Visited May 30- June 3

Not far east of Antibes is the peninsula of Cap Ferrat. Villefrance Sur Mer is just on the other side, both bays providing decent shelter in calm weather. Both of these places are surrounded by stunning hills and white limestone, with dark green trees and roads snaking up the mountains.

The bigger town is Villefrance with a concentration of colorful block buildings at the waterfront. Walking around in search of the night’s restaurant was a treat. We returned the next morning for bread, something I plan to give up any day now, and something our Italian Captain needs fresh every day. He doesn’t get bread in a plastic wrapper, or frozen food. So somebody’s job is to go buy bread every day we are in port. Not a bad thing, very European, citizen of the world thing.

The neighborhood is quite fine, David Niven lived here a time, and Paul Allen and Andrew Lloyd Webber are or have been reported as Cap Ferrat residents. The landscaping is equal to the houses for stop and gape factor. The flowers per square inch must exceed some legal limit- I imagine residents sending their representatives to court to argue for lower penalties for over-planting beautiful flowering plants, the fuscia bouganvillia covering nearly every vertical surface. The smell of some white flowering vine is intoxicating, dizzing. This is the area my sailing buddy Mary said she could live, if forced to live in France. Well chosen, Maria.

There is a walking path around the perimeter of the peninsula. Barriers mark the entrance saying it is closed, but the lady at tourist information looked at us and proclaimed that we could make it. So we did, or as far as I could go still recovering from some sickness. Along the way we walked through Cap Ferrat and decided to come back.

The anchorage in Villefrance was a bit rolly, but for Cap Ferrat we stayed in the marina. Since I had been sick for the entire time we have been sailing, I was ready for a rest day. We walked towards the beach, thinking to stay a couple of hours in the sun, but instead splurged for chairs and umbrellas at Paloma Beach Club, a swanky beach club with chairs, a nice restaurant, and a staff of about 20 youngsters delivering food and drinks. We stayed the whole day. Rosé on the beach. Bliss!