LA DOLCE VITA

Last weekend I drove to Nice to see my friend, Jennifer. It was her birthday and we’ve been supporting one another since our moves from the US. Jennifer arrived six months earlier from New York City with her two cats. I learned a lot from her in the process to prepare for my own move across the pond.

We have a mutual friend who introduced us almost 10 years ago at a dinner party in New York City. Jennifer’s husband was from the Nice area and they ended up purchasing an apartment as they were frequent visitors to see family. The apartment is in a delightful part of Nice called Fabron, high up in the hills overlooking the Mediterranean with almost a straight shot to the airport. That’s looking south. Looking north, one can see the Alps at a distance. It’s beautiful.

I proposed coming for her birthday and to take an excursion I had read about into the mountains. It’s only a 4.5 hour drive to Nice from my home, so I made my way Friday morning.

Saturday we drove from Nice to Col de Turini, a mountain pass at an elevation of 1607 meters (5272 feet). The switchbacks were fun and it was remarkably cooler once we reached the top. This particular road is utilized annually in the Monte Carlo Rally and several times in the Tour de France. I can see why!

After a quick coffee as we had a lunch reservation to keep, we made our way down to Sospel then across the Italian border to Rocchetta Nervina, a small and very charming village nestled in the mountains along a small stream called the Barbaira. The drive was on a much smaller road (at one point a worrisome single lane high up in the mountains) and through a number of tunnels.

We had lunch at Ristorante Rio Barbaira recommended by friends of Jennifer. We were not disappointed. Jennifer’s menu included a tray of appetizers, each one of which was mouth-watering delectable. I have a thing for Caprese salads with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil so that was my choice for the first course. But we shared and reveled in the tastes.

The main courses were goat (for Jennifer) and roasted veal for me. And that was after a pasta course of gnocchi. I’ve been on a low-carb diet successfully for several weeks but if one is to cheat, this would be the place to do it, so I did. No regrets.

Following lunch we walked through some of the streets and along the banks of this absolutely charming village. Here are some of the photos. It is a very inviting place and Jennifer tells me there are many like it.

Italy has a program to encourage foreign investment in houses to keep these small villages alive. It’s tempting to consider and reportedly cheaper to live in Italy than France, but I think the relative isolation would be tough as beautiful as it may be. Besides, my heart is in France.

There was a faster route back via Ventimiglia, Italy along the Mediterranean coastline. From there we were on the autoroute very quickly. We made a brief stop in Eze, France so I could pick up a few things at the Fragonard parfumerie. Their headquarters is in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. I was hoping to get to Galimard as well, but they were closed so that was accomplished the next day as I stoped in Grasse en route home.

It was a short trip, but fun. We both decided that there is much yet to explore in Italy and so I will be returning some time soon to do just that.

La Dolce Vita is an Italian expression for “The Sweet Life.” And Saturday was definitely sweet. It’s good to get away, if even for a brief time. The change in scenery, exploring new places and discovering a great restaurant was all quite enjoyable. I am reluctant to leave for too long because my cat gets lonely. So I was back by Sunday mid-afternoon. She missed me and that is always nice to know.