St. Paul De Vence
What a beautiful little medieval village. This was a perfect day for this excursion as it was a Sunday so traffic and the crowds were light. Actually some of the hotels and shops are closed for holidays and won't open until Christmas or later. I didn't realize how small Monaco was and didn't realize we were actually traveling to France. I really wasn't sure we would get into France considering what has happened since Friday night. I did notice a lot of security around the ship and they checked all our ID cards on the bus before we were allowed on to the dock to board the ship. As always we are screened before returning to the ship.
St. Paul De Vence is situated in the top of the hill and is home to many artists, sculptors, and writers. It is a tiny village with many shops, galleries, and cafes. The description said be prepared for uneven ground and steep streets. To be fair there were some steep streets but the stairs and the cobblestones were smooth compared to the rugged alleys and paths of Rome. This turned out to be much more leisurely paced and our guide Annalise was wonderful in giving us facts and history of the region yet not being overwhelming. The fact that there were only two buses of tourists made it much easier to move around this small walled town. The artists and sculptors were happy to talk to us and explain their work which would not be likely in high tourist season. We certainly wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if we had come when there were full crowds.
This region of Provence is so beautiful it attracts the rich and famous with many of Europe's wealthy families owning homes here and of course there is the movie industry. This the location for a number of James Bond movies and of course the Cannes International Film Festival.
I have to mention that we passed some cyclists on our way to and from St. Paul De Vence. They were flying going down and moving quite well coming back up considering the grade and the length of the climb. I guess the Tour de France has held stages here during different times over the years. I hope the weather is good enough to get a ride in when we get home so I can keep my streak of riding at least once month throughout the year.
Just a wonderful day today and we are looking forward to another great day In Marseilles tomorrow.
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