francophilia, we\u2019re prepared to travel far and wide to forge water-based memories.  Here is the first of our top choices.","content":"<p>Chez Francophilia, we\u2019re prepared to travel far and wide to create water-based memories. Here is the first of our top choices.<\/p><p>Lac d\u2019Annecy has the title of the cleanest lake in Europe and plunging headfirst into it after a hot day in the hills will quickly reveal why. Like bathing in a giant mountain spring. Crystalline water, the colour of bluebells. A melted foxes glacier mint.<\/p><p>There are great swimming spots up both sides of the lake (the Eastern shores are our favourite) that also offer a 360 degree panoramic of the Alps, peering over the lake like giant molars. The picturesque town of Annecy on the Northwest shore is also more than worthy of your interest.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/jemxzfkqiyvq2awwxgjvf82mexi9s6ajwz36h8h0mxdr99fp.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"jemxzfkqiyvq2awwxgjvf82mexi9s6ajwz36h8h0mxdr99fp.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><\/p>","urlTitle":"top-dips","url":"\/blog\/top-dips\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/top-dips\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/francophilia.co.uk\/blog\/top-dips\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1692551149,"updatedAt":1772301666,"publishedAt":1772301666,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":278188,"name":"Francophilia"},"tags":[{"id":4487,"code":"wildswimming","name":"Wildswimming","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/wildswimming\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/volf9ef2oqrewrvmck8ytm4wwfd6dlyyrxfxqodhzvwycm0n.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/volf9ef2oqrewrvmck8ytm4wwfd6dlyyrxfxqodhzvwycm0n.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/volf9ef2oqrewrvmck8ytm4wwfd6dlyyrxfxqodhzvwycm0n.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":55211,"title":"The joy of Caf\u00e9 Gourmand","url":"\/blog\/what-to-choose-for-dessert\/","urlTitle":"what-to-choose-for-dessert","division":278188,"description":"Why choose just one dessert when, with a caf\u00e9 gourmand, you can have small portions of several?If a caf\u00e9 gourmand is on the menu of your chosen brasserie, bistro or restaurant (and more and more likely it will be) then there really shouldn\u2019t be any need for a second thought.  If it\u2019s not on the menu then ask anyway - it seems almost as common as asking to finish with a straight caf\u00e9.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rnnkyvlp4ictkadxek3iyagg02wudmeitub4zhqvivv8mdpt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rnnkyvlp4ictkadxek3iyagg02wudmeitub4zhqvivv8mdpt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":29041,"title":"In the footsteps of C\u00e9zanne","url":"\/blog\/in-the-footsteps-of-cezanne\/","urlTitle":"in-the-footsteps-of-cezanne","division":278188,"description":"Whilst I had heard of Paul C\u00e9zanne, I can\u2019t say I knew much about his life or work. I followed in some of his footsteps whilst wandering around his hometown of Aix-en-Provence before visiting his atelier (workshop), a one-room and lovingly restored visitor attraction.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/8az7ld7dsmwkthlnkw18ttvdgw9fkedx0mjqz0kg5xjtin0k.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/8az7ld7dsmwkthlnkw18ttvdgw9fkedx0mjqz0kg5xjtin0k.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":32878,"title":"The Francophilia Christmas Gift Guide 2023 (Ideal Gifts for Francophiles)","url":"\/blog\/the-ideal-christmas-gift-list-for-francophiles\/","urlTitle":"the-ideal-christmas-gift-list-for-francophiles","division":278188,"description":"When practising the art of gift buying I try to follow a very simple premise - find something they would like but are unlikely to buy for themselves. This could be because they think it\u2019s a bit too expensive (so they can\u2019t square off spending that much on themselves), because they\u2019re not sure it would suit them or even because they haven\u2019t thought of it yet. We\u2019d like to think that Francophilia is jampacked with interestingly different designs that would make an alternative gift","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/w7fi9stgvajc3vjngdga2zv2xg0kyokjxikzgcgqvjqmmsgn.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/w7fi9stgvajc3vjngdga2zv2xg0kyokjxikzgcgqvjqmmsgn.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}