Just a few minutes by train from our place in Eze~bord~du~Mer is a magical little pocket of Belle Epoque villas filled with history, glamour and charm and surrounded by the exotic wildness of the Mediterranean Sea, flora and fauna.

While much of the historic architecture along the Côte~d’Azur has suffered from renovations and replacements over the years, the grand homes of the Belle Epoque era have been graciously preserved in Cap d’ail.

A walk through this quiet neighborhood will give you some glimpses of the grandeur.

But the best way to really enjoy the unique blend of ruggedness and refinement that Cap d’ail has to offer is to promenade the well groomed trail that winds along the sea.

Year round, it’s always a wild and wonderful experience.

The trail has been signed with information about the native botany, marine life and significant history of some of the mansions along the way such as Villa Le Roche…..

“Majestically positioned on the point, with large bays and balconies, surrounded by cypress trees and exotic plants. An important wall raises {lifts, supports} it. Property of Prince JL de Faucigni-Lucinge in 1950, it was the residence of Mr. Shlee. The villa was frequented by the Swedish actress Greta Garbo.” Here they refer to a door in the {important} retaining wall that permitted residents to take a private staircase from the garden out to the sea.

For more information on this and other significant villas along the trail click on Le Heritage Cap d’Aillois.

Even if you don’t happen to be staying at Villa Le Roche, you will find plenty of inviting stairways built into the rugged rockery that you can use to plunge into the blue waters of the Med.

For a peek inside one of these elegant mansions visit Villa les Camelias where you can find a detailed display of the history and culture of early day Cap d’ail

and also to take in the rich culture of another special section of Europe, that of Basque Country.

The upper floors of Villa les Camelias hold a remarkable display from artist Ramiro Arrue

who said of his homeland, which inspired much of his art,… “to return to the Basque Country, here are the reasons which, I believe, have kept me there: the affection I feel for all that belongs to it, its nature, its life, its customs, its music, its songs . The character of men and the rustic grace of the girls in their noble and primal simplicity, their attitudes and personalities, the calm force of sailors and pelotaris, the suppleness of the dancers and the archaism of the workers of the earth”.

I love the brush strokes and moody white background of this piece.

In the quote above he refers to the “pelotaris”, these are the players of the court game Pelota, which is still very popular in the Basque region and some other Latin countries. He created early posters for the Fédéderation Française de Pelote Basque. Here is one of his sketches

and the actual poster.

After touring the exhibits inside, you can enjoy the lush, native gardens that surround the villa.

Oh, and after your tour maybe enjoy a bite to eat at one of the former fishing cabins, turned fabulous restaurants: La Pinede (the pine forest), or, up the path a ways and beautifully situated on a scenic point, the richly authentic Le Cabanon {the shack}.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of Cap d’ail, stay tuned for more splendid spots from the south of France.