Category Archives: Iconic places

Iconic places

Iconic places: Col d’Eze

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View of Eze village and coastline from Col d'Eze (image courtesy of Eze Tourist Office)

View of Eze village and coastline from Col d'Eze (image courtesy of Eze Tourist Office)

Col d’Eze looks down on Nice and Monaco from a height of just over 500 metres. It’s close to La Turbie and overlooks the walled village of Eze. It’s a popular destination for both cyclists and ramblers and will be a hive of activity tomorrow (Sunday) as it hosts the finale of Paris-Nice. Which, with a nod to its past, has this year reintroduced the final 9.6km time trial up its slopes.

The Col figures highly in my own cycling history as it was the first real hill I ever climbed and I did so during Paris-Nice 2008. Continue reading →

Iconic places

Iconic places: Mont Faron

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Mont Faron (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Mont Faron, a limestone peak 584 metres high, overlooks the city of Toulon (the 15th largest city in France, situated between Marseille and Nice) and its major naval port from the north. From the city, a cable car provides access to the flattish Faron summit which houses a memorial to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence (Operation Dragoon Anvil) and a zoo specialising in breeding big cats.

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