I spent some time in Villefranche in early November. The weather was perfect, temperatures close to 70° every day. The town is located on the coast about four kilometres east of Nice on the Basse Corniche (coastal road). Monte Carlo is about 8 kilometres to the east and the Italian border only half an hour away travelling on the A8 which is their Autoroute, or - in Italy - Autostrada an excellent muiltilane highway with limited access much like our finest expressways.

Villefranche had its beginnings around 130 BC. Small and friendly, it apparently hasn't changed too much in the last century except for a lot of building up into the hills behind the town. The tourists were gone while we were there, and everything seemed pleasantly normal. Restuarants and shops were not crowded and the people everywhere were warm and friendly, much like I found the people in Paris during the previous week. (My visits to Paris go back to 1960 and I have always found the Parisians delightful.)

These pictures were all taken in and around the town and from the terrace of the apartment in which I was staying. The harbor here is very deep and can accomodate very large ships - several cruise ships called at Villefrnache while we were there. The land across the harbor is Cap Ferrat, the town of St-Jean Cap Ferrat is clearly visible. You can visit the section on Beaulieu and Cap Ferrat to see pictures of those areas, as well as the Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu.

The town of Villefranche is remarkable in that it's not stagey nor does it have a museum quality about it. It's just a wonderful small town with a lot of centuries-old buildings, all inhabited and containing shops and places to eat. I was right at home there but felt very connected to historical France. Jean Cocteau lived there at one time and decorated the Chapelle St-Pierre which is pictured here. The old buildings have great charm and are very colorful, and the new architecture of the town is very respectful of the ambience of the surroundings.

The flavor of Provence is everywhere - in the food, and in the particular French accent and the wonderful colors of the Impressionists. The vegitation is sub-tropical and lush with flowers and palms framed by the Alpes Maritimes and the foothills, in some places 2.000 feet high where they reach the sea. You'll see lots of pictures of the mountains in the sections on Èze and Beaulieu. No where in this area are the mountains more dramatic seen from the beach than here at Menton near the Italian border.