Today I decide to revisit one of the walks I used to do when I first moved here. The Nietzsche Path from Eze sur Mer to Eze Village. I haven't done it for several years as I've moved across to the other side of Nice.
Driving there stresses me out..it's a day of strikes across France.. there seem to be more cars on the roads than I would have expected in March, even given the strike.. buses and trains not running..France not working.
I drive to Eze sur Mer train station, having been reminded en route that I forgot Monty's summer haircut booked for that day (he's in the car with me), and that I also need to be home by midday to take over from the nanny (no chance of that as it's 10.30 when I park).Obviously had one wine too many last night when out with the girls in Juans les Pins.. no that's not true.. it's just the way my (blonde) brain works , sometimes. Monty jumps excitedly out of the car.. does he remember his old stomping ground I wonder?
So we start up the path which is opposite the train station.. the Nietzsche path is a rocky stoney one going uphill from Eze sur Mer to Eze Village, about 400m higher. I wonder what Nietzsche was doing here..
'Friedrich Nietzsche, was a German philosopher of the late 19th Century who challenged the foundations of Christianity and traditional morality. He believed in life, creativity, health and the realities of the world we live in, rather than those situated in a world beyond. Central to his philosophy is the idea of life-affirmation which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines that drain life's energies, however socially prevalent those views might be. He is often referred to as one of the first existentialist philosophers (taken from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).'
Turns out Nietzsche, like so many of us, came to the Riviera to get away from bad times and enjoy the sun! He came here to regenerate, and like so many writers he needed to walk to create. He came here (Vence, Nice, Eze) from 1883 to 1888 to initially get over his bad book sales back home, and to 'grow in the sun as plants grow', and then because he found inspiration here.
Just at the start of the path there is a small house behind a wire fence with a bed of , possibly wild, pale lemon-yellow freesias growing through the fence. The smell is wonderful, sweet and slightly cloying. It reminds me of my dear Dad, long departed...freesias were his favourite flower. My SOH, tells me that his grandmother also had them growing in her garden and that these must be the old fashioned variety because the smell is so strong. Why don't we have such flowers now? Why have we gone for flowery show, and colour, rather than the lovely scents we used to have.. and SOH says why can't we develop a camera to capture scents as well as pictures? Good idea I think to myself.
I ask him if he has called the nanny to say we will be late.. he THEN tells me that he can't call her because her phone is broken. Too late to turn the car round now.. so we head up the slope. Monty runs ahead, sniffing all over, enjoying his freedom to explore for a change. Up, and up we go, with one small flat stretch, for around 30 minutes, admiring the increasingly wonderful views over the Med from here. Monty is sweating in his winter coat now, but he doesn't stop running beside us. We see major barbed wire on the other side of the ravine and assume it is military. We hear water running somewhere down into the ravine, but we can't see it for all the trees growing.
We don't make it to the top. We meet about 5 other walkers on the way up, something that surprises me, as I never remember meeting anyone on my previous walks here.. maybe the result of the internet and more marketing. Due to time constraints we then have to turn round and walk back down to the car to head home so we will not be too late for the nanny.. that's when the views really hit you..all the way down you have the gorgeous blue of the Med glistening below you, and very little noise to disturb you. Now you understand how Nietzsche regenerated and why he returned..
(Key; SOH - significant other half)
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