Days 4 - 7 Villefranche-sur-mer and the French Riviera

  We have had little wifi in Villefranche, so my blogging has had to wait.  It's day 7 of the trip and we're sitting in our favorite drinking spot called L'X Cafe.  It has wifi, pronounced we-fee here in France,  reggae music and friendly bar staff.  They also make a pretty nice coffee.  When you order coffee in France it's either espresso or espresso with steamed milk. I'm sure there are plenty of other types, but those are the typical choices.  Last time I typed we were on the train from Paris to VilleFranche, which went very well.  It's a great way to travel.  We had to switch trains in Nice and take a local train to Villefranche. The station in Nice is very busy, and very chaotic, so it took us a moment to figure out where to buy train tickets and where to board the train. We figured it out, and eventually boarded the train, which was really cramped and a little stressful with all of our luggage, but we made it.  We arrived in Villefranche a few minutes later, exited the train squeezing through people and thanking those who helped us off.  We walked through a little tunnel and out onto the street.  Picture if you will a mixture of beautiful aqua and green sea, filled with yachts, a beautiful soft pebble beach, and a tiny cobble stone street lining the sea.  You can smell the fresh seafood, and hear the joy of the patrons in the cafes.   Although we had a long day of travel and some stress, we knew we made the right decision and picked a very charming little town to spend the week.   The last few days have been spent at the beach swimming and on foot exploring our little village, which is very hilly, with lots of steps, secret passage ways and tunnels.

 The food has been an amazing fusion of French and Italian cuisines.  From the octopus to the escargot, it's been an incredible experience.  Notably Les Garcons and Le Grignotiere have been the winners thus far.  The Scallop risotto with white truffle oil from Les Garcons is over the top good.  Risotto is a tricky one to get perfect and they make it look easy.  Villefranche has been extremely relaxing and extremely delicious.   It's exactly what we wanted, beach, food, ambiance and relaxation.  The only worry we had with our honeymoon itinerary in France, was a lack of relaxation. We found that here plus so much more.

  We decided today would be a great day to venture out of Villefranche and see Nice.  We got up early (9am) ; ) and took the train into Nice.  It's about a 7 minute train ride.  We headed straight down to the sea, and along the Promenade des Anglais to find a nice spot for a croissant and coffee.  I've been bad about making my croissant comparisons, but it's only because they are all great.  Even the bad ones are great.  The tastes are all over the board.  But the texture and buttery goodness make it the perfect breakfast. After breakfast we walked the old city. More maze-like alley ways with cafes and shops. You could really feel what it must have been like in medieval times.  After we walked to the top of a giant scenic overlook.  Allison got a picture of me  looking over the beach and city, which is in my flickr. account.  I think that is all I have for now.  Please enjoy the pictures.

  Tomorrow we head to Menton for lunch at a 2 star Michelin rated restaurant called Mirazur.  We're both really excited for Menton.  I believe I mentioned in the first post of this trip that Menton is the restaurant in Boston where I proposed, which is inspired by Menton, France.  At any rate, thank you for the comments and emails, it keeps me motivated to do this blogging business.