Villefranche sur mer - Fall 2025 -1

Dear Friends,

It has been a long time since I have written.  We were in fact in Villefranche for January and February 2025 and had a great time, but I didn't write.  We are now back for a three week stay in October.  Much is different.  For a variety of reasons we are not in our regular apartment which feels odd.  The new apartment has some very nice qualities.  The view is spectacular.

The building is located just across the street from the old town so everything is very convenient.  There are lots of windows and sliding glass doors so it is very light and airy.  It also has an elevator which is great because it is on the 5th floor.  The apartment is made from two smaller apartments so it is a little strange, and it is very minimalist.  The kitchen has an induction stove top but no oven other than a sort of grill in a tiny microwave that is placed very high.  There are lots of plates and utensils but the pots and pans are sorely lacking and they are all non stick.  There is, in fact, no sauce pan.  There are no kitchen garbage cans or placemats and only one small kitchen towel and a couple of napkins.  Except for the lack of an oven all the problems could be easily and inexpensively solved.  We bought some napkins, placemats and towels that will work well for us at home.  We are somehow managing to survive and make some decent meals.

Steak, artichoke, baked potato and provençal veggies

chicken breast, roasted potatoes and asparagus

pork chop, mushroom dijon sauce, zucchini onion and tomato sauté, baked potato

chicken breast, rice, peppers and onions, provençal veggies

Of course we have not eaten all our dinners at home.  As usual we had dinner at Le Serre on the first night.  It was so great to be back again.

For my birthday dinner, we went a little more upscale to Le Bistro de L'étoile.  It was a perfect evening to sit on their great terrace and soak in the ambiance.

The food was also delicious.

filet de loup (sea bass)

tuna

île flottante

I also went for my annual birthday swim in the Mediterranean.  It was beautiful and refreshing, and the beach was quite crowded.  You have to take my word for it that I am the one waving from the sea.

Of course Jane was there to record the swim and watch out for me.

I have played pétanque.  The group is smaller in the fall, but the competition is intense.  Needless to say, I won.  Just look at that form.

So we are happily ensconced in our own little paradise while the world crumbles around us.  Neither  France nor the United States has a budget as required by law, but in France the government is still open although the prime minister who resigned last week was reappointed one day later.  Government stability is lacking here but at least they are still a democracy.

Thanks for reading and please comment,

The Unabashed Liberal

 

Villefranche sur mer - Fall 2024-2

Dear Friends,

We continue to enjoy our time here in Villefranche.  We try to walk the beach each evening before dinner, but are not always successful.  We occasionally see some different sights.  These birds which I think are cormorants decided they had the right to enjoy the beach just as much as anybody else.

    

We don't just see birds on our walks.  The flowers are beautiful and plentiful.

Of course we also get to see the full moon over the bay.

We took that picture of the full moon as we were heading out for a quick dinner at our favorite restaurant, Le Serre.  It is a casual family restaurant that caters to locals and tourists alike.  This night it was even more family than usual since the owner's 12 ish year old son was helping out.  Here he is giving me an extra big helping of whipped cream on my mousse au chocolat, as directed by me, but with his mother's approval.

It is an unusual fall in that it has been raining a lot.  The schools have closed at least twice in the last two weeks due to the storms and resulting flooding.  Villefranche is not in particular danger but up in the hills with huge rains and small rivers that can flood to say nothing of trying to navigate small roads full of hairpin turns in a downpour, it is a different story.

Last Friday we decided we would go to Nice to do some shopping, get money and have lunch.  The forecast called for cloudy weather and a 30-40% chance of rain.  It rained a little during our breakfast but then cleared up.  Here is a picture of the sky, including a rainbow, as we were walking to the bus.

Nice is just a 15 minute bus ride away, but by the time we got there it had started to rain, but not hard.  We used our best brains and decided we should stop at a really good patisserie for a coffee and almond croissant to wait out the rain.  So we did.

The almond croissant looks small and harmless, but it is not small and cannot be good for us.  Nevertheless it is incredibly delicious.  The rain didn't let up but didn't really get worse so we started to walk through the old town.  After a while it really started to rain, and we took shelter under a store awning.  There were a couple of Australians there.  They were good sports about the rain, but it certainly was not a good time if you only had a few days in Nice.  

After waiting quite awhile we decided to head for a restaurant to get some lunch.  Unbelievably it started raining even harder.  When we got to Le Tire Bouchon, here is what it looked like.

Fortunately the food was good.

Unfortunately, we were still soggy even after a relaxed and enjoyable lunch.  By the time we finished lunch the rain had stopped and the sky was blue.  

Today, we finally walked to Beaulieu and had lunch at one of our favorite places Maison de Beaulieu.  The company, the wine and the tuna were all fantastic.

Thanks for reading and please comment,

The Unabashedliberal

 

Sylvie Lhopiteau

 Dear Friends,

Sylvie Lhopiteau died last week at the age of 56 after a several year battle with breast cancer.  Sylvie was the owner, cook, server, dishwasher, boss of the best staff imaginable and maître d' of the Restaurant Le Serre in Villefranche sur Mer, France.  But none of that explains the importance of Sylvie in our lives or in the life of Villefranche.  

We met Sylvie almost 10 years ago when we first visited Villefranche and Le Serre. Since then we have had the opportunity to get to know her and fully appreciate what an amazing person she was.  At Le Serre, Sylvie created not just a wonderful restaurant but a community and gathering place where everybody - locals, part-time expats and tourists - could bask in the warmth of Sylvie's incredible hospitality and inclusion.  She made all of us feel like we belonged - that we were welcomed not just as clients but as friends, that we were loved.  Her incredible staff, for us particularly Marylène and Bérénice, did exactly the same.   

It is impossible to put into words, how wonderful it was for us to be greeted by Sylvie, Marylène and Bérénice when we would return after a several month absence, or how they would take the time to talk with us (on slow nights) about our lives and theirs. Having a place to go, have a great meal, be truly welcomed and included is one of the things we really love about Villefranche.  

We last saw Sylvie in February 2023.  She looked great and welcomed us with her usual warm enthusiastic manner.  She took a turn for the worse over the summer, but had returned home.  Unfortunately, her health deteriorated rapidly recently.  We were not prepared for her death, and could not convey our feelings in French, but we were so relieved that we were here and could go to her memorial service and share in the communal grieving.  While we could not understand much of what the priest said, we could get the sense of the eulogies by family and friends.  It was obvious that the love we felt for Sylvie was shared by all present.

Rest in peace Sylvie.  You are loved and will be missed.