Oh no, Hot Chocolate and Chocolat Chaud are nothing like each other. The drink is made with pieces of dark chocolate melted slowly in a double boiler, and then mixed with a small amount of warm milk. If Chocolat Chaud was translated into English, it would be Death by Chocolate at 8 am.
Today’s destination is the medieval village of Eze. The walled city sits high on hill overlooking the sea and villages below. Eze is also home of the Château de la Chèvre d’Or (The house of the golden goat) a small luxury hotel in a fairy tale location.
However, what has attracted us to this destination is La Chèvre d’Or the restaurant, not the hotel. The restaurant is made up of three separate restaurants and has gained a Two Michelin Star rating. For any movie buffs out there, La Chèvre d’Or was one of the places on Jack Nicholson's “Bucket List”.
The restaurant scene is where Morgan Freeman learns that Jack has a daughter and then adds a line to Jack’s Bucket List, which infuriates him.
The restaurant was opened in 1953 by a hotelier named Robert Wolf while visiting the Château. He immediately fell in love with the Château, bought it, and turned it into a restaurant. A close friend, Walt Disney, convinced Wolf that he should buy up the houses in the village and open a boutique hotel. Today the hotel has 40 rooms and is a favorite of the stars attending the Cannes Movie festival or just for some down time close to Monaco.
Loving food and wine, Tom and Janet could not think of a better place to celebrate both birthdays and their 41st anniversary. Reservations were made before we left the states, so wallet or not we were going.
Now there are a few choices on how one can get to Eze from Nice. Option 1 was a train, but after the events in Menton yesterday, Tom was not ready for that ride. Option 2 would be a taxi or an uber. Finally, there was option 3 which we chose and that would be the bus.
Nice’s new TRAM system is still under construction. The tracks are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year and when finished one will be able to go from the airport to the port. However, this construction has caused many of the bus stops to be temporarily closed or they have moved to new locations. Standing at the bus stop, we discovered the Nice bus information has not been updated or is incorrect on GOOGLE. Not being millennials, we knew we could figure it out without GOOGLE and forged ahead.
It was then that we met a young woman on her way to work. She walked us to an alternate stop for a different bus that would get us to our destination. This one however required us to transfer. No problem, lunch reservations were for 2 PM so we need to catch bus 82 at 12:05. Without that nice lady from Nice, I am not sure we would have been successful with public transportation today. Plan B was to call a taxi – we were not missing lunch.
The bus arrived and flashbacks from the Menton fiasco were clearly visible in our minds.
The bus was overcrowded beyond belief. No seats were available and we were pushed up against the wall in the handicap section. With little to no room to hold on, we were once again in a sardine situation.
This was going to be a 40-minute ride from hell to paradise. We settled into our own little space when the bus pulled over for the next stop. The driver opened the door to say no room, but more people pushed in from the back door screaming at him. The door closed with the truculent people and we continued to the climb the hill to Eze. Thankfully, the driver never stopped again. He bypassed the bus stops ahead and just waved at awaiting passengers, signaling no room. We reached our destination by the grace of the almighty, and if truth be told there was more than just a little discomfort of being in an overcrowded vehicle that is a top-heavy bus, traveling up a curvy road with small rock walls as guard rails. The only concern we did not have is that Tom would not be pick pocketed again! That well was dry.
Arriving in Eze, we sucked in a big breath of fresh air and continued our journey on foot. From the bus stop to the walled village is about a quarter mile stroll...uphill. There is a gate that limits vehicles from transiting to the top unless they are a guest of the hotel.
As we approached, a knight guarding the entrance could be seen. He allowed us to pass and we entered Eze.
Immediately, we were totally blown away by the beauty, narrow streets, and hanging flowers on all the buildings.
There very few people that live inside the walls of Eze. We were told less than 30, but during the day many tourists visit this gem.
Arriving at our table we just froze as we gazed at the view. Amazing, and they serve food too! Ambiance gets a high score!
