Day 1361 (Sunday) 28th February 2021
What a great game of rugby we watched yesterday evening, we celebrated our win with a bottle of champagne given to us for Christmas by Olivier and Audrey.
It was a gorgeous day and I spent a few hours sunbathing on the balcony reading my book wearing a summer dress. Huw went up to the apartment to make sure the guests had left it in good condition and they had. We lost the sun just after 2pm so we went for a walk taking our attestations with us to declare our one hour of exercise for today – I am soooooo very sick of this lockdown and curfew. It was very exciting to not wear a jacket or socks – I wore espadrilles for the first time this year. I found this short article a few weeks ago so we spent our hour of freedom taking photos to go with it.
Visiting Villefranche-sur-Mer: what to do, what to see?
Your Provencal getaway: how to visit Villefranche-sur-Mer and what to see and do in this beautiful town on the Cote d’Azur?
A small town in the Alpes-Maritimes of 5,200 inhabitants, Villefranche-sur-Mer is spread out around along the bay of amphitheatre of cliffs along the bay of Villefranche, one of the deepest natural anchorages in the Mediterranean Sea. You will not fall under the yolk of boredom when visiting Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Full of sun all year round – 2,696 hours of sunshine in 2014, a city full of colour and scents thanks to the vegetation that dot the coast of the Cote d’Azur, a city steeped in art, Aldous, Huxley and Jean Cocteau regularly visited - tinged with turquoise blue and crystal-clear waters, visiting Villefranche-sur-Mer is undoubtedly a visual and taste delight. So what to do in Villefranche-sur-Mer?
Visit the old town of Villefranche-sur-Mer
The district of the old town is a maze of narrow alleys which meander from the shore to the height of the city.
The houses are picturesque, old and colourful. Wandering through the veins of the old town will bring you a refreshing stroll, in the shade of the scorching raids of the Provencal sun. venture into this intertwining of stairs, narrow streets and pedestrian passages to soak up the authentic village life. Along the way, admire the Saint Michel church,
the Saint Pierre des Pecheurs chapel,
the Saint Elme Citadel,
the Obscure street – rue Obscure dating from 1260
Explore the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche harbour is one of the deepest in the western Mediterranean. It is 2.5km long and 1.5km wide. Located between Cap de Nice and Cap Ferrat, the harbour reaches a depth of 50 metres in the middle and the sea to the south reaches a depth of 1,000 metres. Suffice to say that the drop in this submarine canyon is abysmal. Sheltered from the winds thanks to its landlocked location, a very mild microclimate reigns there: enough to enhance your walks all year round.
See the bay of Villefranche
Formerly military arsenal of the Duchy of Savoy, its buildings have been on the list of historical monuments since 1991. The port of Darse was built in the 18th century to fight against the abuses of privateers and pirates. It is a must for anyone who comes to visit Villefranche-sur-Mer, which includes:
The old forge
The rope factory
The rope factory (the English is a bit dodgy)
The rope factory was the last (1772/1787) of the buildings constructed in the port complex. The original structure of this long building (171 m long) at the entrance to the port is based on the repetition (33 times) of the same architectural motif. This one, 5 m in lateral extension, has a door or a window on the ground floor and a window upstairs. This ordering gives the facade a remarkable homogeneity.
The great length of the rope factories is explained by the need to manufacture ropes in one piece, in fact a "cable" (about 200 metres long). From the middle of the 18th century, the need for rope became urgent. The frigates, whose only propulsion is the sail, replace the galleys moved by the oars of the galley slaves. However, several tens of tonnes of rope are needed for a large frigate. In addition, they must be renewed very often because they deteriorate and wear out very quickly in contact with sea water. In the past, ropes were obtained from hemp (cannabis sativa), the cultivation of which did not present any difficulties. special but required water. "Cannebières" or "chènevières" existed on the banks of the Paillon or the Var. The Darse rope factory probably used Piedmont hemp from Carmagnola, where a museum is dedicated to it.
During the Revolution, the rope factory was used as a hospital by the French army. During the Restoration, the Sardinians set it up as a penal colony in 1814, and used it for this purpose until around 1848. It was converted into a barracks after 1860, and then became the Nicolas Barracks, which led to it being raised one storey in 1905.
From 1876 to 1939, it housed a battalion of alpine hunters. After World War II, part of the building was used by the United States' 6th Fleet. Within the framework of NATO, the bay of Villefranche indeed becomes the home port of the flagship. In 1967, the Americans left Villefranche. Property of the Ministry of Defense, the rope factory was transferred to the National Education and was assigned to the Faculty of Sciences of Paris in 1962. It now hosts part of the Institut de la Mer de Villefranche and cannot be visited. .
The hospital for the galleys
Today the Darse is the marina of Villefranche-sur-Mer
Corny French jokes for today…
6. Je pense qu’il est vrai que la télé peut entraîner de la violence, dit Etienne.
Qu’est ce qui te fait dire ça ? lui demande son copain.
Et bien chaque fois que j’allume, mon père me crie dessus !
Translation Of The French Joke
I think it’s true that the TV can lead to violence, says Etienne.
What makes you say that? Asks his friend.
Well, every time I turn it on, my father shouts at me.
7. La maîtresse dit à son élève :
“Jules ! je t’ai dit de dessiner ton animal préféré !
Et tu n’as rien fait ! “
Jules répond :
” Mais si, Madame !
J’ai dessiné mon chat noir en pleine nuit !”
Translation Of The French Joke
Teacher says to his student:
Jules! I told you to draw your favourite animal, and you have done nothing!
Jules answers:
But I did, Misses! I have drawn my black cat in a dark night!
8. Une maman citron dit à ses enfants :
Pour vivre longtemps, il ne faut jamais être pressé !
A lemon mom says to her children:
In order to live long, one should never get pressed for time (but also squeezed in French!)
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