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Villefranche, France (Mediterranean Cruise)

Photo Index:

Villefranche at Dawn

Villefranche Waterfront

Villefranche Terminal

Villefranche Square

Villefranche Pier

Citadel

Musee Volti (Citadel)

Rue Obscure

Cafe (Souris Gourmande)

Dave woke up to the golden dawn light on Villefranche, across the bay from our ship. Great light and a fantastic view -- he was dressed and up on deck in a flash, making the most of a wonderful photo op. They may call this the Cote d'Azur (azure coast), but even if you ignore the enormous wealth gathered here, Golden Coast (Cote d'Or) is equally appropriate (despite being attached to a winemaking region south of Dijon).

Villefranche at Dawn

The town of Villefranche and its neighbors climb the steep, rocky hillsides, with colors right out of a set of artists' pastels. Ochre, umber, white, beige, and occasionally blue walls of stucco or stone, wooden shutters and trim in contrasting hues, terra cotta roofs, dusty green foliage and grey-brown branches, bleached, stony soil, calm, blue-gray waters... all either hidden in drab shade or iridescently scintillating in the golden spotlight. Rocky promontories reach around the small bay, with exclusive Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat due east (and Beaulieu, Cap d'Ail, and Monte Carlo beyond that), the bobbing boats and concentrated settlement of Villefranche to the north at bay's head, and Nice just over the rocky hillside to the west.

Villefranche Waterfront

On the pier in Villefranche
(look at that wonderful light!)

Having planned to split-up in order to cover more territory in our other ports of call, we were anxious to have some time ashore as a family. Of all the ports on our itinerary, Villefranche provided the best opportunity, as most of the shore excursions were half-day affairs. Jennifer and Alexander would head for Nice on a 1:00 pm excursion, and Dave would depart at 1:15 for an afternoon in Monte Carlo. The meeting place for those excursions was dockside (rather than aboard), so we could tender ashore at our leisure, spend several hours to walking around and lunching in Villefranche. Afterwards, we could stroll back to the pier to join our tour groups and board the buses.

After breakfast aboard, we tendered ashore to the small, old, stone wharf that functions as the passenger pier and terminal. All arriving and departing visitors pass through an adjoining, compact terminal building that houses a tourist info desk, clean (free) rest rooms, car rental and tour desks, and small museum exhibits.

Villefranche Terminal

Once outside, the town is just across the street. A charming square filled with alfresco restaurants and cafes stands poised to capture tourists hungry for some real French dining. Also right at hand is the chapel decorated by famed filmmaker/artist Jean Cocteau. Promenade des Marinieres follows the curve of the waterfront around to the right, passing the local hotel and various shops. Over at the eastern end of the street (perhaps a quarter-mile distant) is the local train station, with regular service to all towns along the coast (a somewhat more adventuresome and economical alternative to tour buses).

A charming square

Most streets near the port are pedestrian-only and climb the steep hillside, alternating between stone staircases and cobbled pavement. Some follow arched passageways through buildings. It's all quite enjoyable, and we felt quite safe walking around.

Our first steps on our informal walking tour took us up the hill to the left, to visit the citadel that commands the port. Built in the 16th century, this is a must-visit for the views, charming courtyards, and several free exhibits. The fortifications also house the city hall and other government offices.

The Citadel

Dave, who enjoys museums and galleries far more than Jennifer and Alexander, ducked into the Musee Volti, a gallery occupying space in the garrison. He was rewarded by a small, charming exhibit featuring a bevy of voluptuous nudes -- bronze sculptures and drawings -- in cool, vaulted, rustic brick galleries. The citadel is also home to several colorful gardens -- be sure to seek them out.

Musee Volti

A waterfront promenade follows the base of the cliff below the citadel. If you have a bit of extra time, it's a pleasant diversion. You'll find the entrance to the promenade adjacent to the cruise terminal parking lot.

