Day 21 - Nice/3 Weeks Down!
Today marks 3 Weeks since we've left home. That sounds crazy to me; But I look back on pictures and it seems like so long ago. Probably because so much has happened between now and then!
But here we are in Nice! Another beautiful day, the sun shining, high of 62. We woke up feeling refreshed and decided to visit the small village of Eze, about a 20 minute train ride from Nice. We bought tickets easy enough and got confused again with France's public transportation - if only it was as easy as London's! After finding the correct platform, we grabbed water bottles and boarded the train.
A short ride and we were there! It dropped us off in the middle of a suburb which we were so confused about but GPS'd our way to the medieval village which was said to be about a half an hour walk. Let me preface the story with I knew it was on the top of a hill, but completely underestimated the size of said hill. We followed the signs toward the village which said it would take about 1 hour on foot. I laughed and said we can probably do it in half the time. Boy, was I wrong.
This "hill" was actually A MOUNTAIN, literally all incline and uneven terrain. Holy smokes ya'll. I was dressed in a skirt and sweater and biker boots and thanking the good Lord that we bought water bottles at the train station. We stopped four or five times to catch our breath and to admire the view, and wow they didn't disappoint. 400 meters above sea level offers panoramic views of the city and the sea.
Once we finally reached the top, which took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes, we finally arrived in Eze. We had to climb another small staircase, which seemed daunting but once it plateaued, we found ourselves surrounded by stone buildings and transported back in time. I said to Sam it's amazing to think places like this still exist.
At the tippity top, there is a beautiful exotic garden with ruins to walk through for a small fee. After purchasing admission we read there is a "contemplation place" that has chaise lounges and a waterfall so we jumped at the chance to rest for a bit. We found gorgeous chairs to lay back for a while and let the sun bake us for a while until we were ready to press on. The garden was expansive, an oasis on top of the world. Tons of varieties of flowers, cacti, and other flora and fauna. The ruins offered more amazing views and a cool resting place.
After working up an appetite, we ordered 2 pizzas and ate every slice. Our reward for closing our exercise rings 3 times over. Frangopard is a name I keep seeing pop up all over France, and right across the street from our lunch spot was their factory which offers free tours, so when in Rome! We popped over and floated on this beautifully perfumed cloud towards the entrance. Our tour guide, who made everything sound like poetry, showed us through their production process, which is painstaking but entirely worth it for their incredible products. She showed us scents and we laughed about how the French can be snooty but agreed they harness all the beautiful things in life.
I bought myself a small bottle of French perfume and scored a bunch of free samples as well. I left feeling entirely satisfied with my purchase and elated to have met someone who understood the beauty of life's small pleasures.
The sun was starting to go down, and we had to make our way back down as well. We met the path once again but this time, entirely prepared and comforted knowing it will be much easier going down than it was coming up. And of course, we were once again rewarded with a breathtaking sunset. Nice has got them down pat. Pink skies and a sapphire ocean.
Back at the room, freshly showered and feeling proud, I think a movie might be the perfect thing to cap the evening.
Until tomorrow my dears,
Keely
