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alexandercahilldesign · 10 years ago

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“It’s not about the destination but about the journey “

MARZY, France - Burgundy, 5:30am, August 27th: the flat twin of our 40 year old Citroen starts to break the silence of the cold night. The engine is warming up, and we are doing the same with large thermoses of coffee in our hands... We are finally hitting the road in the direction of Menton, a little gem facing the Mediterranean on the famous Cote d’Azur. With our ride, as it’s not exactly a fast car, we choose to take the small roads and let the country be the set of our 3000 km (1864 miles) road trip...

The air is quickly warming up, and after driving almost two hours with the day slowly rising, we decide to make our first stop in this tiny village called Saint Leon. We stop at the only bar around, “Le Saint Leon” for croissants and a quick coffee. It’s time to roll the top back on our ride and cruise with the wind in our hair...

Noon is approaching, and after driving all morning the first picnic on the side of the road is enjoyed. It’s not the prettiest, but it will do for a quick snack...

The view is starting to get much better...

It’s late afternoon and we’ve already covered a lot of miles, but the hardest is still in front of us...The French Alps. The landscape has started to change and we are starting to feel the altitude as we climb the small winding roads.

... Our warning to those driving behind us, 90 km/h (maybe)

We are now heading in the direction of Barcelonette on Napoleon’s road, our 1975 Dyane (nicknamed Sophie) is driving like new, despite the small engine and the limited power (30 hp). Sophie is taking us across the French Alps...

We keep climbing, road signs indicate we’ve reached 2084m altitude, and it’s time for a break. We stop at this abandoned house for some refuge, taking a short walk and enjoying the view a little more before continuing on...

The roads are steep and windy, and we keep climbing. We are at 2804m alt. and the oxygen is getting more rare, the car is loosing power but our fingers are crossed we will be able to pass these mountains...

We’ve crossed the peak and the road has finally started to head back downhill, we’re hoping there’s no more hills to climb...

After passing (slowly, very slowly) a flock of mountains goats, their shepherd, a 14-wheeler, some scary little paths and turns, driving for over 15+ hours, we are finally arriving (by night) In Menton...

After a quick walk by night through the town, we decide to get some well-needed rest and explore more the following day...

The next morning we start to explore this gorgeous little town that is Menton. It’s the last city before the Italian Border.

The basilica of Menton sits on op top of the hill, surrounded by all these little streets and wild plants growing literally everywhere. (it rarely freezes in this region)

The market erected in 1898 is really a typical place in Menton, mixing old fashion and contemporary style, from the farmer growing his vegetables to the fisherman selling the catch of the day, or the spice shop where you’ll find anything you’ll need to make a Mediterranean dish...

After a good day visiting the town and enjoying the beach we went to put some change in the parking meter and to our big surprise Sophie (our nickname for the car) started to flirt with the high society...

August 29th, we take to the road again, this time mid-morning and in the direction of Vaison la Romaine. We’re visiting one of Alex’s good friend’s that owns a bed and breakfast/organic garden to table...

Quick stop for a walk and to pick some wild lavender...

After a good day on the road, we finally arrived to this beautiful bed & breakfast in Vaison la Romaine, close from the “Dentelles de Montmirail,” After 9 years of work, the owners, our friends, Gautier and Claudine entirely transformed this little gem in a perfect green oasis of calm, featuring a swimming pool, organic garden, pétanque playground, and of a large selection of local and terroir wines and cheeses. (we personally fell in love with the lavender honey).... If you are planning a trip in the Vaucluse make sure to contact the owners and say we sent you: https://www.facebook.com/Lesverveines

August 30th, it’s a special day today... We spend a lazy morning prepping for the road and for the rest of our day.

Back on the road, we stop in a fortified medieval village dating back to the 13th century, Seguret. The view is astonishing, you understand quickly why they choose this rock in the middle of nowhere to live.

Gorgeous views in every direction...

Time stopped in this place .. walking thru these little streets, letting yourself be guided by the sounds of the water fountain and the village, is a real pleasure. We are quickly letting our imaginations go and can easily dream of having our little shop in the center of this tiny village, on top of this rock, overlooking the south of France, settling for another pace much slower than our city, New York City.

It’s time to hit the road again, now in the direction of Toulon. We arrive around 6pm and take possession of our keys and our room, savoring the perfect view of the harbor, a little terrace and some champagne.

We decide to explore the beach and see what was around us before heading to dinner. As we turn the corner around this hidden garden, Cahill finds this amazing gem. We’ve decided to move in... (soon)

The sun is setting on the bay and kids are enjoying every last second. It’s loud. A weird mix of parents yelling names, loud splash sounds and the screams of these kids having the best time.

As we walk down the beach, the sound becomes a little less overwhelming, the screams and splashes have been replace by the regular flux of the waves washing onto the sand. Light is draping itself into a strong contrast of pastel colors, offering us the most beautiful view of the city and the bay.

After spending a good time being rocked by the sounds of the waves, we’re heading to dinner. We found a cute and simple place on the bay to enjoy classic Mediterranean food and the freshest seafood... We’re also celebrating Cahill’s birthday this evening.

After a easy morning with breakfast on the terrace, we check out of the hotel and spend an amazing day doing nothing but roasting under the sun. Hours later, we take one last photo and say goodbye (for now) to this little slice of paradise.

Back to our basecamp for one last night in Menton. We wake up early for petit-dej, wandering before anyone else crowds these tiny streets, and swinging by the market to grab a few more spices before putting the suitcases back in the car, prepping Sophie for the road.

First stop on the way back is Grasse. We initially decided to visit the perfume factory at Fragonard, but a crazy line plus a lot of miles still to cover pushed us to take our own private tour in the gardens, seeing these old copper distillery vessels worn out by time

The gardens are still blooming, scents of jasmine mix with thyme and rosemary, and the roses are bewitching. After a little stop at the souvenir shop, (everything they sell is amazing and smells divine!), we are hitting the road back to Burgundy and still have a 15 hour drive in front of us...

It’s already been 5 hours in the car and we are tired, time for gas and some coffee... Stopping in a little 14th century village, nothing much to see besides the ballet of the pigeons on the roof of this church.

Our ride “Sophie” getting some rest before getting back on the National 7 (the French equivalent to Route 66)

After 10 hours in the car, we can’t wait to be back home and shower, but mother nature is still spoiling us with amazing light, views and landscapes.

At this point we’ve already covered about 2400km in a week, only 600km left to get back to Burgundy.

Last shot on the roll. Alex driving us back home... We will arrive in Burgundy around 1am, beyond exhausted but unbelievable happy to have had this adventure and to be able to see all these different landscapes and terroirs.

The route of our weeklong roadtrip...

Next morning in Burgundy, the rain showed up but just as quickly disappeared and the sun came back to comfort us.

Our vacation is ending, we’re gonna have to accept it. We are packing and will be back in Paris in a few days. Then just as quickly we’ll be home to our little apartment in Manhattan... Plotting our next adventure.

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