I was not feeling well for the past few days because of being a victim to second hand smoking. After all I’m in Nice and have to do something rather than sit in my little tiny house.
I decided to go to Villefranche-sur-Mer, which is a quick 15 min train ride from Nice. I wanted to be in a small quaint town where I can have a nice lunch and avoid the hordes of tourists.
As I got off the train and headed towards the direction of “Old Town Center,” I was welcomed by the picturesque beach and the colorful houses on the hilltop.
Walking further led me to the old town with narrow streets lined with buildings painted in gold and terra-cotta with green doors and window shutters. It was a sunny day but the touch of the cool wind blowing from the ocean felt refreshing. Walking through the narrow streets is the best way to avoid the sun.
To help myself recuperate from the chest congestion, I have been having fresh ginger tea which surely helps but I still felt a lot weaker. In spite of having two egg omelette in the morning for breakfast, I was super hungry. So, I found an Italian restaurant, Les Garcons, in the middle of old town and opted for the prefix menu of Spinach Cheese Ravioli for entree and Chocolate Grenache for dessert, to accompany with a glass of Rosè. This is exactly what I needed – good food in an outdoor tranquil setting.
The slow pace of this idyllic town made me realize that I need to make sure to have days where I’m not doing anything. Since I’m so used to accomplishing something every day, not doing anything will be a challenge but this is one of the goal I’m setting for myself for June. As my friend in Montpellier would say, “It’s very exhausting not to do anything.”
After a 2 hour lunch, it was time to burn some calories and explore the town. I stopped at the soap and perfume making shop to buy some gifts and checkout the soap making process. Very cool experience.
Saw a Church, so of course, I had to peek in and spend some tranquil moment with Jesus.
I finally ended up at the castle. Having the place all to myself was an added bonus. I enjoyed spending my time here. Got to checkout some exhibits, walk through the gardens and soak in the panoramic view of the city from here, which was visually stunning and calming as well.
From there, I headed to the marina to just chill and enjoy the seafront view. It was cool to see those who live on the hills around the old town visit the center in their private boats. What a life! I could definitely see myself living that life part-time, maybe few months in a year, when I want to be isolated from the world and recharge my batteries.
After spending a relaxing day doing hardly anything is exactly what I needed. It was time to hop on the train and head back home. I was hoping there would be a WC at the train station and, voila, I did find one but the excitement was short lived as it was locked. Also, there were no cafes or restaurants nearby and the train was arriving in 5 minutes. Since I couldn’t hold for another 30 minutes until I got home, I did what one has to do in desperate times, resort to the nature. Sometimes being a man has it’s perks. Lol.
