Villefranche - Dusk

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

It's dusk. We running to the railway station - a quick last glance at the boats in the harbour. Tomorrow - our last day in Villefranche.

Villefranche - a House by the Sea

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

This house, which faces the sea, seems to grow organically out of the rockface.

Theme Day: Contrast in the Bathroom Shop

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

It's Theme Day again - the challenge: Contrast.

Here we see the interior of a bathroom accessories shop in the prestigious Metropole Gallery in Monte Carlo. You want the softest towels, the most stylish bathrobes, candles, lamps, ornaments - you'll find them here. Browns, creams, glass, shine and matt and of course light and shadow - all create contrast.

Don't miss other CDP bloggers take on this Theme - well over 100. You'll love the incredible talent and imagination that speaks of the CDP community. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Villefranche - the Welcome Hotel

The Welcome Hotel is famous in Villefranche. Many artists have stayed here including Jean Cocteau who wrote that he'd spent the best days of his life here...and they have their own boat.

Villefranche - Fortifications

We've left the boat and are en route to the railway station passing by the fortifications.

Villefranche is 10 kilometres from Monaco and 8 from Nice. The beautiful bay is notable for reaching a significant depth only a short distance from shore. As a result it's become an important port over the years. Since World War I, the United States Navy has called on a regular basis, making Villefranche the home port of the U.S. 6th Fleet from 1948 to 1966. Since the 1980’s Villefranche has been used by cruise ships and is the most visited cruise ship port of call in France.

Boat Trip to Villfranche - Safely Moored

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

We made it past the cruise ship and, as directed via Ship to Shore radio, to the little harbour on the right of the photo.

Now we must hurry to the railway station and get home to Menton but tomorrow we'll take a brief look at Villefranche-sur-Mer as we run for the train.

Many thanks to John and Piera for a great day out on the water - bet you didn't realise how many people you had on board that day!

Boat Trip to Villefranche - the Cruise Ship

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

The bay of Villefranche is massive with deep waters - ideal for these big cruise ships, as it was for warships in the past.

You've seen this cruise liner before - on Theme Day - and actually it was a better photograph but this one shows better the length of the ship.

I'm wondered what that strange 'thing' is on the top deck - see smaller photograph. Perhaps it's a climbing frame for children?

Meanwhile, we are having to go to the left of this ship to get into our berth in the harbour. We feel pretty small...

Boat Trip to Villefranche - the Italian Lady

We're in the Bay of Villefranche. This is my friend, Piera - she's John's lady - John owns the boat - and she's beautifully tanned but then she's got that wonderful Italian skin that tans easily. Well that's my excuse for looking like a ghost next to her!

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat

Just along from the lighthouse is the magnificent Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat. Five star luxury. You can just see the hotel at top left of the main photo. Click on the link and you'll see what this luxury hotel is all about - go on, it's fabulous!

Scattered down the hillside are private cabins for guests to sunbathe and alongside it a restaurant - this area is called Club Dauphin.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - the Look Outs

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

We've now rounded the Point of Cap Ferrat and we are in the Bay of Villefranche. We can take a closer look at the look-outs below the celebrated lighthouse. (see last photo)

This lighthouse, one of the oldest on the Côte d'Azur, was built by Napoleon III in 1862 and was blown up by German troups in 1944 - rebuilt in 1951. You can see a closer shot of it, taken on land HERE.

There is a there is an enchanting walk all around Cap Ferrat from Beaulieu (called the Sentier Littoral) and if you feel like it, you simply swim off the rocks.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - the Lighthouse

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

We're sailing towards Villefranche, leaving the pretty Cove of Lilong and are about to round the Point of Cap Ferrat with its famous lighthouse.

This semaphore, originally built in 1862 (rebuilt 1951) on the orders of Napoleon III, who wanted to equip the French littoral with a chain of semaphores. The goal was to monitor navigation, to transmit messages to ships, to organize help in the event of a maritime disaster and to take part in the first maritime meteorological observations.

It looks like evening but it's only 17.45h - simply that I'm shooting into the sun. As soon as we round the point, we'll see the lighthouse from the other side and the fortified lookouts. And after that, we'll be in the beautiful Rade de Villefranche.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - the Ice-Cream Boat

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

So there you are, lying on the hot deck, getting browner by the minute and and thinking how nice it would be to have a luscious really cold ice cream. Easy. Along comes the ice-cream boat.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - the Nap

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

"I just put my feet in the air and move them around."
~ Fred Astaire

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - Messing about...

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved

The fun of a day on the water is just sitting and watching other people mess about in boats. And on Cap Ferrat it's fun looking at the houses on the hillside and wondering who lives there.

There's something about a boat - probably the movement of the water - that makes you immediately relax. Got a problem? Stressed? - if you get the chance, go out on a boat.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - Girls' Day Out

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

It's a Girls' Day Out on the water. Several of these Italian ladies sunbathed nude - completely nude, not even a bikini bottom half - so perhaps it's not surprising that within a short while of their arrival, their dingy was surrounded by other boats - see lower photo.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - the Houses

The houses on Cap Ferrat are as interesting to look at as the boats - incredible expensive Real Estate to be found here.

The top photo was taking in the morning before the bad weather cleared. In the smaller one, it's getting better, as you see. By lunch time it was glorious.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - Lady on a Dinghy

We've dropped anchor not far from the shore. Around us are big boats and little boats and tiny dinghys like one. You don't need a big boat to enjoy the sea.

Boat Trip to Cap Ferrat - Arrival

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

Pack your swimming gear and suntan lotion, we're on a boat trip. Cap Ferrat is a short trip from Monaco - we pass Cap d'Ail, Eze-sur-Mer, Beaulieu=sur-Mer and we arrive - here, in a small bay - at Cap Ferrat.

In fact we started in Menton - the idea had been to photograph Monaco as we we sailed along but this morning the sea was rough, the sky menacing so no hope of a decent photo. Try photographing the shore from a boat that is bouncing up and down!

The weather forecast for the afternoon, though, is good and here we are. Relax. We are going to have a lovely day...do come back tomorrow.

The Seagull's Perch

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

An old gun tower on le rocher is a perching place for a seagull and somewhere for visitors to dream.

Rosie

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

Rosie is one of le rocher's characters. She runs a tourist shop called Rosie's Memories and the love of her life is a little Miniature Pinscher called Zita - a dog who'd had far too many litters in her life and ended up in a refuge.

Zita has two beds - one inside the shop and one outside - and when she chooses to nap, then Rosie displays the sign you see below.

Rosie's Bar (the Chatham Bar to give it its real name) was near to the Port of Monaco and was THE place to visit for over 50 years. In its heyday it was frequented by Graham Hill, Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss and Peter Collins. Anybody just passing by could pop in and chat to drivers over a drink and a game of darts. Rosie would welcome everybody with same cheery disposition as she still does from this little Boutique in Monaco Ville. Click here for Rosie's website.

You can see another photo of Zita on Riviera Dogs today.