On Slowing Down

A view from L'Escale du Ciel from the nearby bridge.

The last few weeks I was in France, Jack and I took a road trip around the south, starting in Montpellier and heading through the Côte d’Azur. We also went further north to Annecy with a short stop in Dijon before ending up at Charles de Gaulle. Once we decided where we were going, there was one place I knew we had to stay - L’Escale du Ciel. I had first discovered it in going through one of my favorite bloggers Provence archives a few years ago, and then once I found out I was placed in Provence and reviewed her posts, I came upon this slice of heaven again. I knew we had to stay here.

Jack and Lucy sharing a tender moment - just can't tell Apollo.

Breakfast was made to order every day and it was far beyond the typical continental breakfast.

Luckily, the bed and breakfast was reopening for the season right as we were starting our trip, and we were able to snag a room. It was a 3-night minimum, which I was not honestly used to in traveling - I am so used to going to a new place every night or every two nights. But if COVID has taught us anything, it’s to slow down. And there could have been no better place for me to slow down than L’Escale du Ciel.

Complete with fresh pastries from the local bakery!

Could get used to drinking coffee with these views.

Even though these past eight months in France have been a gradual lesson in slowing down and taking time to relax, enjoy the small things, and smell the roses, traveling is a whole different ball game. I am so used to wanting to see as much as possible and cram my days full of different activities. But with COVID, we’ve learned to move slower - largely due to the fact that it’s definitely safer, from a health standpoint, to not move around as much and as often. So I had to rewire my brain to not feel compelled to fill our days with activities and instead slow down and relax.

Local craft brewery where we got to try a lot of the beer post-curfew, which was really nice and made things feel slightly normal.

Making a vegetarian meal with fresh produce from the market in the stunning kitchen was something I'll never forget.

L’Escale du Ciel is a gorgeous four-bedroom traditional maison d’hôtes located in Le-Bar-sur-Loup, just 35 minutes outside of Nice (and very close to all the classic Côte d’Azur things - Grasse and perfume, Cannes and the stars, and the winding roads and rocky beaches). But Le-Bar-sur-Loup is a very calm and peaceful town on a hillside in the mountains of the maritime Alps. The centre-ville is very classically French, and all of the houses dotted around it have terraced gardens and beautiful pools. The bed and breakfast itself is GORGEOUS - well decorated and equipped, it was a dream to stay in. The owner, who we did not have the chance to meet, is a former interior designer and has impeccable taste both indoors and outdoors.

The infinity pool blending into the mountains - chef's kiss!

Going in spring was perfect timing weather-wise and to see everything in full bloom.

While staying there, we were one of two guests - the other was an attorney taking some much-deserved relaxing time. Our hostess was an incredibly kind and welcoming Spanish woman named Paula who made us a delicious vegan dinner the first night and invited us to her boyfriend’s craft brewery the following night. Because of the nature of L’Escale du Ciel, it’s a very warm and inviting environment, one in which the guests staying there all seemed to coexist and get along well. It felt very different from this culture of meticulously decorated airBnBs to feel just homey enough without feeling like you’re encroaching on someone else’s space. L’Escale du Ciel was a dream, and staying there really helped me slow down and enjoy the little things, like the sound of birds and the smell of the flowers so close to the perfume factories.

Found a great reading nook - and a comfy hammock.

More sunset shots because how can you not?

I have yet to mention the dogs, which for sure added to the wonder of the place. The owner has several Australian shepherd dogs that love to follow you all around the property. They were so friendly and cute (and it helps that we’re huge dog people). The three that were there when we were were Mec, the 14-year-old man of the house, Cookie, the 4-year-old playful girl, and Lucy, the 1-year-old accidental daughter of Mec and Cookie. They loved to play with us and Cookie would often wait outside our door. It made it feel so much more like a home than a hotel or airBnB to have the dogs around, as well as the general environment.

This rounded part of the house was distinctly French/Provençal.

A view of the house from the narrow driveway leading to it - usually the dogs were waiting at the end.

The whole time we were there, probably due in part to the natural beauty around us and the gorgeous decor, I felt supremely at peace and relaxed. I slowed down. I was okay not filling our days with things and not planning our next activity. And I am truly very grateful for that and look forward to bringing it to future trips.

Incredible vegan dinner made by our hostess Paula.

And just beyond is the Mediterranean Ocean.