eze-village [pt.1]

I am taking a little break from my goal-setting series so I can continue to pray over the goals and make appropriate changes before I share them here on the blog. I've been learning so much through the series by Lara Casey and am looking forward to eventually sharing some of the big plans in store for this year with my awesome blogging community! 

But until then, I feel I have some unfinished business to attend to. I never finished my travel posts on my Europe trip from last summer [see other posts here], so I wanted to reveal photos from our last day in the French Riviera --and what was really the last day of our 2.5 week vacation. There were so many sights to see, so this will be the first of two posts on the charming and delightful Èze-Village.

We took a Lignes d'Azur  bus from central Nice to Èze Village on a bright Wednesday morning in early September. The bus fare for the picturesque thirty-minute ride was incredibly reasonable at 1,50 euro. That's right around $2! After spending so much on transportation in Paris and London, this was a very appreciated. 

A little about Èze-Village before I let the beautiful photos speak for themselves. It is situated halfway between Nice and Monaco's Monte Carlo and extends from the Mediterranean Sea (Èze-sur-Mer) to the hilltop medieval village (Èze-Village). It is nicknamed the "eagle's nest" because of the bird's-eye-view atop the villages' high cliffs, namely the highest perch --- Jardin Exotique. The layout of the village is unique but practical: You start at the bottom of the hill and make your way up to the top to the garden. Along the way you'll meet friendly shop owners selling beautiful hand-made items, restaurants both small and large, and gorgeous florals of various hues. 

While planning for the Europe trip, I came across beautiful photos of the Château de La Chèvre d’Or, a luxurious hotel and restaurant boasting some of the best views the Mediterranean available. We instantly fell in love, but after viewing their menu online, we were bummed that we'd be spending nearly $100 for a small meal. I don't know about y'all, but that's way too much for lunch. So we decided to walk around the outer area and snap photos because the building was so magnificent and we later grabbed a much cheaper (and still delicious at nearly $10!) lunch near the top of the village. 

 We made our way up to the Jardin Exotique near noon and proceeded to climb the rocky steps up to the tippy-top of the village ---- and wow! It was well worth the uphill climb (and few euro's entrance)! 

 Absolutely breathtaking beauty, right? The white cliffs against the vibrant blue Mediterranean. The adorable shops carved from the cliff's stones. The exotic greens of the cacti atop cliff's garden. The quietness and solitude as we surveyed the surrounding visage. Oh, I could just go one and on. This was one of my top memories of our vacation! 

Stay tuned for the continuation of this breathtaking day. I just could not cram all the photos in one post. There is still so much beauty to behold in this fairytale village tucked away in the Cote d'Azur!