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Monday, June 25, 2012

Antibes AbFab


Visting Antibes, France is a fun day trip.  Founded in the 5th Century as a Greek colony, and later taken over by the Romans, Antibes is rich in history with beautiful architecture and stunning views of the sea.


I planned my trip to Antibes for the sole purpose of seeing the Musee Picasso in the glorious Chateau Grimaldi.  This could easily be one of the prettiest places on earth.

Picasso de profil au château Grimaldi: Denise Colomb, 1950

Picasso moved to the South of France in the late 1940s, and he painted in the Chateau Grimaldi for around 3 months.  The museum is interesting as it houses both finished paintings and studies.

La Chèvre, Picasso (1946)
Nature morte a la pasteque, Picasso (1946)

The cool stucco walls lined with the work create a serene environment.  And around corners you find windows with beautiful views.  What a wonderfully inspiring place to paint; I can imagine Picasso with his brushes and palettes breathing in the salt air.


La Feuille, Germaine Richier (1946)   
La Vierge folle, Germaine Richier (1946)
The sculpture garden facing the sea is the perfect way to end the museum tour.  Walking into the garden is breath taking, and truly magnificent.  If only to be able to go back in time and witness Picasso himself walking the grounds and taking in the view.


Next door is Antibes Catherdral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Platea d'Antibes), where I caught a glimpse of a bride going into the church for her wedding.


French Laundry
Not knowing at all what I was getting into, I was surprised to walk around the cobblestone streets and find little treasures.  Premiere Pression Provence is a little gourmet shop selling truffle products, herbes de Provence, etc.  There is a sweet toy shop with precious gifts for little ones.  And I stumbled into Carre Blanc, a store carrying beautiful linens.  And then there is the market in the center of town.  Tables and tables are filled with everything from lamps, antique furniture, antique linens, and more.  I sorted through the clothes to find some Chanel and a few other designers.  One vendor had a beautiful bag designed by Christian Lacroix for a French label I didn't know.  I'm still regretful of leaving that one behind...


After all that walking around, I enjoyed a glass of the Provence rose wine in the town center.  Surprisingly reminded that life is a parade.

1 comment:

Claire said...

What peace today's blog suggests. The silver stone against the clear sky is artistry in itself.