Villeneuve Loubet Plage 4

Saturday 5th October, 2008

The plan for today was to head for Villefranche sur Mer.

We set off fairly late about twelveish and decided to go the quick route via the toll motorway.

It didn't take long and we were through Nice and heading along the coast road for Villefranche sur Mer. We decided to do the Villa Ephrussi first, which is heading out towards St Jean Cap Ferrat. Parking was directly outside the villa and for a change fairly simple to find.

We used our discount booklet to get our one Euro reduction!

The Villa was built about 1912, by Beatrice Ephrussi, who was born a Rothschild and married a Russian banker Mr Maurice Ephrussi. So she was wealthy to start with, a gained a small fortune, when he died. She bought 17 acres of St Jean Cap Ferrat and had the villa built. She collected art from all around the world and amassed a lot of it at the Ephrussi villa. When she died in 1934, she left the Villa and it's contents to the French state.

The place is outstanding, and really shouldn't be missed if you are visiting the area. The contents of the Villa are many and varied. It is said that she was an avid collector of art and that her taste was eclectic. The only criticism I would have is that somehow it doesn't all seem to fit together. There are bits of churches and buildings all around the place.

We did the tour of the inside and noticed a restaurant, which is part of the villa, and as one of those things that has to be done we had a salad lunch, sat outside on a sunny day, in a very beautiful and luxurious location.

The gardens came next and are themed in various ways. The garden directly outside the villa has a water fountain display, which comes on every twenty minutes and is a delight to watch. The themes include, Japanese, Exotic, Spanish, Provencal and several others, with the appropriate flora in each section.

The gardens,like the villa, are absolutely wonderful, the weather helped, with the sun shining and a clear blue sky, it was a real pleasure looking around.

The views around are of course, what go to enhance the overall beauty of the place. The bay with Villefranche sur Mer, on one side, St Jean Cap Ferrat in front and another bay with Beaulieu sur Mer on the other side make this location very special.

On the Villefranche sur Mer side we could also see three cruise ships, A pulmantour vessel, a Thompson vessel and the Norwegian Gem, all tendering.

You can see the Greek Villa Kerylos from here. There are a number of other villa's that you notice when looking around at the vista and you just know that these places are worth an absolute fortune.

After the villa, we moved into St Jean Cap Ferrat itself and parked. We strolled around the port area and looked at the boats.

It was getting late in day and we moved off and headed back through Villefranche sur Mer, which itself is a very quaint location.

We took the coast road back through Nice, rather than the motorway, and my complete lack of faith in the French driving ability was thoroughly borne out. It would be unfair to say that every car has some sort of dent, or scrape, but a significant number certainly have. They cannot drive in a straight line and are unable to follow the road lanes, they do not indicate, and when they want to park, they will do it there and then, if that is where they want to be. Even if that means blocking the road. Yesterday we saw a car parked inside a pedestrian bus shelter!

I have now started beeping at them, but not for every mistake they make, because I would wear the horn out.

We needed supplies for later and tomorrow as we are planning on not moving very far, so stopped at the Geant Casino supermarket and bought various bits and pieces.

We parked on the roof of the supermarket and used the travolator (? an escalator without steps), which was fun, the trolley wheels lock when on it, so it doesn't roll down. The supermarket was pretty busy, but we are getting to know our way around these days, So no hassle.

Dinner was a ready cooked hot chicken, with coleslaw and french bread. Followed by a raspberry flan thing. Grapes, dates and some chocolate biscuits, helped to fill us up. We ate this outside on the veranda, on a cool balmy evening.

The campsite is certainly busier and the sweet cherubic sound of French children playing around us, can now be heard!

Sunday 26th October, 2008

Plan for today, sorting out our stuff, do some washing, loading up the car, all ready for the next stage of the journey.

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