Hiking to St. Paul de Vence
To get a lay of the countryside, it seemed wise to hike the sodden slopes on either side of the Malvan River (it rained last night) with the object of reaching St. Paul de Vence, which is near the top of every "France's Prettiest Towns" list ever devised. The trek begins in Vence by finding the 17th-century Chapelle Sainte-Anne and walking downhill. In about a half-kilometer, a bridge allows you to cross the river, which is running with some vigor today. The shaded path veers sharply uphill here. To gain a little distance, it seems wise to take a right at this navigation sign, called a balise . You can still get to St. Paul and get a few extra steps in. When you reach the paved road, take a left. There is an unnerving amount of traffic on these narrow country lanes, and while it is a good practice to walk on the left side of the road facing traffic, it is a terrible idea when the road curves to the left because oncoming vehicles will have almost no time to adjust to you...
