going up up up

looking up up up at Eze

What is it about me that even when I’m on a beautiful coast, I want to go up up up? That’s a rhetorical question. No way you could begin to answer that.

The previous post was about the devil’s bridge that connects Eze with the towns heading west towards Nice below. As nice as the winding roads were going up there, once there I looked out across the high coast and something in me had to go higher. In the distance I saw la Turbie and we were off. Much less tourism in this little village with the Trophy of Augustus sitting atop the summit.

Here that is:

Trophy of Augustus

But after all that climbing, albeit in the car, the next goal we pushed on to reach was Peillon. Read somewhere that this was a destination that the locals headed off to to get away from the bustle of the Riviera. This we had to see, right?

The village of Peillon sits perched atop a cliff, and from a distance looks impossible to reach. Not only impossible by car-this place doesn’t look reachable by hiking. My kind of place. The narrow, winding roads reminded me of some of my favourite places in Colorado.

Of course the discussion while driving eventually came round to whether traffic going uphill or downhill has right-of-way. It was a moot point, because there was practically no oncoming traffic (uphill drivers should have right-of-way for the record).

Then, there we were-atop the cliff.

Peillon

And the most curious thing? While we were up atop Peillon, I read about a hiking trail climbing farther up into the mountains. If you supposed I wanted to go up immediately, you’d be right.

13 comments

  1. You know I love these pictures. I can’t stop sharing them. Twitter, Tea Trade, everyone should take a look. Amazing to think that “real” people live in these tiny houses. They look like something in a fairy tale book. Thanks for the interesting links too!

    1. There’s something to that. Also something so eternal about huge rocks and being able to see out over a long distance.

      It’s something deep inside me that lures me as far up, within reason, as I can go.

  2. I meant to comment on your last post and forgot, because I’m already not following through with my promise to myself to be better about such things. So I’ll do it all here.

    FIRST, if the devil isn’t happy with the dog soul, the devil is an idiot.

    SECOND, the Colorado switchbacks are exactly what that bridge reminded me of! I had a job interview once in Colorado, and had to drive through the switchbacks. Scariest trip of my life. I seriously got out of my car and sat on the ground and shook for twenty minutes when I got to the bottom of the mountain. I mean, yes, gorgeous views, but every time an 18-wheeler or even a moving van came the other way, I felt like I was going to go plummeting off the mountain. (I wasn’t offered the job, but probably that’s good, because I can’t imagine having to drive them again with a car filled with my belongings!)

    1. About the the dog’s soul & the devil? You & I are in complete agreement there.

      Small, curvy roads? Not so much. One nice thing in Germany is that a gondola is sometimes the only way up the mountain. Well, that or hiking.

  3. I know exactly what you mean when you say you always want to go up. I lived in Cyprus for a while and became obsessed with the Troodos Mountains. I eventually managed to get a job near a town called Platres, high up in the mountains & it did wonders for the soul. Lovely post & I’m sure this experience will always be special to you.

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