Villefranche-sur-mer 2023 - 1 Constants

 Dear Friends,

We have been in Villefranche since December 29, 2022, and this is the first post I have made this trip.  We first came to Villefranche in January 2014.  In that time, we have seen many changes and many things that remain the same.  When we are here, it is more like we live here than like we are visiting here.  Nevertheless we have new adventures, and we see things change.

Early in January we visited the town of Saint Agnès for the first time.  It claims, "Le village du littoral le plus haut d'Europe."  (the highest costal village in Europe)  Given the number of switchbacks we did to get there, I am not going to argue with their claim.  It is a beautiful little town with spectacular views.  Even if I were Ansel Adams, I'm not sure I could do them justice.  Here are a few.

One thing that has not changed is that there are storms in the winter.  A storm over the Mediterranean can result in large seas in the Villefranche harbor.  The harbor is well protected from three directions but opens up straight south so seas have the full fetch from Africa to build.  The seas build over a several day period allowing for beautiful sunny days but with high seas.  Of course, that brings the surfers out in force.  There is really only one small area of the harbor that is good for surfing and it, ends in rock cliffs so the surfers have to bail before they get to shore.  Here is a picture of beach as the sun is rising and the swells are growing.

Here is a picture from the same vantage point a couple of weeks later.  Notice that a lot of sand on the beach was pushed up to the wall particularly on the right side of the picture.  In actuality, the sand was pushed over the wall and covered the road several inches deep.  So in Villefranche they have to shovel sand instead of snow.

The surfers came out to test their skills and they had some good waves.

This is the area they are surfing in on a day without swells.  Notice the rock cliffs at the end of the run.

The storms do more than move the sand and rocks on the beach around.  They can wreak havoc with the boats anchored in the harbor.  In recent years, the town has been trying to clean up the harbor.  First, they decided that they would put in mooring buoys so that there would not be so many anchors damaging the sea floor.  Now they are making an effort to clean up the sea bed by getting rid of some of the more recent ship wrecks.  For several days, they brought in a barge with a large truck crane on it.

They would move the barge near to the yellow buoy marking the wreck.

Once they are near the spot of the wreck, they deploy the crane.

They also deploy a diver to connect the crane to the wreck.

Then they would hoist the wreck up.

And place it on the barge and repeat.

Another thing that happens when the swells get big, is that the beautiful lights around the bay short out.  Here is a photo of a full moon and the lights last October from our balcony.  

We have really missed the lights for the last couple of weeks.  Fortunately, today the crew came out to fix them.  So we are looking forward to seeing them again tonight.

While the local fishing fleet has dropped from about 30 families to just one or two, we can watch the fishermen doing their work from our balcony.  We also get to eat some of their catch in the local restaurants. Here the fisherman is putting his nets out.  He starts by dropping a buoy and then makes a really big circle with his net and returns to the buoy.

Then he comes back at night to take in his net with the catch.

Another constant of our time here is that we can always find new wonderful places to eat.  Yesterday, we went to Nice to run a couple of errands, after which we just roamed around the old town.  For some reason there were very few people even for a weekday in the winter.  Just around lunch time we came across a restaurant that we had heard about but had never eaten at.  Needless to say, we went in.  We were the only customers for the whole lunch.  The rest of the world didn't know what they were missing.  The name of the restaurant is Oliviera, and it also sells olive oils.  

The proprietor who was also the chef, waiter and sales person made us feel like we were guests in his home.  He spoke perfect English, but when we spoke some French, he immediately asked us which language we would prefer.  We said French because we love every chance we get to practice.  

He has a small menu.

We started by splitting the Aubergine Oliviera (Roasted eggplant with roasted red peppers).

We then split the Lasagne Butternut (Lasagne with butternut squash, spinach, cranberries, cheese).

Both of them were absolutely delicious.  We enjoyed a couple of glasses of red wine.  The proprietor also spent a lot of time talking with us and teaching us about all the olive oil he carries and ships around the world.  As we were finishing our lunch, he started to cook a rabbit stew for some customers that were coming the next day.  When we showed an interest, we got a wonderful lesson on how to cook a stew.  