After departing the citadel we wandered a bit through the streets. Once we were a block or so inland, we saw very few people, but those we encountered were quite friendly (Alexander is a great ice-breaker). While there were no particularly stand-out sights, there was a pleasant park adjacent to the church that provided a nice respite from our meanderings, and Rue Obscure, a romantic, vaulted-over passageway.

Rue Obscure

By then, we needed some sustenance before our afternoon's excursions. Where should we eat? Jennifer had done some research, and had the name of a sandwich shop recommended by European travel guru Rick Steves, about one and a half blocks inland from the bay on a shady pedestrian alley. We walked past to check it out, along with the tapas bar across the way (apparently under common ownership). From there, we strolled a block west to the large square opposite the cruise terminal to check out the cafes and restaurants there. All were offering rather elaborate, full meals, which seemed like too much food and too much money (as much as O21 for a prixe fixe lunch) after our big, shipboard breakfast. We retraced our steps to the sandwich shop, Souris Gourmande (the "Gourmet Moose"), at 1 Place de l'Eglise. Dave ordered a pan bagnat, an old passion of his from his days on the French side of St. Martin (in the Caribbean). Basically, it's a Salade Nicoise on a hard roll -- flaked canned tuna, tomato, onion, black olives, anchovies, green peppers and hard boiled egg, drizzled with olive oil and wine vinegar. Jennifer got a (not particularly memorable) ham sandwich, and Alexander had a large, grilled hot dog served on a crusty baguette (a bit crunchy for a toddler to manage, so he abandoned the bread). All the menu items cost between O3.50 Euro and O6.00 Euro, which doesn't seem bad unless you convert that back to dollars. Regardless, that's about as close to good, cheap eats as you can find in the area.

Souris Gourmande Cafe

After lunch we wandered back to the cruise terminal to catch our tour buses. The crush of people queuing up for the many excursions was fairly chaotic, but the tour guides had us all sorted out and walking to our buses in good time.

Dave's Excursion Report: Photography continues to be a major challenge, thanks to yet another partly-cloudy day. I'm constantly on the lookout for breaks in the clouds that may pour a dramatic shaft of sunlight just where I need it, and I've cursed on more than one occasion when the sunlight disappeared before I could click the shutter.

Cote d'Azur may be about the size of New York's seaside haven for the rich and famous, the Hamptons, but the Hamptons, in comparison, are Neanderthal villages. Cut stone, amazing views, lush gardens, and the rich and famous, everywhere.

I've lost count of the small and long tunnels our buses have passed through during the past two days (here and near Marseille). Here's a new one for me -- we went through a traffic circle (roundabout) inside a tunnel!

My bus headed east along the low road (Lower Corniche) towards Monaco (and Middle Corniche on the way back). This is a ridiculously prosperous, densely-populated strip of land at the base of towering cliffs. One town blends into the next, traffic on the two-lane road creeps along, and suddenly, our guide announces we've entered Monaco. There's construction wherever we look, with medium- and high-rise buildings everywhere. In glowing terms, our guide explains how Prince Albert Grimaldi (son of Grace and Rainier) has encouraged this building boom, which not only rises above the streets, but also bores down deep into the bedrock (you've gotta park somewhere) and extends out on fresh landfill. Our guide was obsessed with the famous Grand Prix de Monaco race (or thought we were), and pointed out every spot where our route coincided.

The view from Lower Corniche road

This is the layer cake that is Monaco, all squeezed into less than one square mile -- built up, built down, elevators up, elevators down, tunnels under, layer after layer. Underground parking garages large enough to swallow tour buses, roofed over by public gardens. Our bus pulled into one such garage and by a combination of escalators and elevators we ascended to the top of Monaco-Ville, a rocky promontory that overlooks the principality, and home to the Grimaldi palace, the large oceanographic museum, various government buildings, lovely parks, and the cathedral that houses the tombs of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier.