Now settled, the chef sent out a amuse-bouche to enjoy. None of us can remember what the amuse-bouche was because we were so dazzled by the environment surrounding us. A bottle of Bandol seemed appropriate for this Kodak moment.
It was time to look at the menu to decide on our first course and dinner wine selections. After Richard and Tom studied the wine list, a red and white selection for our meal was chosen.
For our first course, Janet went with the ceviche, while the others went with the octopus. We stuck with the Bandol which paired well with both dishes.
We skipped the second course, a pasta course, and chose our main entrée. The girls went with the Sea Bass and the boys with the Lamb. A White Burgundy (Chablis) for the fish and a Bordeaux for the guys.
To experience a meal like this, with unbelievable wines, a view that cannot be beat, and friends is an experience hard to beat and well worth the price of admission.
Watching the boats come in, we all stared off in the distance when we heard the words...
Dessert? Why yes please! Tom went with a homemade Iranian Pistachio Ice Cream. Sally and Richard skipped the sweets and enjoyed a digestif – a reserve Calvados. Then there was Janet. She ordered the chef’s designed dessert. Instead of typing in a description under the picture, here is what a European food critic wrote about her lemon treat.
"…even better was a lemon dessert, prettily presented with an arc of spun sugar with a little lemon biscuit at one end. The main feature was what appeared to be a lemon but was in fact a thin white chocolate layer containing lemon chiboust, the lemons themselves from nearby Menton. This was a dazzling dish, the lemon cream filling having superb balance of sweetness and acidity, the white chocolate layer delicate, on the side excellent lemon flavoured soft meringue. This dish was clever and original, but more importantly tasted superb; any pastry section in France would have been proud to serve this (20/20)"
And wait, there is more… The staff returned with a small double chocolate cake for Tom and Janet’s Birthday, and that is when we started to pray – Please Lord no desserts for our anniversary.
Thanking the staff which had provided service that was second to none, we headed to the door. One more stop to view the beauty below.
Simply amazing! This will be one dining experience not forgotten.
Feeling heavier than we were when we entered the restaurant, a discovery adventure walk around the village was in order. Steps, small alleys, uneven surfaces seem to be the norm for small villages in the Côte d'Azur.
Artists had set up their easels in shady squares where sunlight was filtered by the trees and plants.
Walking through the village another Kodak moment was captured. The sunlight on the building radiated a warm color providing an opportunity to snap a shot of Richard and Sally.
It would be very easy to stay in this beautiful place, but all good things must come to end. We left the village walls and headed down to the bus stop. With over a 90-minute wait for the next bus it was an easy decision to call a taxi. Our chariot arrived shortly and we rode down the hill in our seats and belted in. Instead of returning to downtown, we opted to be let off at the port of Nice. This way we would be able to walk the full distance of the Promenade.
The port was full with some beautiful boats! Rows of luxury yachts, hundreds of sail boats, and one monster yacht.
The Odyssey is a 250-foot private yacht.
We walked around the point on the Promenade heading west past the port’s lighthouse.
Pausing to look at the war memorial monument which is built into the side of the hill in the 1920s. It honors and remembers the citizens of Nice that died in WWI, WWII, Indochina (Vietnam), and Algeria.
A slight detour to the beach for a short break and to listen to the waves. The sunlight on the buildings and water made colors so vibrant.
Of course, we had to stop for the must have Nice photo op!
There was a large crowd gathered around the sign, but everyone politely waited for their turn.
Every evening as the sun sets, the Promenade comes alive. Trick skaters set up their courses and entertain all that pass by. Walkers, bikers, and people of all ages enjoying the last glimmers of the day.
About the midpoint along the walk is a large group of steel girders reaching for the sky. We had walked by this monument numerous times but never knew what it was. The monument is there for all to remember and pause on the events of 9/11. Once again driving home the point that terrorism is a world problem. A dose of reality after experiencing a day in Utopia.
Lunch today was dinner too! We picked up some cheese and snacks and headed in for the night.
A nice end to a wonderful day in the Côte d'Azur.
No comments:
Post a Comment