All in all the perfect finish to a trip to Nice for a couple of errands.

Thanks for reading and please comment,

The Unabashed Liberal

Villefranche-sur-mer Fall 2022 - 2 The Saturday Market

 Dear Friends,

Today was the last Saturday market for us for this stay.  We go to this market each Saturday to provision for the week ahead and to enjoy the ambience.  There are stands that sell fresh vegetables, cheeses, charcuterie, flowers, paella, roasted chickens, olive oil, tapenades of all sorts, flowers, clothes, jewelry, etc.   We are so used to going there that we forget to take pictures, so you will have to be content with the "after" pictures.  

In addition to the market itself, we take the opportunity to stock up on other necessities.  By the time we are done, we are laden down with supplies.  Fortunately, the market is at the l'Octroi level so we walk uphill to get there and then it is all downhill once we are loaded down.

Upon arrival at our apartment, I look like this.

The wine and milk are in the backpack, the fresh meat is in the small bag in front, the TP and fragile vegetables are in the maroon bag in front and everything else is in the white sack on the side.  Once inside the door, it is only 36 stairs to get to our apartment.  

I should be as strong as a mule and have calves like watermelons.  Here are photos of the goods from each of our stops.  The first stop was for fresh vegetables.

All that for just about 12 euros, and she threw in a little parsley to add taste and color to our meals.

Our next stop was the charcutier/fromager.  Today we just bought some ham because we bought way too much cheese last week.  We can't help ourselves because it all looks so good.

It is just sliced ham, but it is really good, and it comes with a big smile and an attempt to sell us multiple other things.  We have learned (sort of) not to fall for buying more than we need.  

Those were the only two stops at the market today.  Normally we would have bought a few roses or other cut flowers, but we forgot.

We went to the "Petit Casino" which is a chain of grocery stores.  There are two in Villefranche, both of which are quite small, but that is where we get necessities such as everyday wine, milk, eggs, TP, creme fraîche, etc.  Here are the results of this trip.

The white wine is one we often buy, but the red wine is a new one for us.  The name "La Chasse" means the hunt.  Unfortunately, it is also a word used to say flush the toilet - tirer la chasse.  In this case we hope it is referring to the hunt.

There is a wonderful artisan, organic baker who is open only on certain days, including market days.  He doesn't have baguettes, but he has many other wonderful bakery items.  His loaves of bread are too big for us to use up before they go bad.  He kindly cuts the loaf in two so that we have just what we need.

He told us the secret to keeping his bread fresh for several days.  You keep it in the brown bag he gives you, wrap it in a dish towel and keep it in the refrigerator.  While the crust gets quite hard after 4 days, the inside is still very good.

Next stop is Picard Surgeles.  It is an amazing chain of frozen food stores.  Everything that we have had from this store is great even though it is frozen.  We still prefer fresh, but we always need ice cream and frozen berries for breakfast.  Today we threw in a frozen provençal vegetable casserole.

We wish that Picard would expand to the US.

Our last stop today was the butcher.  He is closed Sunday afternoon and Mondays so we try to buy a couple of dinners from him on Saturday.  We like him and his meats, but we also often walk to Beaulieu (2 miles each way) to go to Les Halles a wonderful butcher there.  Today we got chicken breasts and a big pork chop.

We have a gas grill on our balcony, so we will grill these.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

We love to eat out, but with produce and meats like these, staying home for dinner is really enjoyable.  Oh and in case you are wondering what we will do for the rest of the day.  Well, I will spend some time sitting on the balcony reading.

 Then we will take a walk on the beach and a swim in the ocean.  The high today is mid-70s, full sun and a slight breeze.

This is the view of the beach from our balcony.

Thanks for reading and please comment,

The Unabashed Liberal

Villefranche-sur-mer Fall 2022 - 1 Changes

 Dear Friends,

I can't believe we have been here for a week already.  After having been gone for seven months, we immediately felt at home in Villefranche again.  

