This city wears its heritage casually whilst quietly being modern. A population of near 300000, 25% of whom are students. The University is one of the oldest in the world and it has the oldest medical school still in operation. Nostradamus is (was?) an alumni. Who’d have predicted that?
Enter old via new OldOldGreat shapes
It remains France’s fastest growing city. We saw part of the greater metropolian area yesterday, though thankfully not all of the 800000 population. The location, 10km from the Med, helps.
Not worked outBathsRaiding the bins
So an old city with a young feel: the centre is largely pedestrianised. We ambled through narrow streets: easy to do on a quiet Sunday when most shops are shut. Great street art makes the mundane pop.
SelfieHung up
The highlight was the recently reopened and repurposed Carré Sainte-Anne church with a great JR display. Key learning point for me: JR is a famous grafitti artist, not from Dallas.
Adventice draws from a little-known chapter of the city’s history. In the Middle Ages, wool imported from Spain, North Africa, and beyond carried hidden seeds. These foreign seeds thrived in the Mediterranean climate, giving rise to France’s first botanical garden.
In botany, adventice stems from the Latin advenire, “that which comes from the outside.” Once seen as invasive weeds, they are now recognized as vital to biodiversity, supporting pollinators and enriching soil. Cornflowers and poppies are among them, now iconic in the French countryside.
In the middle of the church, a tree stands tall, covered with over 10,000 hands sent in by participants from around the world. The roots reveal themselves through anamorphosis, and those who approach the tree can listen to its heart beat. Each visitor is welcome to scan and add their hand to the project.
JR’s work
For a change, not bullshit: quite stunning.
Tintin17C viaductBluesNo Pound
After all these cities, I’m left wondering how the UK lost a lot of its central cities to modern development. Only a relative few were bombed. We also lost trams. Somebody got the plans wrong methinks (simplistically).
Cousin of Robert the Bruce? Get away!Con fusing17C Church
The Antigone area we’re staying in gives a glimpse of what might have been. Regenerated from 1980s it’s concrete with style and purpose, centred around a University campus and social housing. The contrast with Swansea University’s new bleak campus couldn’t be starker. Antigone is a 20 min walk from the centre, great public transport and a variety of good eateries. How complicated is it?
Must be lack of exercise today – the judgemental cells have woken up!
The last time we were here was at the end of a Calais-Montpellier bike ride. The further south we went the wetter. White Carmargue horses were standing looking bedraggled in muddy water carrying placards reading “no photos today please”. The pink flamingoes were drooket: their placards read “fresh dye needed”. The roads were flooded.
PrivateVentilationNewOldFrance
Today the horses were taking selvies and admiring themselves in the mirror. The flamingoes had found the paint pot. The roads were fine, wind blown dry.
ThatchGoing in circles
Leaving Salon-du-Provence there was an unstated assumption the whole population were hungover. The scooters had mufflers fitted as did the church bells. Not a peep,
Pretty
We stopped in Arles – a grand market near the Roman Ampitheatre. Van Gogh has connections here. He arrived in 1888, aged 35, had a great busy period (painting, not going to the market), had a breakdown: twas here he cut of a bit of his ear. We didn’t visit the museum so we don’t know if they kept it.
ScaleSalt
A water jousting competition in Carmargue was a popular hit. They probably went on to eat the local delicacy: fennel flavoured snails.
Water Jousting
Montpellier is reached by a bewildering variety of cycle paths going in random directions using any crappy surface they can find. It seems. Some interesting buildings kept up the entertainment.
A delightful day ending in a great wee town with lots of buzz. The usual Roman history (on a major X roads), 12C Church and Castle etc. An added frisson of predictability: Nostradamus lived and died here in his later years (1566 when he was 63). I wonder if he had an alter ego called Nostrapraiseus.
Looking backRegusse 14C windmillPlain sailingHomeLots of these?
Never having been to Provence before today’s mild weather allowed us to savour its rural delights. Vineyards, lavender fields, shrivelled oak forests. Villages atop of hills, cunningly disguised to look the same with a church tower dominating. Where are we, said the marauders – bereft of Google Maps? I don’t know, they all look alike. Nice though: let’s have a coffee and smoke and bypass the pillaging.
Commune muralA Notre DameDilly dillyNot Swansea CanalColourful
Salon de-Provence has a party on tonight. A 45000 town with 25000 folks expected for the disco DJ’s 200m away from where we’re staying. Hope the buildings are still up in the morning…..
Just stone workGet a jildy onA mere snapFerme
Tomorrow into Montpellier.
DJ Statue watching LearningNot in job description12 C Just a tower.
The nearest “town” is Aups. So twinned with Yorkshire. 10miles along the coast, turn right and continue up, down, up, around, up, down.
Nice beachLook outReached landReached a peakBaking
Passing through Glasse, known as the Perfume Town as many large brands make expensive liquids there. Nice pastries too.
street artart art A favourite place to buildCuteTo many f’in RsFine viaduct
Then lots of villages full of character, mainly empty (extended siesta) apart from the men outside sitting smoking and drinking coffee. There’s a recurring theme here.
LunchChit chatTypicalTypical
A grand day, ending up in the Verdon Regional National Park.
Love the textureGuess where?Think I’ll wait thanksStarter’s orders@ two tours
Failed on the limerick – food took precedence. Maybe just as well. Barbara set the tone with her tale: Anne Rose sat on a pin: Anne rose.
Nice, capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. Founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite, the city has also long attracted artists. Former resident Henri Matisse is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Musée Matisse. Musée Marc Chagall features some of its namesake’s major religious works.
`Unesco notFrench notCute
Today it has a reputation as Weston – Super- Mare on the Med. Probably unfairly: it has a steep pebble beach and no mud insight. Colourful buildings with marvellous balconies. Artistic squares. A bustling market. Sunshine. It is (quelle suprise) UNESCO listed.
PatienceHappy pigeonsStatue using tramPigeons turn out to be horses
Go two streets from the main thoroughfare and it’s very quiet, with locals doing what locals do. Buying pastries, drinking coffee, smoking, laundry. Traffic is quite light.
One of oursReal and artLegendary French BikeNot DHL
It was interesting to learn Nice was annexed to France is 1860 as part of the Treaty of Turin: something to do with a dispute involving the Duchy of Savoy. (Which has distant connections to the Savoy Hotel, named after Count Peter of Savoy in 1246 who built his palace there – then became the home of the Dukes of Lancaster who still own the land today. Glad you asked.)
RavioloNot for my teeth
Today an enjoyable rest day mooch taking in the local sights.
Lights offLook what I’ve foundGreat shutters
Tomorrow the bikes may get a wash as we cycle up into the Alpes-Maritimes. Moissac-Bellevue has a population of 300, a wee bit smaller than Nice’s 360000. It may also be a challenging rhyme.
Travelling reflections 