travelogue: villfranche-sur-mer, france

i truly loved the south of france.  the radiant sun, the mediterranean food, the warm water... it fit me perfectly.  villefranche-sur-mer wasn't ever on our radar as a place to visit.  in my book, the new york times: 36 hours, 125 weekends, it was mentioned as a day trip if visiting nice but a small town with a beautiful beach was exactly what we wanted so we chose to stay there for the last leg of our trip.

we stayed at la fiancee du pirate overlooking the villefranche-sur-mer bay.  the view is lovely. the hotel is charming and staff friendly. neither stefan or i realized that the hotel came with a pool, so the the pool was a definite bonus.  it was a great spot to lounge and play at the end of our days, before dinner.

that smile. so happy.

the hotel is located on the top of the hillside so getting to the old town meant a daily walk down a steep hill including narrow roads and staircases.  it was a beautiful morning routine.  the climb back up the steep hill was not so lovely in hot weather or late at night so we often took the bus shuttle by day and a taxi by night. 

in town, we would wander around admiring the quaint alleys and views.  we walked along the quay.  and had dessert often while we were at it!  i definitely gained a few pounds on this trip after eating about 39 beignets before and after dinners.  but, it was worth it.  

                

beignets!

the plage des marinieres is a long sandy beach.  no shade to be had but with the mediterranean right there, it was easy enough to cool off and enjoy the day.  it's a great place to snorkel too.  and what a sight to see all the houses covering the hillside. pretty picturesque.

 

it's not everyday you get to wander an imposing fortress, la citadel, built in 1557.  it has great views of the harbour and town.  and houses four museums.  i loved the sculpture exhibit at the volti museum, a huge collection of bronze, copper, and terracotta female figures whose voluptuous curves are set against the rough stone walls.  

a favorite moment was coming upon musicians jamming away on their brass instruments. because stefan had been curious about it, after dinner one night, we walked up to the fort du mont alban at the very top of the hill.  as we neared the top, we could hear lovely french music being played.  and then, we saw them.  how lucky to come upon an impromptu performance.  it made for a beautiful evening.

we visited eze, a small medieval village nearby perched on a cliff 1400 feet over the mediterranean.  the jardin exotique, with its cactus that have the cote d'azur as their backdrop, was wonderful.  rose bushes and bougainvillea climb the beautiful stonewalls.  the scent of jasmine in the air.  prince william of sweden had a residence in eza too!  you can just imagine what life was like, donkeys climbing the streets carrying bushels of citrus fruit.  

while strolling the narrow roads we came upon a quaint outdoor cafe serving delicious coffee and perfect croissants (stefan says they are just as good as the ones from beaucoup).  so funny, when stefan asked for butter for his croissants (yes, plural!) the baker told him that there was plenty of butter already in the croissants :)  the couple who own this little cafe also make their own oil which stefan sampled.  he brought some home too whereas i brought home a new dress.

we met a friendly family from ireland, whom we had a lovely evening with one night.  they told us about beaulieu-sur-mer and so off we went there the very next day, our last day.  kai loved the floating dock from which to dive.  the water seemed calmer here and kai spent most of the day in it.  stefan and i marvel at how well he is able to enjoy himself, happy with his imagination.  and i often join in too, it's too special not to do so.  

 

i enjoyed time with my boys.  taking it easy.  lounging on a beach.  afternoon naps.  drinking rose.  marveling at the quiet views.  a trip to remember, that's for sure.

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