Villefranche-sur-Mer

06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

We found ourselves wandering the quiet streets of Villefranche-sur-Mer on a quiet Sunday morning. It was the first stop on our 7-night Mediterranean honeymoon cruise and, while our other passengers bused off to Nice or Monte Carlo, we found ourselves with the streets largely to ourselves. We wandered up, away from the port, and through the neighborhoods. I couldn’t recreate the route if I tried, but it doesn’t matter. All of Villefranche is filled with colorful window shutters, mysterious colorful doors and colorful characters. We stopped at a little sandwich shop - “Recommended by Rick Steves!” it boasted - and grabbed skinny baguette sandwiches. Back down to the waterfront we strolled, finding a comfy spot to snack on our sandwiches, feeling tres French the whole time. Our time in Villefranche was ending, but the memories will endure. The best lesson learned? If you find yourself in a tiny town - a shadow of its more famous neighbor - sometimes it pays to stick around.

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A quintessential French experience

We found ourselves wandering the quiet streets of Villefranche-sur-Mer on a quiet Sunday morning. It was the first stop on our 7-night Mediterranean honeymoon cruise and, while our other passengers bused off to Nice or Monte Carlo, we found ourselves with the streets largely to ourselves. We wandered up, away from the port, and through the neighborhoods. I couldn’t recreate the route if I tried, but it doesn’t matter. All of Villefranche is filled with colorful window shutters, mysterious colorful doors and colorful characters. We stopped at a little sandwich shop - “Recommended by Rick Steves!” it boasted - and grabbed skinny baguette sandwiches. Back down to the waterfront we strolled, finding a comfy spot to snack on our sandwiches, feeling tres French the whole time. Our time in Villefranche was ending, but the memories will endure. The best lesson learned? If you find yourself in a tiny town - a shadow of its more famous neighbor - sometimes it pays to stick around.

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