Friday, July 16, 2010

Hillside Villages


While we were staying in Nice, France, we decided to leave the beach behind one day to climb into the hills.

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia
Our first stop was in the town of Eze, often referred to as the "eagle's nest," because of its location 1400 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.



First occupied by the Romans in 2000 BC, today it is a scenic town full of picturesque passageways, shops, home and a couple of very famous hotels, the Château de la Chèvre d'or and the Château d'Eze.


How would you like making deliveries all the way to the top? In the past donkeys were the "FedEx" means of delivery, but alas today, that would probably be animal abuse, so admirable men take up the challenge.


The oldest building in the village is the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix which dates back to 1306.


After a couple of delightful hours there, we moved on to what has always been one of my favorite spots in France--the village of St. Paul de Vence.






An enchanting village that has been a favorite of artists through the years, it remains today full of charm.


I wondered if these were the same boule players I had seen at the entrance to the village ten years ago, when I was last there.


Once again, small shops


tiny alleys,


and narrow passageways awaited us at every turn.


Much of the visit was uphill.


The boys were kept occupied with Blackberries while we poked around


back alleys and little shops. Tell me please, am I the only one whose husband views as much on his Blackberry as he does the area we are touring? Am I?



Trading the view of the beach for the hillside villages of the south of France was a delightful treat. Unfortunately there was not enough time to venture far enough into the Provence area to see the gorgeous lavender fields in bloom, so I'll share this link today to Georgianna Lane for some of the most beautiful photos of lavender in bloom that I've seen all year. Enjoy!

8 comments:

  1. I'm so used to iphones these days, I thought at first the guys were eating blackberries. :) Should have known! Your pictures were beautiful as were the Lavender Fields.

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  2. lovely, lovely photos of a place i will
    probably never get to visit. it feels
    as if i sort of have now!! :)

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  3. Oh, Debi, your blog is the best travelogue to places I love or places I want to visit. Thank you so much for all your adventures and sharing them here. Hope your weekend is wonderful and thank you for your sweet words – very much appreciated! xo – g

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  4. p.s. I was so enraptured by your hilltown images that I just now saw the link to my place – gosh, thank you so much! Of course, my real dream would be to see the lavender fields in Provence – that would be the ultimate! Many thanks again. xo

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  5. loved these pics as they bring back memories of my stay last year at a little studio in Vence not far from St paul de Vence.Most days I caught the local bus down to the coast - and felt like a real local with my french style shopping bag and speaking - un petit peu de francaise- wonderful views - and the tourists were all French on Les Vacances.So pleased to see your photo's
    Dianne xx

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  6. Amazing how a few photos can make you want to sit down, prop your feet up, and order a glass of wine - where is that waiter?
    The photos of France in your last couple of posts are breath taking, I can hear music playing.
    Thanks for the tour.

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  7. Oh, I loved these!! So refreshing! Thanks!

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