Day Sixteen

April 16

A whirlwind of a day!

We hit the ground running full steam early this morning. It was a toss up last night as to whether the right decision was to drive ourselves today on our adventures or take the trains.

We opted for driving and wow - drive we did!

We began by white knuckle driving through the narrow streets of Nice, thankfully, before most people arose.

By the time I felt more comfortable behind the wheel, we were already climbing out of the more congested areas - high into the mountaintop village of Eze.

It was so strange to be driving alongside the Mediterranean Sea to our right, surrounded by the crowded beautiful city scapes dotted around the mountainside, mixed in with exotic and tropical vegetation … all while viewing the high mountain tops in the distance - fully covered in snow. It was a little surreal!

Eze did not disappoint! The history of this ancient village dates back to 200 BC as a commune. It is often described as an “eagles nest” as it’s situated 427m (1200ft) high atop the cliffside overlooking the Mediterranean.

Before we left the US, I read about Jardin d'Èze, the majestic exotic garden, home to many rare species of succulents and cacti from Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Americas. (And if you know me… you know my insatiable infatuation with these species. To thrive while being virtually parched - in my opinion… their care so different from other vegetation. I suppose I could write a mini-novel on this alone - but I will spare you of this today!)

We left this beautiful setting just as the crowds and tours began their ascent to this mountaintop village.

Next stop, (next “country”), Monaco. A little history lesson for Leah as we cruised through the border…Monaco is officially known as the Principality of Monaco. It is a sovereign city-state and microstate. Beautifully situated a few km west of Italy, it is bordered by France to the north, east, and west.

Of all the days for an avid tennis player to be visiting Monaco… today was that day! The finals for the Monte-Carlo Masters, Rune vs. Rublev.

Leah was hoping hoping hoping that there might have been just ONE ticket available for her to watch the finals in today.

But… alas… no.

So she “settled” for second best… peeking into the Monaco tennis academy, situated high into the cliffside, by even more exotic gardens. It was the highlight of her day!

We had the opportunity to discover what it’s like to park seven stories UNDERGROUND where “commoners,” like us, are relegated to the lower floors…

Leah enjoyed nibbling on her daily sandwich baguette walking along the Grand Prix motorway, but refused to climb the mountain path with me to see the Prince’s Palace.

Instead, she sat on a stone wall, in the sun, talking to her papa…

She was able to spot the Masters courts as we climbed our way out of Monaco.

We left Monaco on our way to Menton… but by that time, I was wobbly from fatigue, even after a double shot of expresso.

So we paused to glance at the city’s beauty and kept driving east… to the next country of the day, Italy. After crossing customs, we pinned a beach on our GPS close to the border and headed in that direction.

To be fair, it might have been a pleasant place. Today, however, it wasn’t that pleasant for us. The area felt altogether unsafe and a bit foolish for us to spend much time perusing.

We watched a playful pup freeze himself over and over dragging a stick through the frigid sea waters… but the shadier side of town had us up and moving sooner, rather than later.

That’s when the “fun” began… We intended to get gas in Italy so we could reverse our steps back to Nice using the motorways instead of the crowded busy streets. But the gas station had a seedy crowd in some type of uproar… so we skirted that scene in a hurry.

We made it to one of the longest tunnels along the Italian/French boarder and the gas light began flashing.

Closest petrol station - 15km but in Monaco, of all places. We coasted as much as possible, but the roads wind and weave in ways you can only imagine… Up and down, through tunnels, around bends, climbing, coasting… it was the longest 15km of our lives.

Leah was a champ. I could not take my eyes off the roads for one second. I was laser focused on signs, crosswalks, and speed limits while the weight of running out of gas loomed like a ton of bricks over our heads.

I kept saying, “Leah, are you sure you’re right? There is nothing closer? You’re right, right?”

Over and over I repeated myself to her. Steady as ever, she just replied, “No, mom… this is the only one open. The closest one. You have to trust me.”

Everything in me wanted to stop the car and check for myself. Read the map, look for other options, take control… but I couldn’t. There was no stopping, no pull-off, no way ‘round trusting my trust-worthy navigator.

To finish us off, the last stretch went through three back-to-back LONG tunnels weaving way underground.

We coasted into the petrol station on fumes and a bit shook for the experience. Both of us sighed a breath of relief, while Monaco took an exorbitant fee for petrol!

We had the privilege of zigzagging, back through the crowded and wild streets of Monaco instead of using the motorway.

But we had fuel and we were together …

We finished our day, stopping for a moment at the Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice - a stunning Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Today is Russian Orthodox Easter. It was a privilege to spend a moment pausing and remembering the great and precious gift of our salvation.

We spotted a huge white rabbit running loose through the grounds while little kids scurried after him in their Easter outfits, calling out to him in Russian…

We made it back to the hotel here in Nice with the best trophy of the day - a rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes from one of the only stores still open as we coasted through town.

It was, indeed, a day to remember.

I could not have been more proud of Leah’s fierce, determined spirit navigating us through the busy streets of Monaco searching for petrol.

I was forced to trust and let her guide… and she did.

I was reminded of how often I want to grab the map of my own life from the hands of my competent Shepherd and Guide… wanting to control my path.

Wanting to give input and direction…

All through Scripture, God assures us over and over - His ways aren’t our ways. His paths are higher than ours.

He sees.
He knows.
He loves.

I was reminded afresh to trust His voice navigating me. To grip the wheel of my life with everything I have - and let His wise sovereignty guide.

It is then we find true beauty. True peace. True freedom.