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| © Copyright Millie Brown 2011 |
Hotel Welcome on the bay of Villefranche
Hotel Welcome in the french fishing village of Villefranche sur mer is a very special small hotel, it sits only a couple of metres from the waters edge on the Quai Courbet, with the Chapel of Saint Pierre diagonally opposite.
The hotel has welcomed many greats from the 20th Century, including Jean Cocteau, the French writer, artist, designer, poet and playwright who fell under the spell of Villefranche in the 1950's. He made the Hotel Welcome one of his 'homes' while he moved between Villefranche and other small towns along the Cote d Azur. It was during this time that he decorated the interior of the Chapel of Saint Pierre, work which he dedicated to the fishermen of Villefranche, (Saint Peter being the patron Saint of fishermen).
Cocteau painted five scenes in the chapel, two depicting life on the Mediterranean and three scenes from the life of St Peter.
'A mon très cher Welcome, où j'ai passé le meilleur de ma vie'.
(To my very dear Welcome, where I passed the best of my life')
Jean Cocteau
(To my very dear Welcome, where I passed the best of my life')
Jean Cocteau
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| © Copyright Millie Brown 2011 |
All of Hotel welcome's 35 rooms have beautiful views over the bay and very early in the morning, the only sound that could possibly disturb you from your slumber would be the jangling sound coming from the small fishing boats moored only metres from your pillow.
The staff here are professional, helpful and never intrusive, Nothing is too much trouble and the atmosphere is relaxed but efficient, always a successful mix!
If any readers do enroll at the Institut de Français (see my previous post) you will be asked to arrive on the Sunday prior to the commencement of school, so you will require at least one nights stay at a hotel before being taken to your apartment on the Monday (first day of school). I wholeheartedly recommend that you book your night here, and in doing so you can be pretty sure that it will be the best possible start to your stay in beautiful Villefranche. There are of course many other alternatives but nothing in my eye comes close to the Hotel Welcome.
If you dont stay at the Welcome be sure to seat yourself at their terrace wine bar in the early evening and take the time to enjoy the setting, its pretty special.
Millie x
Millie x
© Copyright Millie Brown 2012
Other posts on Villefranche sur mer
©copyright Millie Brown 2011
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