Today we just had an easy morning, sipping coffee and eating croissants on the balcony. We did our laundry and hung it out on the line just like the locals, but it gave me vertigo hanging it 4 stories up and leaning out over the street.

We walked to the citadel and around the gardens, then back to the Main Street where there was a small craft sale going on . One of the artists was a photographer who mounts his photos on canvas. The photos are of this area and have the gorgeous provencal colours of bright yellows, blues, oranges. He had one photo of our apartment building so we bought it of course.

This afternoon we took the train to Beaulieu and then walked to Villa Kerylos. It is a reconstruction of a 2nd C BC Greek palace. We walked back home via the beach. It takes about an hour to walk one way and there are LOTS of hills. And of course, the old town of Villefranche is built on a hill so we will have legs of steel by the time we get home.

Dorothy and I bought beautiful silk scarves down the street from our apt. The prints are like impressionist paintings ... Dorothy's looks like 'Starry Night' and mine looks like the streets of Villefranche.

Rue Obsure, one street below ours (which is Rue Poilu) is a covered street dating back to the 13th century . It was once open to the sky but one house owner decided to extend his house over the street and others followed suit, and soon 400 feet of the street became enclosed. During WW2, townspeople hid here.

Tonight we went for dinner at La Belle Etoile. It was one of those memorable meals that I will never forget. Only about 8 or 9 tables. Paul and Dorothy had the menu du jour, which is one price for 4 courses. The amuse bouche was little glasses filled with watercress soup and drizzled with sesame oil. The appetizer was 2 pieces of tuna, one red and one white. Their main was veal with chestnut polenta. Dessert was the lovely fruit cups they do here, and following that was a plate of french macarons and oreillettes. I didn't have the set menu but the owner of the restaurant was very sweet and also is a friend of Shelleys, so they added a third serving of the amuse bouche and cookies. My main was heavenly...the white tuna, which is a local fish and must be a relative tuna. The waiter walked around the restaurant showing everyone the fish...didn't look like tuna. My fish was thinly sliced, very pink in the middle, laid on a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with green beans and a lovely sauce.