IanL

I do agree that Mere Germaine is overpriced and touristy, but of the group of restaurants in Villefranche it is one of the better ones. There was a question mark over the future of the restaurant given some family wranglings but that seems to have been smoothed over. If you are on a boat it has the great advantage of having its own tender to taxi you to and from the restaurant (not sure if it's possible to leave your own tender on the quayside, although it probably is). Villefranche is a great harbour, but the views (and no doubt service in restaurants) can go downhill when the cruise liners get into town.

Been a quiet trip on the eating front - here with a baby so fine dining is tricky. Lots of casual lunches with lots of rosé - Deux Freres in Roquebrune was nice - OK food, great views. Otherwise, simple lunches - African Queen in Beaulieu, Italian next to Mere Germain in Villefranche (name escapes me), Portofino in Beaulieu Harbour (v basic italian - good salads, locals favourite).

I'm in Eze at the moment and the weather is glorious. Air temp in the shade is high-teens ©, but when the sun is shining it feels much warmer. As always, there are never any guarantees that it's not raining all the time you're here!

Parcours is pretty much in the center of Falicon, which is not many kilometers due north of Nice. If you take the fast road north (the D19?) from the port and keep going underneath the autoroute, then follow (bad) signs. map It's definitely worth a trip if there's a clear sky. The wine list is eclectic. edit: here's the restaurant website which has proper directions.

Just to add my 2 centimes-worth.... If you're stopping on St Jean then i'd definitely rank Paloma above Passable for the food - sun-wise, paloma loses the sun in the early afternoon, especially at this time of year. No worries if you're going back to your boat . paloma beach, st jean de cap ferrat plage de passable, st jean de cap ferrat As far as restaurants with views and food to match - there are a few exceptions to the rule... you could try Parcours in Falicon (chef ex-Chateau de la Chevre d'Or) - tortuous drive but worthwhile for the food and view over the city (and bay) of Nice. Chateau de la Chevre d'Or itself is nowhere as good as it used to be but the food is still of the style and you will not find many other dining rooms with views like it. Be careful though that at this time of year there is still a chance of low cloud near the grand corniche so you run the risk of being sat in the clouds. Hostellerie Jerome in la Turbie is a great 2* with a view - if you manage to get a (the) table by the window. Worth a trip even without the view.

To be fair, the de Walden estate did most of the running in moulding Marylebone High St - not entirely altruistically, thinking they'd get higher rents by regenerating the area and ditching the charity shops. Patricia Michelson did apparently give them advice and helped cajole other shops in once she got on board, but the idea was already firmly in place. Having said that I agree with Silverbrow that La Fromagerie still provides a service that it's difficult to find elsewhere, despite the prices.

The Telegraph's version of HFWs Goose 3-ways

The Yoshikin Global website suggests a 15 degree angle sharpening with a whetstone (so 30 deg for double bevels). It may be that specific knives have different directions, but that's what their general sharpening instructuions are.

Divertimenti cookery school are running chocolate courses all week. Most are booked out but there appears to be space tomorrow for a truffle-making course: