Stairway to Paradise !!!
Review Submitted: July 13, 2010
Date of Stay: June 2010
If you've ever longed or ached for the villa lifestyle made famous by rock stars,hollywood starlets and billionaire business tycoons, this immaculate, tastefully decorated villa with incomparable sea views will do the trick -- and then some! It's swanky yet comfy, an enchanting bouganvillea-bathed private hideway in the hills, with a lovely marriage of indoor/outdoor living space. My wife and I, plus my 9-year-old son and my 70s-something mom, called it home for a week in late June. Shelley, the owner, is not only charming, but delivers on all her promises. And the property, which looks beautiful in the photos, is more beautiful in person and shows like a French runway model in her prime.The villa is up in the hills, a short 5-minute walk down to town, cafes and beach. Heading back up the hill you can hail a taxi, hop on the local shuttle (only 1 euro) that picks up near the beach and in the old town, or you can walk up the nearly 300 steps (thus the tagline "Stairway to Paradise!") My son ran up the steps. My wife used it as her workout. We used the villa as our home base. It's a perfect location for sidetrips. A 10-minute bus ride finds you in Cap-Ferrat, the swanky beach town with a cafe-lined harbor and killer views and coastline hiking trails. A few minutes further East finds you in Monaco, where you can see the changing of the guard at Prince Rainier's palace. A 40-minute train ride to the west delivers you to Cannes, home of the film festival. But, for me, the villa and the small-village charm of Villefranche sur Mer is the place to be. My son used the villa's "office" as his hangout, tapping away on his wireless i-Touch. We all watched World Cup soccer on the Direct TV. We sipped wine and nibbled on bread and cheese on the outdoor patio overlooking the sea. In town, we went to the local butcher to get freshly sliced bacon, plump chops, which we grilled on the patio. At the beach, we lunched on pan bagnats, gelato and Kronenbourg beers from the beachside cafes. At night, we dined out at cafes lining the harbor, and ones hidden along narrow passageways in the old town. My mom never quite could find anything else in France to live up to the wonderful villa and the views. My son is already talking about getting back to the Villefranche beach so he can sit atop his favorite rock in the sea. After 7 days in VF, the shopkeepers were treating my son like a local. My wife and I plan a return trip next year. Shelley says she'll have the champagne chilled.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Tourists without a Car,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Romantic Getaway
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Helpful votes: 4/4
