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 your presence. Use your head and eliminate these oblique lines of sight.

Famille inquiete ("worried family").

Handsome villas in a spectacular natural setting. No wonder every European who can afford it wants to buy a second home in Provence.

Be on the lookout for the next balise, which steers you to a narrow car-free path.

The old stone buildings around here have super-thick walls, like 2 to 3 feet.

Fruit of the mastic shrub, which is native to the Mediterranean basin. Its resin is used to make a chewy, mouth-cleansing dessert, which I was able to try in Athens.

A glimpse of St. Paul de Vence over a tall fence. There are better vantages, but your correspondent only just arrived here and doesn't know where they are.

Blue morning glory. Non-native.

Next thing you know, you are in St. Paul de Vence. (First sighting this trip of the odd "sandwichs" spelling that predominates in France.)

It is a stunning village.

St. Paul is known for its pretty dwellings, artisans' workshops, art galleries and other interesting storefronts.

Raise your hand if tourist-choked towns like this are your cup of tea. Wait. Raise it higher. I can't see you amid this throng of Asian visitors.

Picasso, Modigliani, Dufy and Matisse all lived here for awhile. Chagall is in the St. Paul de Vence Cemetery. After his disastrous dalliance with the Black Panthers, the nearly friendless American writer James Baldwin moved to St. Paul and died here after 17 years in the village (though his funeral was in New York). To this day, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, 88, calls it his home.

It took a disturbing amount of time to find the continuation of the loop trail. Head downhill to the north and look for this sign.

It feels good to be back in the woods away from all the day-trippers, who are no doubt all very nice people. On the wooded trails, only two groups crossed my path all day. Everyone else is on a goddamn tour bus.

The descent back to the Malvan, which is absolutely thrashing at this juncture, doesn't take long. This crossing involves a narrower, more slippery bridge. Notice the strip of yellow paint. It is peculiar to France and is applied to trees and rocks to assure you that you're on the right path.

Then the steep climb back to Vence begins. At some points, the incline has to be 30 degrees. Pausing to take in the interesting properties along the way is probably a good move. (The emergency number here is 112 if things go south.)

"Beware of the evil dog."

Back in Vence, a nagging thought resurfaces. When did the nearly worldwide adoption of Halloween celebrations begin? Maybe 10 years ago? I first noticed it in Hong Kong in 2018. To my knowledge, only Africa and Antarctica haven't bought in yet.

Old potboilers outside the Galerie La Basse Fontaine.

Steps away from my steps, a crowd of costumed kids is going apeshit over kid-friendly tunes like "Macarena." This would go on for hours into the night, or whenever their bedtime is. Hope you're not wearing headphones.

Length: 6.6 miles.
Duration: 2:38. 
Intermediate difficulty.

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