Art Museums in Nice, France

"Woman reading at a yellow table", by Matisse

While in Nice, I bought a 3-day museum pass for 15 euros, which allowed me to visit 10 of the city's museums, and turned out to be a great bargain, since I'd been planning to see many of them anyway. What was surprising is that the two big name museums, the Matisse and the Chagall museums, were the most disappointing.

The Matisse Museum had very few of his paintings at all, and only a couple of his later, more colorful pieces. I had really hoped to see his scenes of life on the Cote d'Azur, but none were included in this collection. Similarly, I was led astray about the Chagall Museum by an online review that stated the museum has the largest collection of Chagall's work in the world. Absolutely not true! There are 12 very large paintings of biblical scenes and 6 other paintings that refer to the "Song of Songs". But the room where those six paintings were located was closed, as were several other rooms. Due to the various closures, entry was free that day, (this museum is not included in the 3-day pass), so at least there was that. Basically, I got to see 12 large paintings that were not the colorful, whimsical works I had hoped to see. 

Getting to these two museums is easy enough if you know which buses to take, which I did. But they are both across town from the city center, and up a steep hill, so those who try walking to the museums are often put out when they arrive and find little to see.

A few lesser museums I visited were a nice surprise. Musee Massena is housed in a majestic villa on the Promenade des Anglais, and surrounded by a lush garden. It houses a collection of historical artifacts about Nice's history, from the end of the 1800s through to 1930 and the end of the Belle Epoque.

Musee Massena

Musee des Beaux Arts de Jules Cheret houses a collection of six centuries of art, including works by Bronzino, Bruegel the elder, Fragonard and many others. It also has an important collection of the painter and poster artist Jules Cheret, for whom the museum was named.

The two museums that turned out to have the most fascinating exhibits were Palais Lascaris and MAMAC, The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Palais Lascaris is a 17th century baroque villa that was once home to the Lascaris family, and is still furnished as it was then. Many frescoes adorn the rooms, still in pristine condition. A vast collection of musical instruments is housed there, as well as a current exhibit by the fabric artist odon. 

One of odon's pieces.

After having a heart attack at mid-life, the artist Guy Hudoin changed his life, his name, and the focus of his art away from tragedy. Odon became a master at intricately braiding pieces of paper that he painted on both sides into elaborate designs. 

Another work by odon.

Seeing his unique works of art hanging amidst 17th century furnishings provided a remarkable contrast. 

The MAMAC has a large collection of many great works of modern art, which I'm usually not a big fan of. But I thoroughly enjoyed perusing the art in this museum, and was especially entranced by the work of Niki de Saint Phalle, who donated much of her work to the MAMAC in 2002, the year before she died. Her work initially focused on violent themes, and she was considered an "outsider" artist as a result of her controversial pieces. But much like odon, she moved away from tragedy and towards work that represented modern woman in all her fabulous forms. Over time, her figures became more joyful, whimsical and colorful. 

Unfortunately,  my phone was broken when I visited the MAMAC and Chagall museums, and I'm currently unable to access the photos I took with my digital camera of those exhibits. I hope to add photos at a later date. In the meantime, there are many images and explanations of the biblical scenes in the Chagall Museum online. You can also find  information about the life and work of Niki de Saint Phalle and odon. Enjoy doing some research on your own to learn more about them!

In any case, Nice is definitely a city of art, with many wonderful museums and exhibits that will appeal to every taste.

Nice: There's more than beaches here

On my second day in Nice, I enjoyed a variety of activities,  which included sitting by the sea to watch the waves and hear the music they created when splashing onto the small rocks that comprise the beach. But that came after many other excursions.

First, I explored the residential district where my apartment is located, the Riquier. It's a good trek to the beach from there, but has easy tram access to most areas of Nice that I want or need to go to. The apartment was a reasonable expense for Nice, with a kitchen and washing machine, plus a balcony that overlooks a large park.

The view from my balcony.

It's comfy,  cozy and secure. There are many boulangeries nearby, and I stopped in one for a fresh croissant, then stepped in a cafe for an espresso, each purchase costing only 1,20 euros. A mere two blocks away is a small train station, which means I won't have to trek across town to use the main train hub. Even better, just across the street there are several useful bus stops, including one that will take me east to towns like Eze and Villefranche, where there are seaside walking trails I plan to tackle. These are wonderful conveniences that I hadn't been aware of when choosing the apartment.

Two blocks in another direction there's a "commercial center" or indoor mall, which includes a vast Carrefour grocery store, where everyone in the district seems to shop. To check out, you stand in a queue until a woman employee directs you to the first available checkout stand. I was surprised to come across a sign advising that during three different times of day the store has "silent hours", when sounds and lights are lowered to accommodate their neurodivergent customers. It's hard to imagine the same thing in the local grocery stores back home.

