Those Winding, Medieval Streets

Happy November!

We enjoyed a long and lovely vacation, but it's good to be settled at home once again. I will not heap vacation stories upon you, but I would share a few experiences/observations. For example, what do you think of mazes? How about steps, lots and lots of them? Or walking uphill? 

"Enjoy the labyrinth of winding medieval streets..."

Well... If I had all day and was not still healing from multiple foot surgeries, maybe. It was so funny! I was enthralled, bemused, amused, chagrined--you name it! Our first stop, Eze, France, is on a hill, right up at the top. I knew that going in. But in the medieval towns we visited, not just Eze, those narrow, winding lanes lead to several other narrow, winding lanes, and those lead to others, and so on. When you finally reach the end of a particular labyrinth, you might find yourself facing a long series of steps. Or a wall. At one point, I think it was in Eze, a man proclaimed loudly in English,

"No one knows where they're going! No one knows where they are!"

I laugh every time I think of it.

Challenging as those twisting labyrinths of cobblestone lanes may or may not be, they are 
unquestionably charming. At least, the villages we visited certainly are. We're talking Eze, Aix-en-Provence, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. The combination of history, stunning natural surroundings, and relevance to the local and national economies ensures that they are well and beautifully preserved and maintained. The shopkeepers, restaurateurs, municipalities, and regions make the most of what they have--to everyone's benefit.

Was I able to see everything I wanted to see? Absolutely not, but I saw enough to know I would go again. We'd need more time, and I would wish to be able to walk as much as my heart desires. 

We didn't take a lot of photos in the villages. It was early on in our trip and me simply getting from Point A to Point B was a stress. Overall, our experience was something of an assault to the senses. We saw a lot in a short space of time and those medieval villages very popular with tourists! 

And yet...beautiful.