Antibes: Ville de Mer et de Picasso

We headed to Antibes for a day trip last Saturday (the 11th).  Claire, Caitlin, and Nico went early in the morning, but Ciera and I had gotten back late the night before from Monaco, so we slept in.  Due to a fluke of the train scheduling though, we only arrived in Antibes about an hour after the other girls.

It never ceases to amaze me the sights we see from the train as we travel along the coast here.  Part of that surprise stems from the fact that the entire coast isn't developed... the same surprise I had in Morocco, where a massive graveyard lines the hill in Rabat going down to the beach.  

When we got to Antibes, it was pretty cold and windy.  I'm glad the other girls warned us about the weather, because I wouldn't have worn a heavy coat otherwise.  I can't wait to see these places when it starts getting warmer (which will be very soon, if this week was any indication).  Until then, I'll be bundled up, with lots of pictures of my hair in my face, like this one.

We wandered around town for a bit, stumbling upon these adorable postcards... Marwan thinks it's just a corporate ploy to get you to buy all three, but I think it's worth the money to send someone all three postcards comprising one of the towers, maybe over an extended period of time?

We went into the most amazing haberdashery (do you know how long I've wanted to use the word haberdashery in context?) and I wanted to buy every single hat, but I knew I would never wear any of them.  I almost gave in and bought a beret, but I figured that was better left to Jen H. in Paris.

Maybe for Lawnparties??

Or can we make a new theme night... like British Royal Wedding theme?

There was also an amazing market that was a joint effort between the French and Italian Chambers of Commerce, but that's going to get its own post.

All this time, we were slowly making out way to the Picasso museum.  The collection is small, but it's fun to see because the location, the old Grimaldi Castle, served as Picasso's home for a period of time, and his work took inspiration from its position overlooking the sea.  He also drew on the Greek history of Antibes and the fishing culture of the town, with many paintings featuring sea urchins, mariner shirts, and boats.  This is the view from the castle:

And here are two of my favorite paintings in the museum.  I bought postcards of both of them, and I think they were rather representative of the work shown in the museum.

Pêcheur attablé

This one wasn't any particular theme, it was just surprisingly evocative given its abstraction...

Nu assis sur fond vert

The impact of the sea was very clear in other ways too.  Antibes is definitely one of those places on the Côte d'Azur that is known for its yachts and sailboats.  The harbor was pretty, if quiet in the winter, and is clearly the center of the town during the summer.

The town is remarkably anglophone--there is a strip of British and Irish pubs, a British grocery store, and an anglophone bookstore, stocked with sailing books.

There were also plenty of sailing paraphernalia shops.  I don't have pictures of the "yacht construction" store or the hardware store where you can get brass knobs all match your spyglass and your handrails on your boat...

But the most beautiful boats are the simplest.  Like this one, below.  It gets points off for not being a sailboat, but makes up for it because of the color and because it is obviously used, but used with love.

Like a well-worn book.  I hate when people keep their books pristine. 

Antibes' connection with the ocean was a lot like Torino with the mountains, but obviously a different aspect of nature.  I love how art, daily life, and commerce all center around the water.  These types of locations keep proving to me the interconnectedness of all different facets of life.