Final Post for now

On my last day in Nice, I visited some of the neighbourhood shops to pick up a few items such as Roquefort cheese and wine to bring back to Canada. I passed by the local cathedral on my return trip and noticed there were a couple of stalls out front with displays of the most beautiful creations for Palm Sunday. I couldn't resist taking a few photos. When I was a child, we used to get a simple cross made from a palm leaf; nothing as elaborate as these. 

My last evening in Nice was pretty quiet. I had to get up at 4 a.m. to catch a bus to the airport. To add insult to injury, the clocks changed that night, so I lost an additional hour. Instead of going out for dinner, I bought a piece of quiche from the nearby bakery and ordered some wine at the hotel. Here is my final meal (without the quiche).

Once again, it has been an amazing experience. I realized that I have spent 10 out of the last 18 months living in the south of France. I have met some extraordinary people and have had the privilege of travelling extensively in this part of France. Although I am not yet fluent in the language, I have made significant gains and I intend to practice in Edmonton. There is no doubt in my mind that I will return to France to continue my language studies. The question is when. We have a few trips planned for this year and early next so I will have to see. Until then, thanks for following my blog.

Art Museums in Nice

During my stays in both Nice and Villefranche, I visited several art museums which were all very different, but most interesting. I've written about some of them in previous blogs, but I wanted to comment on and share a few pictures of a couple of others.

One cool afternoon in December, Keith and I walked over to Le Musée des Beaux Arts. The building was once a private villa owned by a Russian princess and later converted to an art museum in 1928. Although the building is past its prime, you can still see some of the splendor and original art frescos. In addition, there was a varied art collection of paintings and sculptures by renowned artists such as Jan Brueghel, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, August Rodin, Jules Chéret and Raoul Dufy. 

Keith at the top of the grand staircase of Le Musée des Beaux Arts

Les Trois Grâces -  Anonyme d'après Antonia Canova 

Le Baiser - August Rodin

At the other end of the spectrum, Brian and I visited Le Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (MAMAC). Even the building is sleek and modern, but wait until you see what is inside.

This was one of the first art installations I saw.

Recycled water bottles.

How do you know if it is art or not? A very good question I reckon. 

Les Oeuvres de Niki de Saint Phalle (Art works by Niki de Saint Phalle)

Relief Planétaire sans titre 1961 - Yves Klein. Apparently the pure blue pigment seen in the first panel is known as Klein blue as it was first mixed by this French artist. Several of his pieces were on display featuring this deep ultramarine blue colour. 

The last installation we visited, called Sitemotion, was created by artist Paola Risoli. The room was filled with large metal cans with large openings. You had to bend down or sit and peer inside to see small elaborate scenes within each one. Here is an example of one of the cans...

and here are a couple of examples of interior views. It almost reminded me of dollhouses.

One day we went to see both Le Musée Matisse and the Marc Chagall museum in Cimiez. Pictures were forbidden in the Matisse gallery, but I did take a couple of photos in the Marc Chagall museum.

I have seen some of Chagall's works in other galleries, but in this one, his art was definitely inspired by the Bible.

Lastly, my new friend Dania and I spent a pleasant hour wandering through Le Musée Massena. It is a beautiful building with lovely gardens along Promenade des Anglais and within 5 minutes of the Hotel Rivoli. On my last day in Nice, we decided to take a look. It was built between 1898 and 1901 and became a museum of art and history in 1921. Recently renovated, it retraces the history of Nice displaying collections of furniture, decorations and works of art. 

This ornate sofa leg caught my eye.

I was quite taken by the posters that were used to promote tourism in Nice. Here are a few.

This one was painted by Jules Chéret who has a room dedicated to his art at le Musée des Beaux- Arts.

This last poster reflects how I feel about winter in La Côte d'Azur. Even if the sun isn't shining, it is warmer than Canada and there is no snow. When the sun shines, you just can't beat the beauty of the shimmering Mediterranean, the flowers and the palm trees. I love it!