Get Away From The Grind On Grinda

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Schwingen In Switzerland

Grinda is a smaller, traffic-free island in Stockholm’s archipelago (a little over an hour from Stockholm). We got there by taking a ferry from Vauxholm. At just over a mile long, it’s not huge but that’s part of the attraction. It’s small enough to be car free. I love cities, but some of the most relaxing trips we’ve had have been to car-free destinations (Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Megeve, Les Baux de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, Vence, St. Paul-de-Vence, Eze, Les Baux de Provence, Courmayeur, Avignon, Gimmelwald, Gruyeres). I don’t know whether it is the lack of noise so you can hear the birds or just being able to walk in peace, but somehow without cars stress seems to melt away. It’s idyllic.

The tomography reminded me of Maine‘s coast. Like Maine, there’s plenty of wilderness. Grinda has nature reserve.

Although there are several gorgeous swimming beaches, we rented a sauna. When we started to melt, we jumped off the dock out front into the Baltic Sea (Östersjön in Swedish). I was expecting it to be salty like the Atlantic Ocean; it wasn’t. The Baltic is brackish and not very salty. It’s not warm either, but that’s no surprise. We listened to the waves lap against the coastline. It made for a wonderfully relaxing and peaceful afternoon.

The trip there takes just over an hour from Stockholm on the Cinderella boats. If you happen to go, the welcome center/commerce cabin (near the ferry dock) rents rooms at the hostel, cabins, campsites, saunas, kayaks and fun thinks like lawn games and kites. Since Sweden would probably cease functioning without coffee, they also have it there.

Grinda has a general store that sells the necessities, candy and fancy homemade baked goods. Come to think of it, those are actually necessities on vacation. There’s a harbor side restaurant with a deck near the marina.

It’s hard to tell from the picture below, but the tables were crowded. The food and drink there was surprisingly cosmopolitan.

Walking around the island, we saw sheep and cows. They went to town on the grass and didn’t seem to care that you could get fancy cocktails and smoked salmon just up the road.

Serene, rustic and uber-chill, this is a place where you can’t help but relax. My only regret is that we didn’t stay the night. I’m sure the stars there are amazing.

Not Venice, Vence

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

Three kilometers up the road from St. Paul-de-Vence, through the hills northwest of Nice, past cypress and olive trees there is another beautiful, town perched on a summit. Vence is a bit larger (and a bit more relaxed). Although we didn’t do any shopping, its shops and art galleries are more affordable. Locals (not only busloads of tourists) actually eat at its cafés.

Vence looks like an old medieval walled town, but underneath its ramparts it is really a Roman one. A section of the old Roman road cuts through the center of town. The road, the Rue des Portiques ran right next to our hotel. I couldn’t believe that nearby stones dated from the 2nd century. Its cathedral, the Eglise de la Conversion de Saint Paul, is built on the site of a Roman temple dedicated to the god Mars.

We checked into our hotel and were astounded to learn our hotel room had a rooftop terrace. This was our view! I went crazy snapping pictures up there. We explored the medieval streets, patinaed squares and admired the Provençal architecture.

In Place du Peyra, the urn-shaped Vieille Fontaine is often photographed. I liked how the mineral content and source of the water was mounted in the ancient city wall. It tasted pretty good too.

After spending the last two days avoiding the crowds in Cannes, Antibes, Villefranche, Nice, Eze and St. Paul-de-Vence, it was a treat to sit a cafe and eat at a restaurant with locals. The “local” below became really friendly once our snacks were delivered. Believe or not, the puffs were actually peanut butter flavored! In France! We couldn’t believe it. It was so nice having a dog around that we got permission to give him a bit of cheese. He even did a couple of tricks for us.

Vence’s only disappointment was that the Matisse Chapel (Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence) was closed. If you want to visit, be sure to check the opening hours. The nuns who run it have better things to do than cater to sweaty tourists like us.

Take It Eze-y, The Cote D’Azur Town Of Eze (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
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We Took The High Road – La Grande Corniche (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
Everyone Loves St.-Paul-de-Vence (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

Everyone Loves St.-Paul-de-Vence

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

St.-Paul-de-Vence has been discovered. Around 2.5 million people visit the tiny, 16th century medieval hilltop village each year. It is filled with art galleries, boutiques and cafes. The picturesque walk along the Rue Grande (aka Main Street) from Vence Gate to the Nice Gate, is way more beautiful and much more enjoyable than any shopping mall. Tourists love to photograph magnificent old medieval and baroque facades for good reason. It is beautiful. Scenic and charming, it is hard to take a bad picture here (unless other tourists photo-bomb you).

We found ourselves ducking into side streets and back alleys to avoid the hoards of tour bus passengers and students on field trips gushing down the streets like a lava stream. St.-Paul-de-Vence is quaint and its backstreets are enchanting. These who only shop the main drag are missing out.

I loved the potted plants outside doors, vine-covered stone walls, weathered squares, trickling fountains, narrow alleys, statues tucked into nooks, wrought iron gates, intricate door knockers and delicately worked wrought-iron shop signs . It seemed as though there were adorable details everywhere I looked. For example, the sidewalk stones are laid in patterns. I’m just lucky to keep my floor relatively clean, forget about tiling flowers into it.

St.-Paul-de-Vence is built on a natural defensible spot, a rock outcropping in the Alps Maritimes on the Cote d’Azur. French king Francis 1st made it a stronghold and ordered the construction of massive defensive walls. Good call Frankie. I wouldn’t want to lose this town to the enemy either. Paul’s medieval fortress walls surround the town and are some of the most intact in the region. We walked the perimeter taking in the breathtaking views of mountains and sea.

Yep. That’s the Mediterranean in the distance

The cemetery is just outside the city walls on the Mediterranean side. The painter, Mark Chagall, is buried in the Saint Paul-de-Vence cemetery. His simple white tomb has small stones on top. They are added by visitors as tributes pursuant to both Russian and Jewish tradition.

In case you were wondering, St.-Paul-de-Vence is also known as St. Paul. Since there are a lot of other towns named St. Paul in France, it is typically referred to as the one by Vence.