Happy Easter! Today we took a short train ride to Antibes, just to experience another lovely town on the Côte d’Azur, and see how it all compares. We were surprised to see commerce alive and well in Nice before we left. The holiday can’t keep a good flea market closed – and it was still going strong when we returned on our nice French train.
One reason to go to Antibes is to see the Picasso Museum. The building has been the site of a fort since the 14th century as the castle of the Grimaldi family. (Nothing nouveau about their riches.) He worked in this building for two months following the war as a guest artist. While there is not a lot of charm left inside, there are a number of Picasso pieces to see, and a nice collection of his pottery – though no pictures allowed inside, which is always a hardship.
The building is situated right above the Cathedral and its ancient bell tower. Folks were streaming into the church this morning as the bells were ringing away. Lovely.
The most amazing part of the day was a tour of the market, busy as could be. If any of those stalls were picked up bodily and dropped in New York, the produce would be sold in about five minutes. Spectacular sights, smells and quality! The first wild strawberries of the season. White asparagus. Lemons fresh from the trees. Olives, oils and spices that make you drool. The whole market was a masterpiece of comestibles that make one proud of human evolution. We’ve come a long way from raw meat.
Or maybe we haven’t come all that far. Don had his luncheon lamb à point, which may be correct, but the French definition of medium rare gives me pause. Back to the cave, mes amis. I will spare you the picture of his chop more exposed, but it was enough to turn me vegetarian. Looked like he had just grabbed the slowest lamb in the manger. Otherwise, a delightful meal.
It was a gorgeous day to tour the city, and we are grateful to be here before more of the tourist crowds arrive. There are plenty of us now, and more would make things less manageable. We are not good at sharing.
Antibes is small and lovely, but its port is huge and deep. It is where the billionaires now keep their yachts, making everything else afloat look humble. And it is amazing to realize how many people from the Cayman Islands are on the move. Why, almost every vessel sported their flag! Go know. (Snicker, snicker.)
