Day 28-29: Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer

We continued along the corniches of the French Riviera from Cannes to Nice. Nice is nice (sorry, I have been waiting a month to write that!) Nice is like Cannes on steroids--everything is bigger and there is more of it: beach, shops, cars, money. With the possible exception of parking. There may be less parking in Nice than in Cannes. Very frustrating when trying to park to go to the beach!

So we drove on through Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer, but not before capturing a photo of possibly the most widely known landmark in Nice--the Hotel Negresco. 

We decided to stay in Villefranche at the recommendation of friends Richard and Debra, who had anchored their boat there several years ago and really enjoyed it.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a mere 4 km around the point from Nice, but it feels like it is hundreds of kilometers and decades removed from Nice. It is a small former fishing village that has everything we dreamed the French Riviera would be--but without the hustle and status of St. Tropez, Cannes, and Nice. It is sunny, small, friendly, romantic, charming, with a beautiful little harbor full of lazy looking sailboats and a bright sand beach at one end of the harbor.

We were charmed just driving into Villefranche. You descend from the middle corniche all the way to the waterfront, which looks like something out of a 19th century painting--except for the modern cars.

 

We stayed at the Hotel Welcome right across the street from the waterfront. This charming little hotel has welcomed many famous people over the years, including Winston Churchill and assorted movie stars. The rooms have all been upgraded, and the hotel staff was most helpful and accommodating.

The view from our balcony was a post card of the Mediterranean.

And the beach was only 5 minutes away by foot. No parking required! We toured the old citadel near Hotel Welcome and then settled in for dinner at La Mere Germaine with tables on the waterfront.

There is something inherently romantic about toasting the start of dinner with white wine while sitting on an ancient stone pier with the sound of the Mediterranean lapping a few steps below and the setting sun casting everything in a warm glow.

For starters, Tim had oysters gratinee with spinach in a champagne sauce. We are convinced these are the original "Oysters Rockefeller" and that at some point, one of the famous visitors to Hotel Welcome must have been a Rockefeller who shamelessly stole the recipe! My starter was equally delicious--Rock Fish Soup with croutons, spicy paprika mayonnaise and freshly ground parmesan. An outstanding taste combination.

My main course was gambas (prawns) with chorizo chips and cheesy risotto.

Tim had the baby lobster in garlic mashed potatoes.

And for dessert--cognac at Beluga bar just down the street. This place is furnished with old elaborate pieces that look as if they were owned by movie stars in the 30's and 40's. We ended the day thinking that Villefranche may be the best stop yet on our tour of France. Thanks, Richard and Debra!