05 August 2008

A Monte Carlo Summer - Le Mas Provençal

The medieval village of Eze is on the Moyenne Corniche and very near to Monaco. Climb the village to the cactus gardens and you'll find views to die for. You'll find galleries and workshops galore as you climb the steep cobbled streets. Eze is known for its little art shops.

At the foot of the village you find the Fragonard perfume factory (which also operates in Grasse) and just along from there, you'll find what is probably the prettiest restaurant on the Côte d'Azur - it's called Le Mas Provençal and is decorated with thousands of fresh tropical flowers. Specialities are milk-fed suckling pig, roast lamb - and also a great risotto served in a hollowed out parmesan cheese. It's not cheap tho. I've eaten there a couple times in the past. Yesterday, it was closed for lunch, but I peered in through the wrought-iron gates to take these photos.

Later, walking back to my car, I passed Jude Law getting out of his - waiting for a lady to get out her side. I didn't like to invade his privacy and ask for a photo - perhaps I'm too English! - would you have done so? He's too gorgeous...sigh...

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Eze Village was propably one of most beautiful places when we visited French Riviera. Clearly I remember panoramic view over the Mediterranean and along the coast.

I didn't like Fragonard, simply because of the smell. My girlfriend bought some parfumes tho.

I would have done the same with Jude Law. Maybe we Finns are also too polite(or shy) to do something like that??

Oh how I miss to get there...

Hilda said...

Oh my goodness, how could you have resisted?! Sigh, but I fully understand — I'd have been too shy to ask too.

Eze sounds like a wonderful village, and the restaurant is beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Who is Jude Law?

I live in Brookville and never heard of this person.

Abraham Lincoln
—Brookville, Ohio

Sally said...

**Sigh** another wonderful place to have to put on the "next time" list!!!

Who is Jude Law's partner these days I wondered? So I googled, of course. Well, he's supposedly just broken up with Sienna Miller, so the question is WHO WAS SHE????

PS I am famous for never ecognising anyone famous, so far from getting a photo would have walked on by oblivious!

crittoria said...

I guess from your comment, that he's as yummy in person as he is on the screen...you're so lucky...I wouldn't have taken a photo either...celebrities get bothered enough and I would want to respect his privacy...

This restaurant looks unbelievable! So many flowers!! Just beautiful....

Sharon said...

I'm with you. I wouldn't have bothered him either. But, I would have enjoyed a quick look at such a beautiful man.

Virginia said...

My daughter and her husband went to Eze on their honeymoon. She said it was just beautiful. Your photo today proves it. Will we be treated to more photos?

Jilly said...

Virginia, I will do a series on Eze village - but in the future. I want to go back and get more photos. Some were OK, some not. Also rather too many people about yesterday. Mind you, Eze is a touristy village.

Coltrane_lives said...

Abe, good one... "Who is Jude Law?" I can't comment on Jude's beauty but will say that this restaurant is a slice of heaven. Delightful!

Laurie Allee said...

NOw you've got me dreaming about that risotto in a carved-out parmasan cheese.... mmmmmmm....

This is such wonderful image. I wouldn't have taken Jude Law's picture, either. But then again, here in the greater Los Angeles area, we see famous people all the time. (And often the trailing paparazzi.) I've never seen Jude Law in person,though! I also wonder who his new girlfriend is.

• Eliane • said...

Nah, I woudn't have either.

Eze is such a gorgeous place!!

USelaine said...

Beautiful, beautiful colors. It could even be over the top, but I'll bet the table presentation is just right.

Now, to the Big Question. It would depend on how long he was aware of my presence, if at all (more like), and the expression he wore (sigh), and if my camera were already clearly visible (I seem to carry mine around in my hand because of the blog), what sort of energy and confidence I had myself at that moment, and how secluded, or not, the spot was. If everything was a green light on that, I might muster a hello. If he actually extended himself first...! Nah, I'd have clammed up. Oh, well. And Laurie's right, celebrities run pretty thick on the ground in some California places.

To be fair, I'd never heard of Hannah Montana until Abraham wore her wig.

Anonymous said...

Judes parents live in the South of France I believe - He's often around these parts when he's not in London.

Rob said...

Wonderful! Beautiful photo! I have seen a vidoe of this village from the Travel Channel by Samantha Brown's show, Passport to Europe.

Picture perfect photo; no, I would not have photographed Jude Law. i'd spend more time viewing this pretty scene that you captured.

Anonymous said...

i ate in that wonderful resturant with my husband a few years back. the view from eze is beyond breathtaking. the view of jude law is as breathtaking. i've seen him person. i would have just gone over to say hello and told him how much i loved his performances. brief and to the point.
aside to abraham lincoln. if you've never seen jude law you are missing a beautiful sight.

Unknown said...

I'm afraid I would have asked. From a distance so that he could shake his head if that's the case. But yes. LOL. ;)

Anonymous said...

I think I would love to visit this spot Jilly. I can manage the climb - my back is much, much better these days. We could go to Le Mas P for lunch on a day when it's open. Roast lamb is on our menu for dinner later tonight - with roasted potatoes, pumkin, parsnip and carrot and fresh green French beans, and gravy of course! Yum.
My computer has been "off air" for a couple of days. Hopefully M.B will fix the problem today. He bought a new modem but has to install it.

Anonymous said...

this pic is so breathtakingly beautiful. it's hard to imagine anyone could have managed to make it look anymore beautiful.

Ann (MobayDP) said...

I guess we take after the English, but Jamaicans aren't fanatics about movie stars either. So no I probably wouldn't have asked him for a photo. I probably would have stolen one of him when he wasn't looking though! LOL. :-)

Those flowers are breathtaking. It's such a lovely setting for a wonderful meal.

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