This week has been busy for me as I organized and cleaned my house in preparation for Thanksgiving guests. My wonderful trip to France in September and the charming hilltop towns immediately came to me as I began to imagine.

I went there in the early autumn while it was still warm. I spent a few days in Nice before venturing out on a few day trips, two of which included stops at hilltop towns that many of you suggested. Wow, what an amazing view you’ll witness on the way there! Ze was my first stop (on the way to Monaco). I came here as part of a small group tour where we just stopped to look around.

Ze was quite endearing, just as so many had predicted. It had a stunning church and, from a botanical garden on top, the most breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s very wonderful to see vines covering centuries-old walls everywhere you turn. I couldn’t help but hum the line, “Little town, its a tranquil village, every day, like the one before,” from Beauty and the Beast.

One advantage of going on this trip alone was that I could take my time and stroll the winding streets, pausing for coffee, popping into shops, ducking into alleys, and stopping to shoot pictures or videos along the route.

I adored the color of the church in Ze, which was somewhat more golden than the color of my house in California.

It was so much fun to stroll the uneven cobblestone streets and scale slopes to the summit to take in the breathtaking vistas.

Similar to St. Paul de Vence, which is situated on top of a hill and has winding cobblestone alleys enclosed by walls. It was bigger, and taking in everything took several hours. The most charming aspect is that these hilltop settlements are like grownup mazes, which makes them a lot of fun to explore because you never know what to find around each new corner.