Yesterday> A Treat, A Drive, A View,, A Great Visit, An Inquisition, A Dinner, Some Yellow and Another Drive.

How sweet. Madame L. left me a pretty candy dish filled with home grown tomatoes. 

I set off around 17h for Villefranche down the Bord Sur Mer. The usual 3 very thin lanes with motorcycles darting in and out in that last afternoon sun.

Stuck in Traffic Pics of the bord in front of the old town. This area is packed with people on the beach. There are also parachute rides, the parachutes being yellow with big faces on them.
At this point I am at a stop. A handsome man on a motorcycle pulls up to my passenger side door and motions that he's going to put my mirror back into place...with a very nice smile. 

Inching through the Port of Nice

The far side of the port.

Cruise Ship in Port

I make it to Villefranche. This is the view from my friends S. and M's apartment. Gorgeous in late afternoon light.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villefranche-sur-Mer

We had a lovely dinner at a restaurant called L'Aparté down in the town. I had Sea Bream with mangoes in a vanilla rum sauce. It was served with mashed potatoes, finely chopped zucchini and some kind of whipped up vegetable "pudding". I loved it all except the zucchini ( but then, I don't like zucchini) and the mushy vegetable.  I also had pate that was wonderful.
J. tells me that L'aparté means "Generally it's like a sidebar conversation in a group ... Like when you take someone aside for a private conversation away from everyone else. It's also a theatrical term ... Usually when the actor breaks the 3rd wall and addresses the audience directly in an " aside". Literally, the translation means "aside".
http://www.restaurant-laparte.fr/
The restaurant is in an alley called Rue Obscure or "dark Street" a passageway under the waterfront houses which dates from 1260. It is blocked off, and the restaurant tables are in the old street.
The light was very yellow.

S. was the fortunate one that received all the attention of the little Westie that owned the place...that could be because she fed him Pate and a piece of toast. The dog goes from table to table working on the person that she believes will cave in and give her a scrap even though the owners say DO NOT FEED THE DOG. She is a beauty tough.

Looking up to the Corniche through the narrow streets of the town.

Down on the promenade on the bay where all the restaurants are. It was a beautiful, but very still night.

Beautiful Church on the water....Chappelle Saint Pierre, Patron Saint of Fisherman...from Jean Cocteau.
There is a plaque that says "From a Friend. Jean Cocteau".

The town from above....Very Italian in feel.  All the lights have a strong yellow cast to them so all of the pictures had to be corrected. It's a beautiful place, they should work on getting different public lighting. That yellow color is a bit oppressive. 

The Cathedral

The Drive Home down Le Bord Sur Mer....stand still traffic...people and close flying helicopters, ambulances, scooters, people crossing.

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Eyeliner by S.