Sweet days in Provence

Nice is beautiful in its own way, with fading glamour and tired charm. But after wandering down Promenade des Anglais, listening to waves, watching tourists and dogs, I felt like I’d seen the postcards. Time to wander beyond them.

An hour drive north from Nice is Tourrettes-sur-Loup, a hilltop village so atmospheric it feels like stepping into a faded fresco. Narrow medieval alleys twist up through vaulted passageways. Stone walls cling to cliffs, overlooking a valley saturated with faded afternoon hues.

The walls of medieval village Tourrettes-sur-Loup are protecting the sacred ice cream.

Despite the name there are unfortunately no wolves running around shouting profanities. Instead, the village is famous for something far more pleasant.

They call it Cité des Violettes, and for good reason. The violet is everywhere. In the gardens, in the sweets, perfumes that smell like soft dusk. I cannot resist the “glace violette et sa fleur cristallisée”, violet ice cream with crystallized violet flower on top. It’s decadent and strange in the best way.

To continue on a decadent note, I end the evening at the restaurant Auberge de Tourrettes, having a sea scallop with truffle that surpasses beyond any description. The kind of thing that reminds me why food matters. Texture, scent, earth meeting ocean in a sublime yet unforgettable way.

Good morning my fellow squirrels.

We stay in a house in the countryside near Tourrettes-sur-Loup. The entire house at our disposal, complete with private pool and large kitchen, as well as a palm tree with a few resident squirrels. In the distance I can see Nice, Antibes and that blue ribbon of the Mediterranean fading in the distance.

Beyond the tourist hustle along the coast, this is a side of Provence that time hasn’t polished too smooth. The stones hum. The violets whisper. And every bite is worth remembering.