The Phare de Saint Jean Cap Ferrat has been guiding boats along the sharp cliffs of the tip of the peninsula into the deep port of Villefranche~sur~Mer since 1827. Originally there was a fire tower in this position, in 1827 a 33.50 meter high cut stone structure was built. It was destroyed by the German army in 1944, rebuilt between 1949-52. From the top it looks out to the Italian coastline to the east and Mont de l’Estrérel to the west.
At the top of the stairs you’ll find the COEXIST fountain, this foundation is dedicated to religious literacy and bringing people of different beliefs together. In the name below you can see the Jewish Star of David, the Muslin Crescent and the Christian Cross. Bono of U2 {my neighbor in Eze}, Cherie Blair {wife of the former Prime Minister} and the director of the foundation, James Kinder were all at the inaguration of the fountain in 2007.
After marching up the steep stairs to the lighthouse the “real estate tour begins” the windy, tree lined roads of Cap Ferrat are said to contain said to be the most expensive per square foot property on the planet. Walk up the Chemin du Phare and turn left on the Avenue Jean Cocteau to see another side of this incredible peninsula located between Beauleiu~sur~Mer and Villefranche~sur~Mer on the Côte de Azur.
The French use the term “Faire du Léche Vitrine” for window shopping, it means that you can look the merchandise in the windows, but not really afford to buy anything. Literally, the act of licking the windows, which is generally what we do on this section of the walk, just admire peek-a-boo views of the mansions tucked away in the trees and the elaborate gates and signs. But there is one exception, the famed Villa Santo Sospir.
I feel so very fortunate that I was able to tour this fascinating villa just before it closed for renovation. Click on Villa Santo Sospir to read my post on this historical gem. Francine Weisweiller, a wealthy socialite owned the villa and lived here with with her lover/ friend Jean Cocteau and his young artist/lover Édouard Dermit as Cocteau tattooed the walls of this cultural salon. They made films and entertained Coco Chanel, Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent and other iconic personalities. Cocteau actually designed the Cartier ring based on this time, the 3 rings symbolize their ménage á trois. According to the Santo Sospir website the villa should open this October.
After years of walking by only to see giant cranes over head and peek through holes in the plastic wrapped fence, I was so thrilled to see the gate open and the landscaping complete, so I couldn’t help but to wander in.
Francines daughter, Carole sold the villa to Russian businessman Ilia Melia. The house is a French historic landmark so any changes needed to be approved. I must admit I have concerns about how it will look post-reno, but do feel a bit reassured by this article with Mr. Melia.
The grotto looks as beautiful as ever and the landscaping, including plenty of citrus trees and jasmine is delightful. I’ll be posting a video of the landscaping over there on my instagram feed->->->
Are you ready to wander on down the road? Lunch at Plage Passable is sounding pretty good at this stage. Continue on Avenue Jean Cocteau, it will merge onto Blvd. Général de Gaulle. Here are shots of some of my favorite gates and peeks.
This is mirrored gate is a great little selfie stop.
The Belgian King Leopold II owned the entire west side of Cap Ferrat in the early 1900’s, you can read about his dark and deranged life and the mansions he owned by clicking on The Evil King.
When you reach this turnaround turn left onto Chemin du Roy.
This is a newer, contemporary addition to the rock.
And here we are back at Plage Passable. I love this beach club because it has great views of beautiful Villefranche~sur~Mer, it’s a fine sand beach; the swimming area is enclosed with netting {which keeps out the medusa {jellyfish} and the food is delicious.
Also, it is facing west, so it gets the sun well into the afternoon. I love bringing guest here on their first days so they can lounge in the sun to get over their jet lag. I recommend making lunch reservations in advance, it gets busy in the season. Also, if you want to lounge you should reserve your lounge chairs before sitting down for lunch. They have showers and dressing rooms.
Mr. Splendid love the Linguini Vongole {clam linguine} here. I usually go with the artichoke salad and the fish of the day. The grilled is always delicious, served simply with vegetables.
If you have several people desiring fish, I highly recommend the Salt Crusted preparation {they’ll let you know what sized fish to order}. They pack the whole fish it in a salt/egg white/water paste and bake it until the crust is hard. After presenting it at the table they crack open the crust and filet the fish table side. The fish comes out tender and flavorful. Add a bottle of the Côte de Provence vin blanc, and you’ll enjoy the meal of my dreams!!
Thanks for coming on my favorite hike with me. More from the South of France coming soon! xo,
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