“Collect moments, not things” -Unknown
Day 5 - Hill Towns and Perfume (St Paul de Vence and Grasse)
Foundation Maeght (Modern Art Museum)
Ashley, the art lover, could not be more excited to be here today! Joan Miro has been one of her favorite artists since her days volunteering at the Milwaukee Art Museum. And when you first walk up to the gates, Joan Miro has a visible statue in the sculpture garden. Mike, the photographer, is eager to accept the challenge of capturing the modern art on his camera. For a small fee of $5, Mike places a blue button on his shirt to signify he is the photographer of the day!
Joan Miro, another Spanish artist, combined the techniques of abstract art with surrealism to create his unique pieces. He was most notably known for expressing his subconscious mind through what appeared to be “simple” and “childlike” art. He disapproved of Picasso’s style as he felt there were undertones of political propaganda in the Cubist art form. Such an interesting history, for two men to have such a similar background, to be at such odds with their art!
St Paul de Vence
This once, quiet medieval village with narrow streets is now a town full of crowds, hustle and bustle! Thanks to the art and attention famous individuals such as Chagall, Picasso, and Roger Moore brought to St Paul de Vence, it is now a popular stop on several tourists trips. Its narrow, winding, cobblestone walkways keep you guessing as you turn corners and find restaurants, art galleries, and other unique views of the coastline. This is the perfect place to have a quick lunch and explore!
Grasse and Perfume Factory Tour
Our trip to Grasse provided postcard views of the country side, with bright green rolling hills, and sleepy villages subtly tucked away. When we stepped out of the bus, we could smell flowers in the air. The perfume capital of the world is surrounded by fresh jasmin, orange blossom, and violet fields. Everything around us smelled amazing (and better than we did after our hike through St Paul de Vence!)
Parfumerie Fragonard
We weren’t sure what to expect with the Parfumerie Fragonard, but when Ashley used the restroom and there were five different fragranced soaps to choose from, she knew the afternoon was going to have some surprises in store for the group! We were met with friendly faces as our tour guide took us through 3,000 years of perfume history. Production, bottling, soaps, fragrances, prices, and more were discussed. Everyone on our tour, even the men, were engaged and had questions regarding this process.
We ended the tour at the gift shop where we smelled the perfumes and made a few purchases. We were encouraged to stop by the Musee International de la Parfumerie, the Perfume Museum, before we left on the third floor. It was a brief, but fascinating floor to see the tools once used and variety of shapes perfume was bottled in for purchase. |
We spent the rest of our time in Grasse wandering the narrow streets through the historic buildings. Ashley spotted a tiny bakery making fresh crepes and realized they had not yet had the delicacy, and they were both hungry! We watched the crepes being made with huge eyes. We are standing in the middle of France, having a fresh crepe- it felt like a scene out of a movie. And the nutella crepe was amazing (it’s a good thing we decided to order our own, and not share!
Daily Snapshot
~As we were walking from the Maeght Foundation to the city, Mike was shooting into the sun as he was trying to capture panoramics of St Paul de Vence. Therefore, after lunch, we walked back up the path and took pictures again once the sun had moved. These are now Mike’s favorite images from our trip.
~Even if you say you “don’t like art”, step into a few shops in the streets of St Paul de Vence. They are extremely unique and worth a few minutes of your afternoon. ~The tour at Fragonard Parfumeur is about 30 minutes. Men, you can do it! Don’t sit it out as it provides insight into the history of Grasse and the development of the area. |