Travels – Slow Lane Musings

Historic hill villages of the French Riviera

The French Riviera has a well-established reputation for chic lifestyles, and expensive real estate. Places like Monaco, Nice, Cannes, and Antibes sure do convey those images to the outside world. However, you do not have to travel far inland from these coastal towns to find yourself in a different world.

Looking north from the Mediterranean Sea, one is struck by how close the mountains are to the coast; not surprisingly, the region is called “Alpes Maritimes.” The hills and the mountains are dotted with long-established villages and towns. Each elevated settlement has its own history and character, but most share some common features: fortified walls, numerous gates, a square with a church, some administrative buildings, a castle (some in good shape, others in ruins), many stone houses, and a labyrinth of narrow meandering streets.

Walking around these tranquil villages today, it is easy to forget that they were constructed as fortified communities designed to keep out pirates and ward off attacks by rival rulers. The fact that they have been so well preserved is testament to the commitment of the French state as well as private citizens to maintain heritage buildings of great historical value.

In the last century, many of these villages attracted famous writers and painters who succumbed to their charms. Today, tourism is an important source of revenue for the villages closest to the coast, and they have adjusted to this reality by attracting artists, galleries, shopkeepers, and restauranteurs who can provide what visitors look for. Motor traffic tends to be limited in these towns, which explains in part why they are such havens of peace and a pleasure to explore on foot.

We recently had an enjoyable time in Nice, during the off-season, and we had the opportunity to visit several of the hill communities that can be reached by public transport. This post focuses on four of those: Èze, Haut-de-Cagnes, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence.

A taste of ancient Mexico

Having followed an excellent online course titled “Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed,” we were interested in seeing the cradle of these ancient civilizations in Mexico for ourselves. The easiest way was to join an organized tour where we could benefit from the insights of local guides.

During the tour, we travelled more than 2,300 kilometres, by bus, from Mexico City to Cancun. The country is vast, with the most fascinating range of landscapes and topographies: mountains, arid lands, regions covered with lush vegetation and fertile agricultural plains. Fortunately, the country has an excellent road system.

We visited only six archeological sites, but Mexico is peppered with ancient monuments in various stages of preservation or excavation, many of which are recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites. We hope to share a glimpse of the treasures that we saw in this fascinating country endowed with a rich and complex past.

A festive season in Florence

We had promised ourselves that we would again spend Christmas somewhere different, following our wonderful experience last year on the Queen Mary 2. We looked for a city where it would be possible to be outdoors on a nice day and to repair to museums if the weather was not so clement. Italy is always a good bet. We had spent a few days in Florence in 1996 and remembered it fondly.

To our delight, we found out that Florence does Christmas very well. In addition to festive decorations, the names of streets in the historic district are spelled out in strings of colourful lights at night. Its vibrant Christmas spirit is infectious.

Although Florence is geographically compact, compared to Rome let’s say, there is so much to see there that you would need at least a month to see it all. Not surprisingly, it hops with visitors.

Modern-Day Pilgrims in Saint-Émilion

While we have enjoyed many wines from the Saint-Émilion region in the past, we knew very little of the fascinating history that contributed to making this small medieval village, only a few kilometres north-east of Bordeaux, such an important pilgrimage site and the centre of a thriving wine industry to this day. We joined a guided tour run by the Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux to learn more.

Slowing down in Bordeaux

When we heard that Bordeaux prides itself on being a “slow tourism” destination, we just knew that we would like the city. Guidebooks say that you can visit Bordeaux in three days, but to allow us time to linger, we booked an apartment-hotel for eight nights. That was not even enough time to fully appreciate the city.

Bordeaux is beautiful, friendly, interesting to explore, and historically rich. It has an excellent, reasonably priced, public transit system comprised of sleek trams, modern electric buses, river boats (Le Bato) and rental bicycles. As a result, the city is not noisy and the tranquility contributes to its relaxed atmosphere.

We got the impression that the city’s heart beats on the street, in public squares and gardens and in cafes along the Garonne river. On beautiful summer evenings, people were dining outdoors on patios. We saw many young families in the parks, playing in the water of the reflecting pool (Miroir d’eau) and attending free outdoor events.

We came back home thinking that, in Bordeaux, living in “slow” mode is more than a motto.

A haven of peace in Rome

Rome has a special place in our hearts, as we were married in the Eternal City over four decades ago. Like pilgrims, we have returned many times to this bustling and exciting city. It’s always a delight for us to revisit the Colonna Chapel in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.

We usually stay at the same hotel in Aventino, just south of the city centre. There, we can stroll through quiet streets, meet the many cats that “live in freedom” (the description given by the municipal by-law that protects them), visit the local churches or sit on a bench in a public garden and enjoy the views provided by the elevation.

The Aventine hill is one of the seven hills of Ancient Rome. The earliest residents of the district were the poor of the city, however, at the height of the Roman Empire, the district attracted the wealthy who built impressive villas. Although it is still an upscale residential neighbourhood today, some of Aventino’s splendid ochre-coloured villas have become hotels, schools, and headquarters of religious organizations. There are also, at the base of the hill, interesting ruins, monuments, gardens and even a very special cemetery.

Several roads and old pedestrian paths lead to the top of Aventino. While some guests might be daunted by the idea of walking up the hill to reach their hotel, it is well worth the effort. During the month of May, each step makes one breathe even deeper that wonderful fragrance from the abundant jasmine in bloom. We have come to call this oasis of peace “Heaventino.”