Cote d'Azur
The Village of Eze is perched on a cliff about 1,800 feet above the Mediterranean Sea between Nice and Monaco. The oldest inhabitants of Eze go back to the Neolithic Era (around 2000 BC). During the Iron Age (around 500 BC), the Celto-Ligurians also populated Eze and built "casterellas" (structures made of dry blocks of stone) - the one atop Mount Bastide in Eze is one of the most well-preserved in the region. The city and surroundings were also occupied by the Romans, the Gallo-Romans, and the Moors until they were driven out in 973. A fortress was constructed by the House of Savory (Italy) atop Mount Bastide in 1387. French and Turkish troops seized the village under orders from Barbarossa in 1543, and Louis the XIV destroyed the walls surrounding the city in 1706 in the war of succession of Spain. Only in 1860 was Eze was designated as part of France by unanimous decision by the people of Eze.
The oldest building in the village is the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix and dates back to 1306. Members of the lay order of the White Penitents of Eze, in charge of giving assistance to plague victims, would hold their meetings there. The church, Notre Dame de l'Assomption built in 1764, has an Egyptian cross inside, which acts as a reminder that the roots of the village date back to the time of the Phoenicians, when they erected a temple there to honor the goddess Isis.
Our hotel, Chateau de la Chevre d'Or (Chevre d'Or = Golden Goat) is nestled among the narrow streets of the medieval village, along with another hotel (Chateau Eza) and many shops, galleries, and ateliers. Our room overlooks the Mediterranean and has two terraces. Rumor has it that the view of the sea from the top of Eze inspired Dante Alighieri in the description of some scenarios of his Inferno. More recently (late 1800s), the author and feminist George Sand and philosopher Friederich Neitzsche vacationed in Eze.
Photos are of our lunch on the Terrace at our hotel (where Dana experienced virtual nirvana while drinking fabulous white wine from Provence and listening to Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild soundtrack) over the hotel's sound-system! And, Larry made friends with some old dude in armor!), and of our dinner where we had one of the best overall dining experiences in memory (including an exquisite 1997 Chateau Lafite Rothschild). You can also see the panoramic views from our room!
Our last night in the Cote d'Azur, we dined at Le Louis XV, an Alain Ducasse 3 star Michelin restaurant, in Monaco. The food and service were nice, but not as good as either at Chevre d'Or (which has 2 Michelin stars, but is in the running for 3 per the Concierge). The restaurant is located in the grand Baroque-style Hotel de Paris. The temperature in the restaurant (a fairly small room with closed doors and windows) was much like a sauna - it's an odd sensation to be gorging on gourmet food while sweating it off at the same time! The Monaco Grand Prix is the weekend of May 25th, so the streets were lined with barriers and scaffolding in anticipation of the race.