There have been some changes.  Most of which are not for the better.  Our favorite boulangerie, Chez Marie Claire, has closed because Marie Claire has retired.  Unfortunately, we were not able to say goodbye.  Our wonderful memories of her creations and her personality will remain.  According to a small sign in the window as well as local gossip, a new boulangerie is coming that is not a chain.  This is very good news, if and when it happens.  

Another to retire is the local optician who was really great, both professionally and personally.  We got a chance to see him as he is still working with his replacement who also seems really nice and professional. 

Villefranche decided to upgrade the boats in its harbor which in my opinion has caused the harbor to lose some of its romance and charm.  Now there are fewer boats and close in the harbor they are all moored in a line.  Here are before and after pictures.

 Before

Today

Perhaps I am just showing how spoiled we are.

On the bright side, there is a new coffee shop, boulangerie, wine bar and deli just down the street that our apartment is on.  We have only tried the croissants and pain au chocolat both of which were great.  We will go there more to check out all they have to offer.  

Plus you never know when you will see something new.  Here is a spear fisher person going after octopus in the rocks along the shore just below our apartment.  You probably can't tell but those white things at his waist are several octopi that he has speared.

Of course a lot has stayed the same, so that our love for this place continues.

The full moons over the harbor as seen from our apartment.

Fortunately, it still rains occasionally just to break up the days on end of 60° lows, 75° highs and sunny or mostly sunny.  We take those days in stride.

Then there is the joy of having a wonderful meal outside.  Our favorite restaurant where we go the first and last nights that we are here as well as several times in between, is Le Serre,  It is a restaurant where the staff is fantastic, the ambience is local casual, the food is authentic, ranging from pizzas to starters and main courses of the day which are great.  We are so used to being there for wonderful dinners that we keep forgetting to take pictures.

The range of restaurants that we have enjoyed is very broad.  Here is a sampling so far this trip.

Spalato is quite a nice restaurant right on the quay that runs along the bay.  We had lunch there on the day we arrived.  

Aren't the plates great.  The wine glasses are not as big as they look in the photo.  

That is a huge serving of very fresh burrata on some wonderful fresh vegetables.  

Le Cosmo is a more casual restaurant but with good food and service.  You never go hungry here because even the salads are big.

Sometimes we will have our French lessons outside at a cafe.  La Baleine Joyeuse ("the merry whale") is one we frequent because it is close to our teacher's apartment, and they don't seem to mind if we sit there for several hours in the morning having just a coffee and sometimes a croissant.  One day last week we decided to stay for lunch.  I had mi-cuit thon (half cooked tuna).

Jane had a salad nicoise.

You would never guess that such food would come from this restaurant.

One of our favorite restaurants in Beaulieu sur mer, is La Maison de Beaulieu.  It was closed last winter for renovations.  It has reopened and is even better than before.  It is almost exactly a 2 mile walk from our apartment so we feel that we can eat freely when we get there as we will also have a 2 mile walk home.  Although in fairness we can take a bus so the walk is only about a half a mile.  While it is the most expensive of the restaurants in this series, the price to quality ratio is excellent.  You can see that in the presentation, and we certainly could taste it.  

Jane had a chicken caesar salad.  The Americanization of the name does not do it justice.

I had seared tuna again.  It is so great here.  Note the difference in presentation from the dish by the same name at La Baleine Joyeuse.  There is a significant price difference.

Since we walked all that way and because the waiter was very persuasive, we had a pavlova with fresh strawberries for dessert.  Just to prove we aren't complete degenerates, we skipped the lemoncello offered at the end of the meal.

Of course with all the wonderful places to buy fresh meats and vegetables, we do not have to go out to a restaurant for a great dinner.  Here is a sampling of meals that we made at home.

entrecôte

blanc de poulet

côte de porc

There are also two things that are eternal and never change.

The sea and one's need to swim in it.

And the dog poops (but at least they are artistically placed on the sidewalk).

Thanks for reading and please comment,

The Unabashed Liberal