Vacation Days 9-12

(this is from the archive blogs posted during our 2007 European vacation)

Cagnes (the “g” is silent) sur Mer is located about 10 kilometers west of Nice on the coast of extreme southeastern France. The directions we were given to find the villa in which we stayed, are technically correct; however, they presume an acquaintence with the streets. We are told to follow a particular street all the way up to the castle and then down the hill to the villa. Unfortunately, they do not mention that one turn on the road is almost hidden -- at east we couldn't see as we were heading up the street.  It was a sharp right turn at the top of the hill that, when approaching the turn from downhill (and all you can see is the hood of your car, the tops of the uildings and the sky), it looks like the street comes to a dead-end.

Arriving at the villa only after finding someone that both spoke English and knew where the villa was, we unload our bags at the front step and are directed to the private parking lot at the next street down. But when I take the car down this narrow one-way street (Linda stayed at the villa), I approach the next street to find that two cars are coming out in the opposite direction of the way I was supposed to go on the street. With two cars behind me, I am unable to make the 150 degree, three-point turn necessary to go up that street to the parking lot. "No problem," I say, "I'll just turn at the next street and come back to the street from the other direction." THAT was an error! 

Fifteen minutes later I find my way back to the villa along the route that we took to get to it to begin with. My "No-Complaints" bracelet had a workout on that little jaunt! After arriving back to the villa and getting explicit instructions from our hostess to make sure I insist upon turning up the next street below (that is, to not be bullied by the other drivers), I find the parking lot, negotiate the very tight turn into it (I can see why the French like their cars small), park the car and find the steps that take me up to the villa -- there are 82 steps, I know because I countedthem. But they take you past the garden at one terrace, a patio at another terrace, the living quarters of the owner of the villa on another terrace and finally to the patio of our villa.  What a lovely place!

The oldest part of the villa was built before Columbus discovered America, in the mid-1400's. It had an addition made during the 18th century.

There are eight rooms in our bed & breakfast, the Villa Estelle, located about 300 meters down the hill from the Grimaldi Castle. Our hostess, Celina, is a wonderfully expressive woman, the daughter-in-law of the owner of the villa. She takes great care to explain the sights of the city and surrounding area and to ensure we have what we want to be comfortable.

One point of interest that she did not point out to us was the “Loop of the Lost”. As one of the main streets of Cagnes sur Mer winds through the city and approaches the freeway A-8, part of the system of freeways that wind along the coast from Spain to Italy, there is an exit ramp that has no other function than to take you in the opposite direction on the same street – hence, the “Loop of the Lost.”  We have become very familiar with this off-ramp-on-ramp, frequenting it about every time we leave the parking lot. But when we happen upon it, we know exactly how to get back to our villa.

There are about 2,000 people that live in the Medieval Village, the 15^th century development that grew up on the steep hill around the Grimaldi Castle, or otherwise known as Chateau Eglise. And those 2,000 have to be in great shape – to leave your house, you have to either walk up or walk down, but if you walk down, then you’ll have to walk up when you return. That’s not to say there aren’t cars here – there are, lots of them, and they are parked in some of the most precarious places, separated by inches from the path of passing traffic. But if you’re not leaving the hill, it’s a lot easier to leave your car parked where it is.

The streets are narrow (of course) and they have little obstacles like stone steps leading up to a door way on the street, that from the scraps and marks on them have caught many a car.  Thankfully, we missed them all!

On our way back from dinner this evening we happened by a three-floor apartment in a building near the top of the hill. The real estate sign boasted of floor space about 105 square meters (1110 sq. ft.), well-appointed with high quality materials in a recent renovation with a view of the sea (3 kilometers away) from the top floor – it will only cost you 420,000 Euros (that’s about $580,000). That’s without a garage. (photo at right is a view off the east of the top of the hill -- the castle and the flat mentioned above are behind the photographer).

We had expected that the village would be separated from the rest of the metropolitan area by some rural area. It turns out that Cagnes sur Mer is surrounded by city much like Edgewater is surrounded by Denver, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge, more hilly certainly, and with different architecture, but surrounded by city. Up in the Medieval Village, on the slopes of the hill on which Chateau Eglise is located, there is a sense of isolation from the bustle below. There is a sense of "neighborhood".

From here we venture west to Grasse, a perfume producing city, along a narrow, winding, very busy road. On one turn, I catch a glimpse of the fender of a large truck coming in the opposite direction. It’s too large to allow both of us to pass. Thankfully, the brakes work well! Here’s another instance of our traveling the highway at about 30-35 miles per hour and coming to a complete stop in order to squeeze by the traffic.  France is an interesting place to drive!

After another trip to a hilltop village called St. Paul de Vence, we decide to park the car and hoof it for the rest of our stay in Cagnes sur Mer. But there is lots to see just here in the village -- and it's a lot more peaceful to not go down into the city.