A view of Monaco from above

We were escorted as a group through the cathedral to pay our respects, then over to the palace. At that point we were free to gawk, wait around for the changing of the guard, or go souvenir hunting and/or tour the neighborhood, before rejoining the group 20 minutes later near the entrance to the parking garage. Take the time to walk around the outer edge of this compact hilltop, with broad, dizzying vistas in many directions.

Cathedral Interior

Our next stop was farther east, on the other side of the bay -- the famed hill of Monte Carlo and its casino, just another part of the petite Principality of Monaco. Again, our guide couldn't help mention how our route coincided with the Grand Prix race course. Our bus stopped in an improbably risky loading/unloading zone along the Lower Corniche, just before the road entered yet another tunnel. One tour bus after another dropped its load and hightailed it out of there, while a stream of tourists was escorted into yet another subterranean elevator lobby. We emerged several levels higher, in a pleasant park adjacent to the casino and across the street from the Hotel de Paris, a very familiar landmark. Yet another lovely park with many fountains stretches several block uphill from the plaza in front of the casino and hotel. Altogether, it's a picturesque spot.

Opera House across from the Hotel de Paris

While not exactly a casino connoisseur, the Casino Monte-Carlo was certainly unlike any I've been to in Vegas, Tahoe, Atlantic City or the Caribbean. First off, to clarify, this is a casino and opera house (no, we didn't visit the opera house). Built in 1878, it has Belle Epoque wrought iron over the grand entrance, and interior spaces that are as grand and, dare I say it, overdone, as any European building of the era. Inlaid marble floors, onyx columns, intricate ceiling moldings overlaid with gold leaf, murals, sculptures, hand-painted decorative motifs, and ceilings high enough to grace the world's grandest bank all speak of a past that probably (and maybe hopefully) will never return. You must pay O10 admission to gander or gamble, and even in the afternoon be dressed with reasonable grace (long trousers, shirts with collars and sleeves, etc.). When evening falls, even finer attire is appropriate, but on a cruise itinerary you won't be around to need it. To an experienced casino denizen there are many unusual things here. There's actual daylight streaming in through tall windows. The ceilings are probably 30 feet high, whereas modern casinos have low ceilings to facilitate "eye in the sky" video camera surveillance. Only European-style casino games are offered in the main Salon de l'Europe -- European and English Roulette and Trente et Quarante (a card game). American-style games like Blackjack and Craps are relegated to a side room where not one table was in operation. Two other "private" gaming rooms were closed during our visit, places where James Bond might play Chemin de Fer against one villain or another. And all the rooms are incredibly quiet. Why? Slots are housed in yet another side room, behind closed doors. Most casino operators depend on the slot machines' clinking of change, noisy pay-offs, and incessant synthesized tunes to provide an exciting soundtrack for their establishments, but not here. You can go broke in peace! You also won't find servers (provocatively-clad or otherwise) circulating with trays of free drinks. Thirsty? Take a walk over to the very attractive and ornate cafe. In fact, nearly every person on our tour migrated there to await the group's departure -- there certainly were no high rollers among us. I put O5 down on a roulette table, with any winnings to be deposited in Alexander's college fund. Alas, for now he'll have to settle for state college. Spirits sagging, I went in search of some spiritual refreshment, ordered a Kir (white wine with creme de cassis) in proper Mediterranean style, and found a seat at one of the wrought-iron cafe tables. Our tour guide was sipping a mineral water nearby.

Casino Monte-Carlo

From there it was back to the bus and westward along the Corniche Moyenne (Middle Corniche), a far more scenic route than the Lower Corniche, which climbs into the clouds (at least, it did the day we were there) and passes Eze (see Jennifer's report, below), before descending to earth near Villefranche. Distances here are brief -- something like 18 miles separate Monte Carlo and Villefranche. We were soon deposited in a parking lot concealed by the towering, picturesque stone walls of the Citadel of Villefranche. On a hunch, I walked in the opposite direction of everyone else through this man-made canyon, and emerged from the citadel walls to the west of town where I followed the waterfront promenade back east to the cruise terminal. By then, the short ride to the ship on the tender sounded very good, indeed.

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