Beautiful Saint-Paul de Vence | Its Sweeping Views

Saint-Paul de Vence and its surroundings gently roll down to the sea

We spilled out of our tour bus at the village entrance, and instead of follow the herd like a good sheep, I turned around and walked away from the village. Where is she going? they probably thought. Don't get me wrong; I couldn't wait to explore this medieval village known as Saint-Paul de Vence, but first, I wanted a picture of the whole enchilada. 

The bus ride to this picturesque destination produced some stunning views and I was determined to capture a few. I would soon see that it was a good decision and well worth the walk down the steep hill.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

With cloud cover softening the look, a photo in sepia looks pretty cool

 

A few pops of color in a roof here and there, and the yellow mimosa trees. It is a breathtaking view!

Back up inside the village walls, and before allowing myself to get lost within its enchanting streets and alleyways (which I couldn't wait to do!), I leaned against the ramparts, and gazed out at the magnificent panoramic views. I felt so fortunate to be in such a place. Terraced gardens flowing toward the sea, tiny vineyards, orange trees, lemon trees, palm trees, and gorgeous homes. Pretty little foothills everywhere! To my left the blue of the Mediterranean, in front of me and to my right the Estérel mountain range, and once on the other side of the village I would see the first foothills of the Alps. 

I looked over the edge of the thick wall and beneath me a man was walking his dog along a path. As they strolled along beside the base of these immense rampart walls I thought, yup, this is a pretty nice spot to walk the dog. 

The sun was setting but my spirits were high as I took in these sweeping views

When your yard (or, garden, to the English) is as steep as this, I suppose it makes sense to have a lawn that resembles a staircase, otherwise you'll slip and slide all the way to the bottom! I saw this type of lawn a lot from this part of the south of France into Italy.

The houses that surround Saint-Paul de Vence are très expensive

Beautiful, sun-kissed homes enjoying the setting sun

Hundreds of homes sprinkled all throughout the foothills, reaching the base of the Alps

I don't know how far it is or how long it took me, but it was a while. My plan was to first walk all around the village, before venturing inside. Once at the halfway point of my journey, I reached the southern tip of the village. I climbed up onto the ramparts and looked out toward the Mediterranean. Just below me was the cemetery (see photo). I didn't go in, but could see a small chapel, and the typical French burial method, which does not allow you to walk all over people's graves. I much prefer the way the French do it. At the majority of our cemeteries in the states, you can walk right on top of where loved ones have been buried. I always thought that was so disprespectful.   

The cemetery is petit, but it's quite nice in appearance. Aimé and Marguerite Maeght (the founders of the art museum nearby), and Marc & Vava Chagall are laid to rest here. 

Look out! Attention!!!-as it translates to in French. Time to suck it in, hug the wall, and pray

Continuing on, I wandered along the edge of the village, between the village homes and the ramparts. I stopped often as I saw photo ops everywhere, beautiful views in all directions taking my breath away. Oh, what a place! I thought of my friends and family back home. Wish you were here!

It's easy to get lost in your own thoughts. I mean, c'mon, imagine yourself exploring a medieval French village! So my advice, if you find yourself in a place like this, remember that the road you're on is also tiny, barely wide enough for you and a car. In Saint-Paul de Vence, the locals treat this road as a mini autobahn. There is no place to go once a car comes screaming your way...you have to just sort of flatten yourself against the wall and yell Merde! (see above).

Below, another shot of the tiny one-way road that wraps tightly inside this medieval village.

A woman and her mom from my tour bus, lovely old village homes

There's really no room for American cars on this road

Making my way toward the northern tip of the village, I saw some more fabulous, sweeping views. When you live this close to the monstrous Alps, you get snow in the winter. Having grown up in snowy Maine, I could easily imagine how beautiful this would all be under a quiet, white blanket. My favorite kind of snow -- which I call 'snow globe' snow because it swirls down this way and that, would be nothing short of magical to see in this region. But add to that driving on these narrow, hilly roads with these teeny tiny cars? Non, merci! 

One of my favorite pictures -- the multi-layered view...and love that roof!

The road you see in this photo, the one in the middle, darkly paved and sloping downward, is where you come out, where you end up if you walk around the village. And where I'm standing to take this pic, I'm right over the entrance to the village. At this point I'm about to enter and I'm so pumped up on fresh mountain air that I'm giddy. So my advice is bring a friend! Because at times I couldn't help but walk along with a big smile on my face. At least with a friend there I could pretend she'd said something funny! 

Traveling Tip:
Just as I entered this village my camera needed a battery change. Thankfully I had some.
So, be sure you have batteries or a fully-charged camera, delete photos on your cell so you have room there, and have a fresh SD card. Because believe me, you'll fill up the SD card you have! (Right, Mum? LOL)

Happy travels, everyone!!