A Book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig is a probing philosophical essay wrapped up neatly in a story about a father and son travelling across America by motorbike. This book will resonate in your mind long after the final pages have been read and the questions it raises come back time and time again in day to day life. 

Although it’s quite a heavy read, there’s no doubt that it merits any difficulty it may pose to the reader. Now regarded as a modern classic, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has been around for more than forty years and is loved by readers of all ages for its varying metaphors and advice. The pages transport you into another time which can be complemented by the silence and tranquility of Eze.  

A Nook: High up above Monaco and Nice lies the medieval town of Eze. This is the perfect location to wander around with your head filled with stories of a time long since passed. Narrow cobbled streets lined with small galleries, jewellery stores and quaint little cafés, lead you up to the botanical gardens.

Here is the perfect location to sit and read your book and feel, quite literally, on top of the world. The view is spectacular; yachts sail the Mediterranean like figurines from a game of battleship and airplanes fly through the sky like tiny birds. The peninsula of Cap Ferrat is visible and even Cannes and Antibes can be seen on a clear day.

I love to read here because I feel transported into a different sphere of thought. Up among the clouds in Eze, time stands still and you can slip seamlessly into the pages of your novel.

A Cup: Although there are a number of restaurants and cafés in Eze to choose from, I would recommend bringing a flask of hot chocolate or iced tea in the summertime instead. My reasoning for this is quite simple: there are no cafés up high in the botanical gardens so you can’t enjoy the view properly if you leave to get a drink somewhere.

Find a nice spot on the stone benches and curl up with your flask, your book and an awe-inspiring view of the French Riviera.  

If you’re craving a hot drink and have forgotten your flask, you can get a takeaway coffee or tea at Mets Vins Chics at the bottom of the hill before you climb up to Eze.