Renoir on the Floor
The Musée Renoir is in the Grimaldi Castle-Museum in Haut-de-Cagnes on the French Riviera. Don't worry -- if you're like me and think Renoir is overrated, there is an olive museum in here, a modern and contemporary art section (featuring some local artists), a Suzy Solidor portrait room, the building itself, its history, and incredible vistas from a tower you can climb. This is absolutely worth the four euro entrance fee and is closed Tuesdays.
Dating from about 1300, this was a fort built by a Grimaldi (you know, the Monaco family) and it was developed over time as a seigniorial residence in the 17th c. Lovers of the Baroque style and fans of Le Marquis de Sade will find plenty to absorb here. (His family was intermarried with the Grimaldis, and there is a lot of geneological and heraldic information here.)
Haut-de-Cagnes has an ingenious, modern parking silo, as automobiles just aren't possible way up here. (The price is very reasonable.) This charming perched village has gourmet restaurants (reservations recommended), steep streets, crazily stacked ancient stone dwellings, a weird church which had to be constructed on two levels with two main entrances for lack of flat surface area, as as you can see on some other short clips I will post on my two YouTube channels or on Dailymotion, one of the most astonishing 360° views of the Maritime Alps and the Mediterranean sea you can have without actually flying.
Renoir spent the last years of his life here due to health issues. His wife kind of tricked him into buying Les Collettes, as he was tight-fisted, apparently, and could be indecisive. She said the old olive plantation nearby was about to be sold to a real estate developer, and that spurred him to take out his wallet. Really, it was a good thing -- the trees would have been cut down and carved into souvenirs for tourists.
Photos without flash and videos are permitted here.
copyright 2013 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A.
Dailymotion: LisaFalour
YouTube: SLOBOMOTION, CUTECATFAITH
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cagnes-tourisme.com
Fear of Heights?
I suppose those with a fear of heights could consider including this place on their aversion therapy map.
I paid four euros, worth every eurocent, to visit the Grimaldi Castle Museum in Haut-de-Cagnes on the Côte d'Azur. It was almost up there in fear-factor with Rocamadour here in France.
The ancient village and this château with orgins c. 1300 (Grimaldi, Monaco) are high enough, but then to go up into the tower ... wow!
I could see over toward Antibes, and Menton. I rented a house for a week in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, about 35 km from here, behind some of the Maritime Alps seen here. Then, I rented an apartment up in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, closer to this place. Whether on the Mediterranean or inland a bit, in the dramatic mountains, this region is of course famous for its beauty and history.
The museum has the Musée Renoir with the Solidor Donation, there is an olive tree museum, architectural things are shown and explained here, and there's also modern and contemporary art, some from the area. This place is absolutely worth the visit.
copyright 2013 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A.
Dailymotion: LisaFalour
YouTube: SLOBOMOTION, CUTECATFAITH
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Villa niagara cagnes sur mer
THE SOLIDOR PORTRAIT ROOM
Suzy Solidor -- gay icon alert!
I like the Conté crayon studies of her -- particularly the one of her in the nude, with her back turned to the artist.
Definitely, the cutest portrait's by Picabia -- greatest artist of the 20th century. Whenever anyone asks you who your favorite artist is, say, Picabia. Just look up a little of him if you like, but you can also paraphrase his response to, What sort of art do you do? He replied something like, I do Spanish ladies in mantillas, and I do machines. If you don't like machines, I will do a Spanish lady in a mantilla. If you don't like Spanish ladies in mantillas, I will do machines. My favorite work by Picabia is titled, LUNDI. How and why he did that one, near the end of his life, is quite a story, but really, it's a wonderful painting, and the title and theme says it all for me.
This room is in the Grimaldi Castle-Museum in Haut-de-Cagnes on the French Riviera. If you like Renoir, the Musée Renoir there is for you. If you don't like Renoir, the museum of the olive tree is for you. If you don't like olive trees, olive oil, or anything having to do with olives, the modern and contemporary art collection is for you. If you don't like art, the architecture of the c. 1300 castle fort is for you, as well as the history involved with the place. If you don't like architecture or history, your four euro admission permits you to climb the tower and feel panic as you enjoy the terrifying, sweeping, panorama. If you don't like scary heights and the Côte d'Azur, you can go back down the steps and look at Suzy Solidor's Roaring '20s mother of pearl bathing suit. There are no Spanish ladies in mantillas and few machines, but overall, it's not a bad place to visit. And you can go have ice cream at Jimmy's, as many have done since the Roaring '20s.
info@cagnes-tourisme.com
cagnes-tourisme.com
Office de Tourisme: Place du Dr Maurel, telephone +33(0)4928505 Haut-de-Cagnes FRANCE
Museum(s) in the Grimaldi Castle: do you really need the address? I don't think so. It's up there at the top of the village. It's closed every Tuesday and December 25, January 1 and May 1. It's open from 10 'til noon and then 2 to 5, 6 in May through October inclusive. There is an annual closing, but you have to ask when.
Telephone +33(0)493200304
copyright 2013 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A.
Photos without flash and videos are permitted in this place.
cutecatfaith.com
YouTube: CUTECATFAITH, SLOBOMOTION
Dailymotion: LisaFalour
Jimmy's
This is an old place with a nice area in front for having a cocktail, tea, coffee or, as I did, ice cream. Jimmy's was here in the 1920s and maybe before.
Across the plaza by the Grimaldi castle museum, I saw a place called the CHAT NOIR jazz club. I don't know if that's still in operation or it's just a cool old sign.
The Maritime Alps I could see on this day in May were still capped in snow.
Haut-de-Cagnes is one of the famous perched villages on the French Riviera. It's high above the Mediterranean sea near Nice, Monaco, Vence, Grasse, Antibes and Italy.
I recommend getting to the museum (four euros and well worth it) right when it opens, to see the Suzy Solidor portrait room, the Musée Renoir, a large and good collection of modern and contemporary art, an olive tree museum, and a dizzying view of the region from the tower in the château. After that, I'd go for a long lunch at one of the great little restaurants in Haut-de-Cagnes, such as FLEUR DE SEL (reservations recommended). Wear sturdy footwear with lots of support, as this village is very on-the-vertical.
copyright 2013 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A.
YouTube: SLOBOMOTION, CUTECATFAITH
Dailymotion: LisaFalour
cutecatfaith.com