vence from a digital nomad's slouched desk chair
if you’ve ever wondered how to blend cobblestone streets with a view of the french alps, vence might be your happy accident. i’m typing this from a café with a cracked wifi signal and 95% of the view obscured by my nose because let’s be real, you’re not seeing the vineyards all day. the weather here is doing that weird thing where it’s 10.36°C exactly, feels like 8.78 if you’re into that sort of chillness. last time i checked, the humidity was 51% and #naturewaswinning. honestly, sometimes i think the clouds just hover here to forget their own names.
some people say vence is a tourist trap. they’re technically right, but the locals here act like it’s a secret. i overheard a barista mutter about how the ‘1792285496’ street numbers are cursed-apparently, every odd one’s a bad luck charm from the 18th century. whether that’s true or just a way to scare off kids tossing coins over fountains, he said it with enough conviction to make me toss a euro into a hedge instead of the obvious.
the village square? it’s the kind of place where old men shuffle chess pieces big enough to feed small families. i’m not sure if they’re playing or just interrupting tourists. neighbors are either cyclists in neon vests doing loops around the perimeter or feral squirrels stealing your crème brûlée. speaking of: if you wanna escape, there’s nice or monaco a short ferry ride away.
my gear? a laptop that rebooted twice in the trash, a reusable coffee cup with existential dread written on the side, and a jacket that’s 40% wool, 40% regret, 20% zipper. pro-tip: if you’re a digital nomad and see someone wearing a visor indoors, they’re either a) local, b) lost, or c) plotting something. also, the www.vence-tourisme.fr site is basically the official club for people who like #scenicdrives. tried it, got metaphorically lost.
turns out parking here is a choose-your-own-adventure novel. someone warned me about the ‘zone bleue’ parking meter scam-it’s a trap. after 20 minutes, they charge you like you’re renting a castle. next time i’ll park in the old man’s lemon scooter zone. he said it’s better than paying the man.
the map below shows where i got lost finding this café. click the pin labeled ‘plan your escape’-it’s basically a lifeline.
ext time i’m here, i’m renting a mini-van just to carry my 2 kilos of reputation.
photos: one of those untouched landscapes where the grass looks sadder than you do after a missed flight. (unsplash.gallery)