3-29-2016: Day 2, The French Riviera

Half way from Nice to Monaco is the little village of Eze and it is ancient and known for charm and shopping and tourist for a good reason. But we are sometimes smart and we planned this trip before the season begins and the sun starts to bake. So the village is fairly empty and so far, no rain. The car can only get to the bottom of the hill and they kick you out to walk - steep walk up the hill through tiny walkways past tiny shops and picture a minute twists and turns. Pant, pant, pant. 

So we register at the desk, which is just a tiny little room with a desk. After they confirm that we are the Brookers and the Ahos, our lady asks us if we would like a drink of champagne to take the edge off of traveling. GREAT!! She takes us out to a drop dead gorgeous balcony overlooking the French Riviera. Out comes a young man about as soon as we arrive with four glasses of pink bubbles with blueberries decoratively floating in each glass.




Our hotel, Chateau Eza is at the top and lucky for us but not so for the bell hop cause he has our bags! This village is old - like 12th century old. Walking to the hotel we pass through a gate meant to protect the village and it worked for awhile. That is until 1543 with Suliman the great from Turkey jointed up with others and breached the defense and took over the town. The hotel folks are great and send us outside for a welcome drink on the terrace over looking the Mediterranean Sea - the beautiful turquoise blue waters for which the area is known. This is a village of Cobblestone walkways, rock walls, hand painted shop signs and it is delightful. 

We have reservations for dinner just down the walk at La Chevre d'or - a Michelin star restaurant. Oh, it is nice! And it is very discreet as we soon discover the menu for the guys have prices while the ladies have only food items. That explains why Jim and Clyde are croaking when we see an appetizer of Asparagus for one is over $70! 



We all just get an entree. Fish for "the girls" and beef for Jim and I went for the pigeon - it is France, right? The bird meal comes with an explanation because it is important to know that the cook does not just wrack off the head of the pigeon or shoot it up with a shotgun. No, no, no Monsieur. Such acts of brutality allow the blood to leave the body and with it so much flavor. No, it is important to strangle the bird and in so doing keep the blood and flavor in the bird. Frankly, I would have it no other way and was so happy to find the food is prepared properly. OMG! I ate the whole damn thing and proud I did. But the French do it right - at least here they do. We start to understand the reason for the prices. When you book a table you get the table - for the night! There is no turning the table to make a profit, they please the few lucky enough to get a table. 





So we start at 7:30 for drinks and show up at the table when we want and we leave the restaurant around 10. And the entree is not all we get. The staff brings several courses and each is a beauty to look at and the French wine is mighty fine. What a time and meal we have. But the flight was long and hard and the lag is hitting us and we start falling asleep on our feet.  

So bed it is and we sleep.