Èze

{Hilltop village of Èze}

 
     Over the last two years, we have pretty much hit all the major 'must-sees' with-in driving distance of us. Nice, Cannes, Monaco, Marseille, Cassis, Saint-Tropez...check, check check, you get the point. But there has always been this little village called Èze that I have heard of but never really knew anything about. So we did some inquiring around and some research on the internet and came to the conclusion that is was indeed a 'must-see' we hadn't checked off yet. So with the weather finally warming up and the weekend off, we headed that way yesterday for a leisurely day at Èze and figured with it's close proximity to Monaco (5 km) and Nice (7km), we could double up and enjoy a few other places as well. We were a bit worried when we got up because Toulon was grey, and I mean really grey. We didn't really have anything better to do so we took the chance and were pleasantly surprised when the sun made an appearance and the temperature slowly inched up the closer we got to Èze. It turned out to be a warm 80 degrees or so and the kind of day where the night is just as warm as the day so it begged us to eat outside. My only semi-gripe was the wind, which we have had for over 2.5 weeks now and it is getting a bit tiresome. But I digress, I'll take what I can get.
  

{Cobblestone paths}

{One of many little alcoves off the paths}

{Me being an idiot...as usual}

{Shaun had to duck going through some doorways, and it's not like he is some giant either}

     Èze is often referred to as an 'eagle's nest' since it sits high (1401 feet to be exact) above the Mediterranean. Due to it's charming cobblestone paths (it looks like a movie set), quaint art galleries and hotels with jaw dropping views, Èze has become a popular honeymoon sidekick to it's larger friend, Nice. Finding parking was tough so we went by the old motto, 'when in Rome' and parked on a sidewalk just outside of the village. And as far as we know, barring anyone being 'cheeky' and taking off the ticket from our windshield, it worked out for us. We spent a few hours eating, browsing and walking around trying to find the 'best' vantage point of the Med below. Turns out, it is at the top in the botanical gardens where we spent an hour or so taking the obligatory self pictures of us until people took pity and offered us a hand. And the church, what a surprise at how beautiful it was. Most churches over here are amazing but this one had that little something extra, see for yourself in the pics below. After we were sure we had covered every cobblestoned inch of Èze, we made the decision to head towards Nice with the thinking that we are most likely going to be heading back to all 3 areas soon since my mom is here in less than a week. So Monaco got the rain check this time. Nice was packed with locals and tourists alike enjoying the first 'warm' day in a a few weeks by strolling along the Promenade, sipping cocktails with friends and laying on the beach. We sat and people watched (Nice is tied for my favorite people watching spot with the Atlanta airport), enjoyed a drink or two then settled in for dinner before heading back to Toulon late at night. I don't know if it was the weather or exploring a new city but yesterday felt like we were on vacation. Nice has a way of doing that to you...

{The view from the botanical garden in Èze }

{Some US tourists took our picture, the wind decided to get going just as they took it}

{Notre Dame de l’Assomption built in 1764...The most beautiful church I have seen in a long time, filled with chandeliers, gold guilded columns and vibrant pastels}

 

{The promenade in Nice}

{Enjoying a cold one in Nice}