Maryland

WHAT started off as a plan to just peek into a perfumery enroute Monte Carlo turned out to be a day long, unforgettable experience. My hotel in Nice highly recommended a visit to Eze for a guided tour around famous perfumeries. But what they didnt prepare me for was a spot of paradise in between clear blue skies and the majestic Mediterranean.
Unlike its shoreline parent Nice and glamorous cousin Cannes, Eze is perched atop an imposing cliff rising from the Mediterranean. I could spot this picture perfect village and its precariously poised houses from afar. Eze is a half hour ride by bus from Nice enroute Monte Carlo. The ride up the cliff itself was breathtaking with the mountains and houses perched on it on one side and the clear blue Mediterranean on the other.

The entrance to Eze was like a little base with eateries and the tourism office. I mentally postponed my visit to the perfumery. As soon as I got off the bus, I made a beeline for the tourism office to collect a map of Eze recommending must-see spots and directions to them. The welcome board at the entrance caught my attention almost immediately. It was a no-nonsense white board that spelt out the dress code to enter Eze. The illustration said tourists in bikinis, swimming trunks or any form of indecent dressing could take an about turn and head back to where they came from!

The climb to the village included a narrow winding path, lined with a burst of colourful flower beds, archways and stone houses. The picturesque view almost made me feel like I had stumbled into a movie set. Eze was occupied by the Romans in the medieval times and legend has it that the name originated from the temple erected in memory of the goddess, Isis. No ruins of the temple can be found today, but what you can see is a charming ochre church, the landmark of Eze. The sound of the church bell and the calm, harmonious interiors of the church spread a strange air of calm and tranquility to the village.

The inhabitants of Eze Commune have managed to restore the stone architecture of the Provencial village. Given its strategic location near Nice and its flamboyant neighbours like Monte Carlo and Cannes, tourism is naturally the main source of income for the village. As a result, many of the houses are converted to luxury hotels and restaurants. Summer spells peak time in Eze with tourists flocking to the French Riveria. The Cannes film festival and Formula One in Monte Carlo, held around the months of May and June, add to the crowd and the coffers.

THE winding pathway to the village is dotted with boutiques and shops selling artifacts and knick knacks. The ambience and the riot of colours and medieval charm spilling out of these shops, make them hard to resist. A compulsive shopper, I found myself loading the goodies. Archways and stone walls lining the path form an integral part of Eze architecture. The stone houses lacing the path give the impression that they are dug into the cliff. The USP of the houses the stunning view of the Mediterranean from every room. Its worth a million euros!

The village also houses the Exotique Jardin or botanical garden at the summit, which has an impressive collection of cactus and other rare plants. When I visited, the sweet fragrance from a variety of flowers permeated the air, giving me the feel of one big perfumery! This is one of the reasons the best perfumeries of France have set up shop here. I finally took my guided tour to the actual Perfumery at the fag end of the day. It was a 20-minute tour around the factory and it turned out to be my lucky day as I got a handsome discount on my loot.

The twisting path, the sweet smelling air, the medieval charm and the breathtaking view of this quaint village left me longing for more. At the end of it all, I almost forgot my final destination.