Remember the Magic

Our 10 Night Mediterranean Cruise report continues with Villefranche-sur-Mer.

When looking at all the tours offered in the port of Villefranche, it was hard to choose. Most tours travelled to Monaco, but we had little interest in going there. One place we did want to go was Eze. Dan had read that when Walt and Lillian cruised Europe on their honeymoon, Walt fell in love with Eze. It is rumored that he kept a permanent room their for his later trips back. When we sited a tour that was called “Eze and Nice with Wine and Cheese” we booked it. It went to Eze, and included wine and cheese. This was right up our alley!

I booked a later tour that met at the dock (this port is tendered) for 2:00 PM, so that we could have time to explore Villefranche on our own, and enjoy lunch in the French Riviera. We ate breakfast in our usual restaurant Parrot Cay, and then headed down to the tender late in the morning. There was no line, and we were quickly whisked to the dock. As soon as you exit the ferry, there is a DCL photographer waiting to take your picture. Yes, this seems like capitalism at it;’s finest, but let me tell you, it was one of the best photos we have together all trip. The port of Villefranche is so beautiful and the backdrop to the photo looks fake it is that good!

We explored the town and the citadel and chose a restaurant on the beach recommended by Rick Steves. The food was amazing. The owner even approached us and when we told him we were from New York he was so excited. He had actually lived in New York City for a few years before moving back. He says he misses the city, but I think he is doing just fine in such a beautiful place! We found the people here to be much warmer and more laid back then Paris, but it was ritzier and more posh then Corsica.

We met our tour group and were driven by bus to Nice. I have to say the guide for this portion was my least favorite, but we spent very little time with her. She let us to the main market on the beach and we had some free time to shop the market, stroll the promenade on the beach or check out the cathedral. Nice was so different then anywhere else. It was a thriving city right on the sea, but still had a small town feel.  In a way I would compare it to the French version of Santa Monica, CA with a promenade on the beach, skateboarders hustling along, people biking and strolling. Instead of the pier you will find a market with everything you have ever dreamed about seeing in the south of France. Rows of lavender which filled the air with an aromatic smell which combined with the salty sea, hoards of fresh flowers, which were bursting with color and fresh smelling hand milled soaps.

Famous Provence soaps

Lavender

The beach boardwalk is right across from the market

We were later lead to the wine and cheese tasting portion of the tour. At first I was a bit taken back. We were lead to a small street and there was what appeared to be a whole in the wall, which we were to climb down into a cave. It was all very strange. Well the old saying is true; never judge a book by its cover. Down below was a beautiful old wine cellar, lined with vintage glowing bottles and oak barrels. We were greeted by the owner who proceeded to provide us with an informative presentation on the wines and cheese of the region. I have been to a few wine seminars but I have never heard a man so passionate about his craft. He compared his wines to woman and cars in a seductive French demeanor. Even Dan loved this guy. The wine and cheeses were also fantastic, and I found a new love: a rose wine popular to Provence. It’s light and fruity but has a hint of dryness, unlike the sweet sugar plagued blushes we have here. It reminds me of the perfect summer day. Over course afterward, we were led to a shop where we were able to purchase the nectars we had sampled, and I indulged n a bottle of the “Rosalie”.

Beautiful space

Next we were bussed off to Eze. We were provided a guided tour via a head set which was very nice. Beware if you have mobility issues, the whole town is steeped upward and the only ay to get around is by steps. It seems nowadays the town has gone mostly touristic, as a five star hotel has bought up almost all of the homes and turned them into guest cottages. This is sad; because I can imagine what an amazing place this would be to live. It is something out of a fairytale. A cobblestone castle-like village perched high in the mountaintops, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Simply stunning. There was a little time to ourselves, and instead of hitting the tourist shops we stopped for our last morsel of food in France, a crepe and some café.

I was having the time of my life, but at this moment, sitting in this small four-tabled café in Eze, over looking the mist that was engulfing the mountains, sadness began to set in. This was our last port, and our magical journey across Europe was coming to an end. I swallowed hard and put on a smile, as I did not want to ruin this moment for Dan. What is so great about my husband is that he lives in the moment and is the eternal optimist. His character is infectious, and always quickly pulls me back into the moment. I was in Eze, in the South of France and it was like a dream.

That evening back on the ship was a great time. We saw the show and had the “Till we meet again” dinner, which was very fitting. Captain Mickey was out and about greeting guests and saying “till we meet again”. I love this event because we were able to give three cheers to our amazing server team Leslie and Ray. Dan even jumped on the chair to root them on! The show was particularly important to me this evening, and I am just a big sap. Parts of it were bringing me to a tear as nostalgia was beginning to set in. As I sat and watched the show, I began to recall and the amazing once in a lifetime opportunities that I had in just a short two weeks time. I thought of us strolling the seine with gelato, taking a small fishing boats to see one the most amazing natural sights, hanging in Corsica, pizza in Sorrento, the Coliseum and the movie like setting of Portofino. I was upset to let it all go, but I was so content with the trip and I could have imagined it even be as great as it was. The finality of it all never hit, not until today that is. I had pictures to load, albums to make and a wonderful blog to write all of my experiences and share it with a great Disney loving community. Tonight however, is the last entry for this report and I find my self more emotional then I expected to be when writing this. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing this, and thank you for sticking around. More Disney-fied trip reports are to come. If you are planning, or considering taking this cruise, I assure you will not regret it. This will be an adventure you will remember for a lifetime.

One thing is for sure; I will always Remember the Magic.