Èze-le-Village, Èze-sur-Mer, France, Hiking, Neitzche Path, Photography, Travel

European Vacation – September 27/19 – Èze le Village – Part 2 – Neitzche Path – Not the Èze-iest Way Down

Freidrich Wilhelm Neitzche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, philologist and Latin and Greek scholar, whose work has exerted a profound influence on modern intellectual history. He became the youngest person ever to hold the chair of Classical Philology in 1869, at Basel University, at the age of 24. Chronic ill health forced him to resign in 1879 and he completed much of his core writings in the following decade. In 1889, at age 44, he suffered a collapse and after that, a complete loss of his mental faculties, living his remaining years in care with his mother and then his sister.

(Source:Wikipedia)

There is a legend that claims Neitzche would walk this path uphill every day, during his stays at the French Riviera and that some of his work was based on the thinking he did while on the hike.

Tired of breaking trail through the wave of tourists in Èze, we had two options to return to Nice. The first was to climb back on the bus and return the way we had come. The second was to hike down the Neitzche Path, a 4.1 km (2.5 mile) goat track that drops down 391 meters (1,283 feet) to Èze-sur-Mer. We voted and all agreed we were not yet ready to go back to Nice, so we would hike down.

The trail is very rough and even in September, temperatures in the sun on the frequent open areas reached 28 C. Thank goodness we were hiking down and not up. If you opt to hike the trail up or down, wear sturdy footwear (hiking boots with ankle support), dress for the temperature and sun, wear sun screen and take and drink plenty of water. Do watch your footing. If you are taking photos, stop walking while you do, so you do not end up dropping off the edge of the trail.

Starting off

Its still not too late to change your mind and turn back

Sunshine in front of us and misty hills in back of us. Praying for no rain.

Our first good view of the sea

If only we had some ice cream, perhaps Rocky Road

The long view of Èze-sur-Mer
the close up (50x zoom) view of Èze-sur-Mer

I thought you said we were almost there.

About this time, we wished we could be on a personal watercraft doing donuts in the sea. It was hot and sweaty on the path.
The rough path smooths out
Coming down into Èze-sur-Mer
If this place was not even further downhill, maybe we could have grabbed a cold drink there.
Finally, a bit of shade
We hiked down from up there???

All in all, we were all glad we did this hike.

Published by

kagould17

Not much to tell. After working for 3 companies over 43+ years (38 years 7 months with my last company), I finally got that promotion I had waited my entire career for……retirement. I have been exploring this new career for the past 7+ years and while it is not always exciting, the chance to do what I want for myself and my family instead of what my company wants has been very fulfilling. Early on, there was a long list of projects in my “to-do” hopper and I attacked these projects with a vengeance for the first 9 months of retirement. Eventually, my brain told me that this was not what retirement was about, so it took me another 5 months before my industriousness again took over and I attacked another line of projects, this time somewhat shorter and less complicated, as well as many new projects related to the family weddings in 2016. After going hard for 6 weeks and 3 weddings, my body was telling me to relax, then the flu bug hit and as soon as that was done with me, my sciatic acted up. No rest for the wicked. In 2020 and 2021, the Covid 19 pandemic changed the whole retirement gig. I was lucky to not be still working, for sure. I enjoy photography, gardening, working with my hands, walking, cycling, skiing, travelling, reading and creating special photo and video productions obtained in my first pastime. I may never become wealthy in any of these pursuits, but I already feel I am rich in life experiences far beyond any expectation.

12 thoughts on “European Vacation – September 27/19 – Èze le Village – Part 2 – Neitzche Path – Not the Èze-iest Way Down”

  1. Great post and beautiful photos. I love how you always find the time to go for a hike either visiting Italy on France. It’s a great way to get off the busy roads, keep fit on holiday(just think about all the pizzas and gelatos) and you get to work up an appetite! Thanks for sharing, Allan and have a good day. Aiva

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    1. Thank you Aiva. We love to hike and walk. You see so much just by getting out there. There is no rush, so we take time to enjoy the journey and then the food and beer. Thanks for reading and commenting. Allan

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    1. For sure, when there is no breeze and you are in full sun. Nice weather at the time, cooling off each evening. I’m kinda crazy that way, my perfect weather is 23 C with a light breeze blowing. Allan

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  6. I recall taking that trail in the Easter of 2010 when we were spending a week in Nice. Our visit was unexpectedly extended by a further week as flights were grounded due to the Icelandic volcano eruption. Not the worst place in the world to get stuck!

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