La Cote d'Azur: In the mountains

Nestled in the mountains above Nice are little gems; quaint villages established by the Romans centuries before Christ, beautiful chateaus, and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean sea. As we wound our way up the sharp curving road, Madame M told me the story of the most expensive chateau in the world, located in these very hills. Inherited from her family, extremely private, gated, and protected by security cameras installed at every angle, Madame was approached by a nouveau-riche Russian gentleman who coveted the property. He made an offer of several millions of euro. Madame refused. He countered, offering more. Again, he was rebuked. Like an obssesed lover, he refused to give up, he had to have this chateau! Finally, he made an offer she could not refuse, 500 million euro! He paid the required deposit of 10%, (50 mill) and then the crisis hit. The world financial market bottomed out, and he was unable to complete the deal. He lost his prestigious dream home and his 50 million dollar deposit in one fell swoop. Ah the folly of the nouveau riche. Continuing on our journey, we stopped at a scenic viewpoint for a look at Cap Ferrat. The water was a deep blue, with patches of aquamarine, so clear we could see the red rocks below the surface. Beautiful yachts were anchored in the cove, this is obviously the place to be. Further up the mountain we pulled into a little public parking lot overlooking the principality of Monaco. We were in the charming village of La Turbie. Keeping watch from above, an ancient tower erected between 25-14 B.C. signified the presence of Roman rule over the territory. An archway beckoned us to enter and explore the mysterious little streets, a maze of dwellings built long ago and inhabited today by friendly neighbors. Peaceful, uber cute, and seemingly out of a storybook, I fell in love! Coming out the other end we discovered a beautiful church, l'Eglise Michel-Ange. Exquisitely painted, light and calm, the energy there inspired this agnostic to light a candle. After an afternoon of eye candy we had quite the appetite, and found a restaurant overlooking the bay, every bit as charming as the whole of La Turbie. I could have stayed forever, but alas! It was time to move on, back down the mountain, passing by homes one can only dream of owning-large and small. As the sun set on the sea we returned to Antibes, but my heart remains in La Turbie!