Villefranche-sur-Mer

Bon jour, mes amies.

I have completed my first week here, so I figured it was time to take my first (I hope of many) trips out of town.  I chose a close and easy destination--Nice's next door neighbor, the small town of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
I trammed up to the stop for the train station, but one still has to walk a bit.  I could not find a ticket machine that 1) took bills and coins and 2) worked, so I had to wait in line at the ticket office.  The money is collected by machine.  The woman at the counter understood what I wanted, but evidently she did not speak English beyond that because she gave me instructions on how to pay in French, and she kept saying in French push the picture.  I understood that much but push where? What picture?  She clearly thought I was an idiot, but I figured out at last one had to slide the bill into the machine next to where one deposits coins.  So it was done.
Remember most railroad companies in Europe require validation of tickets on public transportation.  There are yellow "Composte" machines for the purpose in French railway stations.
I did not have to wait long.  The trip was short.  I can't say it was picturesque as we went through two long tunnels, but at the end of the second one we emerged at Villefranche-sur-Mer.
There's a beautiful small bay with steep rocky cliffs just up from the beach, and the town is built into those cliffs. Very vertical indeed!
I followed the sign posts through the narrow streets.  Some of the side "streets' consisted solely of stairs up or down.  There are arches and passage ways as well.
I went up to the Citadelle or Ft. Saint Elmo and had a stroll around.  The castle was built in the mid Sixteenth Century by the Duke of Savoy to protect the harbor.  The location and views are spectacular.  The castle does hold some small, free museums, but I did not go into any.  I did find the free toilettes, however, which by that time were welcome.
I then strolled through the old town dating from the 1300s and went down to walk along the beach.  Despite the sign posts, I could not find the Tourist Office or the Chapel St. Pierre. Villefranche-sur-Mer is very touristy and none the worse for it.  Although the sites are modest, it's a very pretty and pleasant place to wander around.
I climbed back up to the train station and got on the train bound for Nice and came home.
Dinner is some tortellini filled with ricotta and spinach and dressed with a Provencal tomato sauce with olives.  Pretty dang good!
A demain.