Somewhere up there is Eze Village
The start of pathway was well maintained, paved, with pale stone walls lining the way and casting shade to keep the path cool. From here, looking up, was hard to believe there was a village up there. All you could see was looming, rocky hills to one side and the teal coloured bay to the other.
But soon the path morphed into a rock strewn track that in places looked more like a dried up mountain stream bed. The sign at the foot of the track warns people to wear proper shoes, not flip-flips, and I was soon grateful that I'd worn my trainers.
Continuing up the track, it felt almost other-worldly. It was very peaceful. Except for the odd bit of ominous rustling in the bushes. This got me thinking about snakes, of which I have a terrible phobia. So I started scuffing my feet and puffing extra loudly to create as much commotion as I could without looking too much of a fool. In the end, I didn't see any other creatures except for the hardy, giant black ants that seemed very at-home in the terrain, and a few other mad humans. Despite the day being a relatively cool 25 degrees, the uphill climb was hot work.
About two-thirds of the way up, I got my first glimpse of the village, a few old buildings perched right at the top. It still looked a long way up and I was looking forward to getting there for a cool drink.
Just before the top, a small diversion takes you to a view point where you can see down to the sea and up to the Jardin Exotique that surrounds the lower part of the village, complete with waterfalls, fountains and statues of safari animals - it really did look like somewhere the elves in Lord of the Rings might live.
The village itself is a pristine place of narrow, winding, cobbled streets, no cars allowed. Most of the buildings housed art galleries, tourist shops, cafes and restaurants. It was pretty crowded but most of the tourists in their smart clothes and open shoes had taken the bus. I, on the other hand, was a sweaty mess in my dusty trainers, but I definitely feel I got the better deal. The walk was truly stunning and well worth the effort.
I felt too scruffy to sit down in a restaurant so bought a take-away crepe and sat in the shade of a building to scoff it down. Randomly, I then bought a dress which I hope will work for my cousins wedding - the last place I expected to find something suitable!
By the time I had explored the village and was ready to head back down it was 17:00. The early evening air brought out the scents of the hillside - warm earth, pine and aromatic plants I don't know the names of. It was reminiscent of the perfume factory I'd visited in Grasse, only better for being outdoors.
If yesterday's trip to Cannes was a total let-down, this hike was the antidote, the journey itself possibly outdoing the destination. I can't think of a better way to describe how I felt coming back down the trail other than joyous.
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