Walking Le Jardin d'Eze

By: Olivia Aberegg 

In the ancient city, Eze, wandering the exotic gardens is a main attraction. It over looks the entire city and the Mediterranean. It is full of sculptures and different exotic plants, as well as the remains from the ancient castle of Eze. 

Eze is located in Southeastern France, right outside Nice, France. 

This gives a laid out version of the village of Eze, showing the main buildings and attractions. 

The exotic garden in Eze is open in the summer time from 9 to 19 in the month of June. I would be going on a weekend from Thursday to Sunday from Florence. This would give me plenty of time to explore the medieval town and the exotic garden. I want to go here because I have heard wonderful things about Eze, from my friends and family, and that it is very much an escape from the main attractions in Europe and is a relaxing get away. It is a glimpse into history with all of its medieval architecture upheld and is a wonderful view of the Mediterranean because it is perched so high on a cliff overlooking the sea. I think it sounds beautiful and a great way to look back on the historic buildings and churches. 

To get to Eze France from Florence, it is a four and a half hour drive. I won't have a car so I would either take the bus which is almost a seven hour trip or the train, which is six. The Train cost roughly $90 and the bus $66. There is public transportation located in the city that I could either walk or cab to. 

The French take etiquette fairly seriously. It is important to always greet people with there appropriate title, not using their first name unless you are on a first name basis, and with a handshake. They are timely people and take their food very seriously. It is rude to leave something unfinished. They dress a tad bit more elegantly than typical casual, and modest dresses are common for women. A lot of similarities between our cultures exist, like waiting for the host before beginning to eat, not putting your elbows on the table, and being on time is a crucial detail to the French. 

In France the Euro is used. Current exchange rate is 1 euro for 1.3 US dollars. There are atms that I could use to get more cash if I run out, or a travelers check could be used. To find out the current conversion rate when traveling, I could ask someone at the bank, hotel, or even the train station converts currency for you. Religion in Eze is Roman Catholic. Eze and the majority of people who live in France are Catholic. The people who populate Eze are native born and associated themselves with the Eze culture. There are other groups of people who populate this area, but almost all are Catholic. The oldest building in Eze is in fact the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix dated back to 1306. 

Planning the trip involved the use of many traveling sits, like travel advisor. They all include pictures of Eze and also a general and similar synapsis of what there is to do in Eze. These are bias and are showing certain pictures to make it more intriguing to people to come and visit. Other sites gave background information about Eze and the history of the small medieval village.

In Eze they speak French. They used to speak something similar to Occitan, but that has become extinct. Most, but not all people can speak English, so it should't be assumed that they can, and it is close to Italy, so some people can speak Italian as well. 

I will pack a nice, modest dress because from reading different articles it said a modest dress is most appropriate for dinner. I will also bring a pair of running shoes for hiking, with athletic shorts and a top to go with it. I might bring a bathing suit because they have nice secluded beaches as well. The main point I saw across different sites is that appropriate shoes is most important. The village is small and all the getting around is done by foot. Climbing up to and through the garden is exhausting and hard on your feet, so wearing running shoes is crucial. 

Chateau de la Chevre d'Or is a five star hotel that overlooks the village and the mediterranean. Chateau Eza is another five star hotel in Eze that is composed of suites and nice pools and restaurants. There are seven hotels in Eze and the cheapest and most practical for a traveling college student would be the Golf hotel, which is considerably less than the five star hotels in Eze. There is also a bed and breakfast place in Eze that would give a great experience with the locals, but I would most likely stay in the Golf Hotel instead. Hotel Hermitage is also a cheaper hotel in Eze and is located by nice restaurants as well. 

Eze is known for its gourmet food with multiple five star restaurants. They take there food very seriously and prepare it to the highest standards. A common meal that is featured in Eze is pizza and wine. There are tons of restaurants with options ranging from soup and salad to seafood. Le Troubadour is a local restaurant that many locals enjoy as well that is great for lunch and for an amazing view. They have an extensive list of local wines to try as well as being known for great pizza. It is important to finish your food because food is a huge part of the culture and relationships, and it is insulting to not eat all the food on your plate. http://streema.com/radios/country/France is a great website to access radio and tv stations. This goes to the small village of Eze. 20 minutes is a newspaper that is daily and free is is accessible in France as well.