Shhh!

I bought supplies to make several lunches and dinners,  one of the ways I keep costs low on my travels. I took a break for lunch at the apartment, and it's lucky I did, as there was a brief rainstorm for an hour near noon. By 3 pm the sun was shining again, and I continued exploring. I headed toward a nearby park where I'd seen men playing petanque the day before. In this game, players throw small, heavy balls (boules) towards a target ball. Today there were 5 or 6 different teams of retired-age men playing, while other groups of men played cards at tables in the shade. It seemed to be a park that only men used (though I spied two women amongst the sea of men),  and where signs declared that dogs were prohibited.

Playing petanque in the park.

After that, I headed toward Vieux Nice, the quaint old town center where everyone goes to shop and eat. I'd been there nine years ago at night, when it seemed quite magical, but today it just seemed careworn, crowded with tourists looking for bargains in the many shops along the small, twisting streets. I stopped to buy a glace (gelato), of rose and lavender, at Fenocchio, known for their unusual and homemade flavors. Truly a taste treat! Next I wandered over to Jardin Albert 1er, a park that features a charming carousel and structures made from bamboo and rattan. Next week, the park will host a Book Festival on its grounds. 

Across the street lies the Promenade des Anglais, where everyone goes to hang out, to see and be seen, to walk, sit or stand and watch the sea. It runs from the airport west for 7 km.

Promenade des Anglais

I spent several hours there, soaking up the sun, enjoying the afternoon. At 7 pm, with 16000 steps completed, I caught the tram back to Riquier and my apartment. It was a rich and satisfying day.

Nice, France: A Tribute to a Creative Life

I have come to Nice to pay tribute to the creative and adventurous life of my brother Chris, who died too young in October, 2022 at the age of 66. Chris was an accomplished photographer, musician, songwriter, poet, outdoor sportsman and world traveler - many interests that we avidly shared. I had a special kinship with my youngest brother and was denied the chance to visit him during the last year of his life and to say goodbye, subsequently my grief has been profound and debilitating. To heal, I decided to revisit a setting where Chris and I met up in 2014 to share an adventure. I hope to create some sort of goodbye ritual while I'm here.

Back then, Chris had recently recovered from treatment for Hepatitis C, and feeling healthy again, he decided to fulfill a long cherished dream of riding a motorcycle through the Alps. I was living in Florence, Italy at the time, where he stopped in to visit me for a few days before touring through northern Italy, Switzerland and France. 

Chris arriving at my apartment in Florence

Happy times with my little bro.

At the end of his ride, we met up in Nice and spent a short time sharing our travel stories before he headed home. It was so glorious to finally share my European life with a family member, and Nice seems the perfect place to carry on Chris's penchant for creativity and adventure.

Lunch with Chris in Place Garibaldi, Nice.

I plan to spend my time here doing the things we both enjoyed most - having adventures, being creative and recording our experiences to share with others. In this way, I can best keep him present in heart and mind. 

Nice, France: Vieux Nice

Strolling in Vieux Nice.

One of the most charming parts of Nice is the historical center, known as Vieux Nice, an area of the city that has scarcely changed since the 1700s. Its tiny lanes are crowded with delis, food shops, boutiques and bars.

A spice shop.

Though I walked through this area several times a day, I didn't do much shopping there. But I enjoyed seeing the variety of shops and cafes vying for attention.

A unique bar/cafe

Vieux Nice has become a trendy area, with an abundance of color and panache: its a veritable feast for the eye.

Welcome to our vintage clothing store!

Luscious pastries!

 And of course, lots of tempting food is available!

A restaurant specializing in local foods.

Since we were there in October, the tourist traffic was lighter than usual, and the shops started closing after 7 or 8 pm, leaving many streets with an eerie, empty feeling.

By 8 pm, some streets of Vieux Nice were empty.

Overall, our stay in Nice was a unique adventure, but much too short to take advantage of all that the area has to offer. There's so much to do and see! I hope to return in the future for a longer stay. 

Nice, France: The Beach and Castle Hill

Sailboats on the Mediterranean, from the beach at Nice

We've all seen images of the French Riviera, and it's touted as one of the most beautiful spots in the world. But seeing it up close and personal was not what I expected. Yes, it's long, and attractive: the weather is lovely and the setting is exquisite.

Hanging out on the beach

But the beach itself? It's rocky! And it's no fun walking along a rocky beach like the one in Nice. What's more, walking barefoot is out of the question. But if you can get past that, it's a great place to spend an afternoon watching and listening to the waves.

The only sand you'll find on this beach!

There is only one sandy spot, a sort of large sandbox, where kids can play and build sandcastles. There is also an absence of changing cabins, which are readily available (usually for a price) on the beaches in Italy. Instead, in Nice I noticed several people, men and women, changing their clothes right on the beach. They managed to take off all their clothes and put on bathing suits (usually bikinis) with little fuss or notice...quite modestly, in fact, without any sort of cover up.

