Nice: Part 4 - Day 4: Vence, Tourrettes sur-loup

Day 4

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4
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28/9 Day 4: Rent car to drive to Vence. Stay in Vence for 2 nights. Drive to Tourrettes sur-loup.

Must-Incur Costs
None

Optional Costs

(A) Transport and accommodation

(1) Car rental Sixt for 4 full days - SEK6403 with full insurance

(2) 2 nights in AirBnb in Vence for 2 persons - SEK1.094,13

(B) Food

(1) Breakfast at Les Délices de la République - Baguette EUR5,50; coffee EUR1,50

(2) Pastries at Les Délices de la République - Apple pie EUR2,15; tarte almond EUR3

(3) Vegetables (tomatoes and bananas) - EUR3,86

(4) Lunch at Vence - Veal meatballs spaghetti EUR16

(5) Dinner at Creperie Bretonne - Omelette ratatouille EUR12,80; Diabolo drink EUR4; 250ml sweet cider EUR5,30

(C) Souvenirs - from Le Panier Gourmand

(1) Olive oil from Nice - EUR19,95

(2) Ginger bread with marmalade - EUR6,95

The Story

28092022: The day started with our breakfast at the usual place but this time, not a breakfast set. Just a huge giant baguette and coffee. On our way back to our AirBnb to check out, we stopped at the vegetable shop that we visited yesterday to buy a beef tomato, a red bell pepper, some small tomatoes and bananas. 

Then, we took the tram to the train station to pick up our rented car that we booked with Sixt. Initially, we chose a small car but we got upgraded to a Citroen C4 which was a huge mistake! We did not realise being upgraded could be a hassle for us. We thought it would be worth the money. But it was not as the parking spots and driving lanes are really small. We were only smart after we realised that it was a tight squeeze to drive through our AirBnb's gate and through the winding roads up the mountains. Also, French drivers are reckless drivers and it would have been easier if we have stuck with our original car. While walking around Nice town yesterday, we saw that all cars have scratches so we bought a full insurance for the car so it is a bit costly to rent a car in Nice.

It was about a 30 minutes drive to Vence. The check-in at the Airbnb was 7pm but the owner allowed us to check-in early around 1pm when we arrived. We have our own place which is beside the owner's house. The owner has a lovely vegetable garden and I saw a lemon tree! I have always wanted a lemon tree and I even tried sowing its seed but nothing came out from it but just insects from the soil. 

As it was difficult to drive through the owner's gate, we parked outside as it was a private road. We hoped hard that no one scratches the car.

Look at the giant pumpkins!

After checking in, we ate our beef tomato. I thought it was hilarious to eat a beef tomato on its own.

The owner recommended us to hike on a nearby hill to see the view of Vence village from the top. We hiked a bit after lunch but went down midway because the trail was not very exciting. 

Lunch first! We walked into town from our Airbnb. We crossed a bridge which has a narrow pedestrian walk. Only one person can fit. See the person on the pedestrian walk in the photo below?

We walked into the first restaurant and we had the homemade veal meatballs with spaghetti. I found out today that veal is the meat of a calf. 

That is me sprinkling lots of grated cheese in the spaghetti!

After lunch, we explored the village. I saw a cinema and I cannot resist in not taking a photo. The cinema is in a small building. I wondered how many people visits the cinema. The village is not huge so it did not take us long to finish exploring the place. 

We went inside a cathedral in Vence - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Nativity. 

The cathedral was previously the seat of the Bishopric of Vence, abolished by the Concordat of 1801, when its territory was passed to the Diocese of Nice. Source from Wikipedia. 

I read that there is a must-visit chapel called La Chapelle du Rosaire. There were even signs on the road on how to get to the chapel. This chapel was the masterpiece of a Henri Matisse. I have no knowledge on who Henri Matisse is but he was a famous French visual artist and a leading figure in modern art. We went there and did not go in because I was surprised by how modern the chapel looks from outside. I was not willing to pay the entrance fees to go inside. 

We took the car and drove to the hill that the owner of the Airbnb suggested for us to climb. We hiked midway and decided it was enough. We thought that the view from where we were was sufficient!

We decided to drive to the next village - Tourrettes sur-loup. It takes 10 minutes to drive there and it was a good decision. The village is charming and cozy! It is, according to some websites, a tourist village. We did not see any tourists there except us. I guess it was because we were there in the evening until sunset. Also, it was a weekday. Yay for us because we got to take some very nice photos!

We drove back to Vence and had dinner in a restaurant that sells different kind of buckwheat pancakes but I had omelette ratatouille (vegetables). I had diabolo drink because the name seems special. It is an alcohol-free drink that is a mixture of lemonade and syrup and I chose strawberry taste. 

Me in action taking photos of food. Hehe. 

I saw guests having a drink from this jar and I was curious. I thought it was some warm brewed drink and it turned out to be cold cider.