Driving the Corniches

Trip Start Apr 30, 2004
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Trip End May 09, 2004


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Tuesday, May 4, 2004

On arrival at La Turbie, we drive straight to the Roman archaeological site. This unusual monument was built in the year 6 B.C. by the Emperor Augustus at the highest point of the Roman road between Rome and Gaul to celebrate the conquest of the tribes occupying the Maritime Alps. The whole area is wreathed in a dense mist, and naturally in the best Gallic tradition, the monument is closed. Bryan decides to jump the fence and take the path up to the remains. We had visions of him getting caught and sent to Chateau D'If. Meanwhile the clouds clear and we are rewarded with a truly magnificent view of the whole of the Principality of Monaco. http://www.beyond.fr/sites/trophee.html.

In previous trips, we had stopped at supermarkets and purchased staples such as bread, butter, cheese, ham etc., allowing us to have picnics in exotic places. This had worked well in Italy and Spain, but somehow not in France. Today it was just too cold and wet to eat outside, so we entered the only restaurant open in La Turbie for a mediocre meal of steak and fries.

It is a short drive from La Turbie to the spectacular and famous hilltop village of Eze. http://www.eze-riviera.com/emotions/ang/welcome.html The guidebooks menace you with hordes of tourists, so many you can hardly move through the narrow alleys, with queues to enter the shops and restaurants. Today there are surprisingly few visitors. It's a sharp uphill climb from the car park, before we arrive at the stone gateway and enter a medieval world. The village is a lovely sight to behold and we wind up and down steep cobbled lanes bedecked with flower pots at all sides. There are so few people; we are at times totally alone. The whole village is wreathed in mist, which makes the experience quite unique, though we are unable to appreciate the stunning views down the mountainside towards the coastal strip. These hill villages of Provence were built certainly not for the views, but for defense against rape and pillage by just about any army that happened by on the main route between southern and northern Europe, especially the Turks. Once the gates were closed, it was virtually impossible to storm the town. Of course in those days there were no shops and restaurants and the populace was extremely poor and probably half starved most of the time. If they could only see us now!
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