You can see how large the rocks are on Nice's beach. Ouch!

Even though the rocks kept me from walking along the beach, I found a spot to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. It's a lovely sound...like a rain stick....a swoosh as the wave comes in, and then a clatter of the rocks hitting against each other as the wave recedes.

Benches like this are placed along the Promenade des Anglais: a great place to watch the sea!

After walking along the beach, we decided to explore Castle Hill, the highest point of the city, where there are spectacular views of the Riviera. We went in the afternoon, and were already tired, so took advantage of the elevator that swiftly transports you from beach level to the top of the hill.
 

A view of the Riviera from Castle Hill

At the top, there is a large park with a terrace, and a variety of paths to meander along. The 90-meter terrace overlooks the sea, but the castle itself is no longer there.

A view of Nice from the other side of the terrace on Castle Hill.

Castle Hill” was the site chosen by the Greeks in 350 B.C. to set up a trading-post, thus founding the city of Nice. The post became a permanent settlement, and they named it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory.

Cascade Dijon: A man made waterfall on Castle Hill

A castle was built on the site during the Middle Ages, but had been completely destroyed by 1706, as the city underwent the tumult  caused by various rulers. 

Castle Hill with the beach in the foreground and the full moon above.

We made our way back down to the beach from the castle, avoiding the elevator in favor of walking. We were lucky to be in Nice during a full moon, and I was able to get some lovely shots of the beach and the city under its glow.

Nice, France: Place Garibaldi, Place Massena

Place Gardibaldi

In France, the large squares where people congregate are called les places, and in Nice there are several places of note (the singular, place, is pronounced like plas). Luckily, our hotel was just around the corner from Place Garibaldi, a popular hangout, where one could easily catch the tram to get to other parts of Nice. The tram service is efficient and streamlined, and the voices announcing the stops are sultry!

Place Garibaldi under the full moon, Oct. 2014.

Place Garibaldi is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the Italian unification, who was born in Nice in 1807. In fact, Nice was part of Italy for most of its history, until  1860, when it was ceded to France as a territorial reward for French assistance in the Second Italian War of Independence. There's a large statue standing in tribute to Garibaldi in Place Garibaldi, but it seems ironic that he is so honored, since he opposed the cession.

Place Massena showing a few of the resin statues.

In Place Massena – Nice’s geographic center – there are seven resin statues that were created by Jaume Plensa, a Spanish artist. They are depicted as male figures, sitting or kneeling, as if in meditation. At first glance, they seem a bit odd, but also intriguing.The nearby buildings are attractively painted in lovely shades of red or orange ochre, all with light blue shutters.

At night, the statues light up, radiating the colors of the rainbow.

These seven figures represent the seven continents and the communication between the different communities of today’s society. The name of this creation is “conversation à Nice”. In addition, the statues are illuminated every night, smoothly changing shades, going through the different colors of the rainbow, as if to emulate a dialog among them.

Tram moving through Place Massena

Place Massena is one of the largest public "squares" I've seen in Italy or France, and is the main square in Nice. Since the place was rebuilt in 2007 to accommodate the tramline, everything looks fresh and new. Place Massena is often used for special events and festivals, but serves as a park and meeting place for both locals and tourists on a daily basis. 

Blowing bubbles in Place Massena

Statue of Apollo in the La Fontaine du Soleil in Place Massena.

At one end of the square stands the La Fontaine du Soleil, or Fountain of the Sun, with a majestic statue of Apollo at its center. From here, it's only a two-minute walk to the Promenade des Anglais and the beach.

Nice, France: Promenade du Paillon

A view of the ''fog'' fountain on the Promenade du Paillon

Nice is more than a pretty beach and ritzy shopping venues. It's a wonderland of creative, interactive outdoor art, mesmerizing fountains and free art museums. Many of the wonders are part of  the new Coulée Verte, or “green corridor”, officially known as the Promenade de Paillon, opened in October 2013. The park covers nearly 30 acres and spans 1.2 kilometers (.75 miles), right through the heart of Nice.

The jet fountain: people can walk amidst the pulsating jets

In order to spruce up the area once dominated by an ugly bus station and concrete multi-story car park, those structures were demolished in 2011. In their place, the city has created a green space that has turned into a public garden, complete with fountains, a variety of unusual trees, interactive art displays and playgrounds. The Promenade du Paillon was constructed over the river of the same name, buried in the nineteenth century to clean up the city. Everything in the park is designed as a reminder of the river, which still flows beneath the city.

