This beautiful hill town was originally built in the 9th Century. Skipping 1000 years of history, beginning in the 1920s, artists like Matisse, Soutine, Chagall, Renoir, Modigliani and Dufy as well as writers and film stars were drawn to this tiny town. You can walk around the whole town in approximately 1 hour, but it is definitely worth the visit. My interest in coming was to look at the design of hill towns that blend human need with natural conditions, especially topography. The location of the city is definitely defensive, yet the center of the town begins as usual with the cathedral. The hardscape throughout the town is beautiful with small stones imbedded in the paving. Panoramic as well as picturesque views can be found at every turn. The town continues to be full of artist galleries with a wide range of styles. Old is mixed with new with the original architecture and modernist art pieces added throughout the town. Too bad the Foundation Maeght, a private museum of modernist art, was closed for renovation.
More adventures continue tomorrow as the French trains are on strike for the weekend. Thus, I am renting a very expensive car and headed to Barcelona (the rental for ONE DAY will be EUR 633 or approx. $829.00--which is why everyone rides the train!--the cost will be shared with others in the car). The most difficult part of the six hour drive will be finding the highway from Nice. From there, it should be a relatively straight shot...kind of like going to San Diego in a day. Wish me luck.
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