Volendam 2026, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France...

I was out on deck for sail into Villefranche-sur-Mer…A strong, cool breeze but a beautiful morning!  It looked a bit iffy since the Viking Star cancelled their stop but, fortunately, Holland America Line has better captains…  Great job captain Rens and his team!!!!  We were on the first tender this morning and off to explore the town’s highlights. The tender pier is ideally located in the center of town. We climbed the hill to the Villefranche Citadel or Saint Elme Citadel. The Citadel was built in the 1537 as a medieval fortress that sits on a hill high above the city. It’s got the best view in town, as it’s high enough to look out across the bay, the town, and the coastline of the Cote d’Azur. Today the fortress is home to the City Hall, several museums, gardens, and an open-air theater. We made our way back down into town and followed Rue Du Poilu the main street of the village with its colorful houses, archways, shops and restaurants. This street is named after the French soldiers of the 1st World War, who marched down it from the train station to the military port. I climbed up Rue de l’Eglise to St. Michel Church, a lovely baroque style church built in the 18th century. Continuing our walk, we descended a few steps to Rue Obscure. This street was built in 1260 by the military, so they could walk the length of the village without being seen. When it was no longer in use, houses were built out on top of it. The unique construction and medieval vibes, this street helped to establish Villefranche-sur-Mer as a film location in the 20th century. We returned to the cruise terminal along the waterfront. Every little corner of this seaside town is lovely, most buildings in the old town are from the 12th or 13th century and have been beautifully preserved. This little gem Villefranche is less known on this coastline because of its close proximity to Monaco and Nice. It was a beautiful day so I spent a couple of hours in town before returning to the ship, as well the weather is predicted to get must worse later in the day. Tomorrow we will be in Italy, docking in Livorno.  Loving every day onboard the Volendam!