The "fog" fountain, minus the fog

Several fountains provide a place to play: one has pulsating jets that people can walk around. The jets pulsate at different heights and rhythms, stop altogether, then start up again, so it's wise to be careful when walking around them, to avoid getting drenched. Another "fountain" emits fog, and seems to be popular with both children and adults. It provides a dramatic backdrop to wander through, and there was a male model being filmed for an advertisement while I was taking photos.

Filming in the fog

One of several play areas for children

For children, there are swings, a variety of games and giant structures to climb on,  sculpted in wood in the form of marine animals, such as whales, dolphins, turtles, and octopus.

Wooden chairs that can be moved to face different directions

Some areas have arcades with roofs, and sturdy wooden chairs that can be moved to change directions for a different view, or to turn away from the sun's rays. This vast green corridor has been planted with 1,000 trees, 61,730 shrubs and 55,364 hardy plants, and is intended as a place for recreation, well-being and tranquility.

Magical night art on the pavement

As I was walking through the garden one evening, I noticed that there were mesmerizing designs on the pavement, and the designs changed, depending on the amount of light near them and where I was standing. It seems that the pavement was painted with some type of luminescent paint that reflected light. I couldn't find any explanations of the phenomenon in Nice, but after doing some research on the internet, came across something they might have used to create this effect. Perhaps it was " a glow-in-the-dark product called “STARPATH” that can be applied to virtually any pavement surface to provide energy-free lighting once night falls. The material absorbs light during the day to create a luminous glow at night, and it is also non-slip and water-resistant, so it could reduce accidents while increasing visibility." (from http://inhabitat.com/dazzling-starpath-pavement-glows-in-the-dark-to-provide-energy-free-illumination/) Whatever the case, it added to the fun and enjoyment of the Promenade.

Nice, France, Part 1

Nice, France

Okay, I've been lazy for a few months, and still have stories to post about my recent stay in Italy, which included a side trip to the French Riviera. I was surprised and delighted with Nice, which I hadn't anticipated at all. I mean, I was expecting a lot of snobby, rich people,  and that everything would be expensive and la ti da, but it was NOT like that at all! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I'm eager to return and spend more time in that part of the world.

Our venture to Nice took place during the first week of October, 2014. Since we had bought our train tickets online three months earlier, we got great discounts, and paid less than 30 euros one way from Florence to Nice. The journey involved several train changes, one in Genova and another in Ventimiglia, located on the border between Italy and France. Our journey took about four hours total, but was otherwise uneventful.

Gare di Nice Ville: train station

Once we arrived in Nice, the first thing we did was take the tram across town to our hotel, located near Place Garibaldi. We lucked out, as the hotel was both inexpensive and centrally located, near Vieux Nice. Once settled, we went out to look for food, in particular, Socca, which is  a  thin, unleavened crêpe, made with chickpea flour and sprinkled with pepper. It's a typical food of the Ligurian seacoast, from Nice to Pisa. Socca turned out to be very cheap and filling, an interesting and unusual snack.

Socca stand near our hotel

By an odd coincidence, my brother Chris from Camas, Washington was in Nice that weekend. He'd been in Cannes for work and had come to visit me in Florence the previous week. When he heard we were coming to Nice that weekend, he arranged to stay an extra day so we could meet up before his departure for Denmark and another work-related meeting. 

Chris and I at a restaurant on Place Garibaldi

Chris called to tell me he was eating lunch near our hotel, so we met up with him for a brief chat before going on to explore Nice for the first time. We headed down the winding streets of Vieux Nice, the older part of town, to the beach. After all, isn't that where all the action takes place? I mean, we'd come to the French Riviera...shouldn't we be checking it out?

Vieux Nice

Above and along the long stretch of Nice's famous beach is the equally famous  Promenade des Anglais, or La Prom, as the locals call it. It seems it was named The English Promenade because it was originally conceived of by wealthy English visitors who were visiting Nice in the late 1800's and noticed that many people were out of work. The city of Nice liked the idea, and expanded on it, building a wide pathway that follows the line of beach from one end to the other.

Promenade des Anglais

One can stroll, run, skate, or bike along the path, which is lined with palm trees, or sit in one of the many long benches that face the sea. I spent several hours enjoying this part of Nice, and only wish I could have stayed longer.

Cours Saleya, a shopping area near La Prom.

Of course, shopping in Nice is de rigour, and we did some of that, though it was not my favorite pasttime. Instead, I would have preferred spending more time at the beach. However, shopping abroad  is always interesting, and I did my share of it during our stay. Mainly, I shopped for soap, lavender and perfume, small items that would not add much weight to my luggage.

That evening we met up with my brother for dinner in Vieux Nice, such a special occasion! I'd seen my brother at the beginning and end of his adventure, and was thrilled to have been able to share that event with him. (I need to write a post about his motorcycle journey through France and Italy!)

Eating out in Vieux Nice with Chris and  Haruko.

The next day my friend and I were headed to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, so we bid adieu to Chris and returned to our hotel.