A Year in Villefranche sur Mer - Moving to France

Day 722 (Friday) 31 st May 2019 There was yet another cruise ship in the bay this morning and I was happy that the tourists were able to see Villefranche sur Mer at her sunny best. It still really aggravates the both of us when we watch the moronic people going back to the ship at lunchtime because lunch is included – buy a baguette and go to the beach or go for a walk around Saint Jean Cap Ferrat – just don’t go back to ship before you have to! As it was a bank holiday yesterday Benny my student ‘built a bridge’ and took today off as well – so I was also able to ‘build a bridge’ – hooray! The 11 public holidays in France for 2019 to put in your diary  ·        Tuesday 1st January - New Year's Day ( Jour de l'An ) ·        Monday 22nd April - Easter Monday ( Lundi de Pâques ) ·        Wednesday 1st May - Labour Day ( Fête du Travail ) ·    ...

Day 728 (Thursday) 6 th June 2019 This photo was taken last night and we’re really pleased that the living room is looking more and more homely every day. As it’s so big with a tiled floor (original tiles) it’s been feeling echoey and cold, not physically cold just atmospheric cold but now it feels like home and soon we will be able to have our long-awaited housewarming party.   There was yet another cruise ship in the bay this morning; they don’t look quite so ugly when you look at them through lavender. The town was bustling with tourists, who are really annoying when they are sauntering down Rue du Poilu and you are rushing to catch a train to work, how can people walk that slowly? Other than this, we are happy when it’s busy because the locals are making a well-deserved living. Huw managed to get this tapestry up in the bedroom today and it looks great. I don’t think tapestry is the right word but I don’t know what else to call it but we ...

Day 721 (Thursday) 30 th May 2019 It’s a bank holiday today for Ascension Day and for once I have the day off – hooray. We did a few odd jobs and cleaned in anticipation of our visitors Pat and Dee this afternoon and we felt quite house proud. We met them in Le Phare at 12.30 and enjoyed a relatively cheap beer in the sunshine (the drinks in the restaurant we’re going to are bloody expensive). Dee had booked a table for us at Les Garcons, a restaurant we have walked past a 1,000 times but have never eaten there. Every lunchtime they have a menu for 15€ for two courses. I had goat’s cheese and a meringue, Dee had terrine and duck, Pat had terrine and prawns and Huw had goat’s cheese and duck. Pat very generously bought a bottle of rose and we had a thoroughly delicious lunch.   You can’t tell from this photo but this tap is enormous and a never-ending supply of water for Phoebe, Pat and Dee’s dog. After lunch we went back to our place because Dee h...