TravelswithCharie

Promenade des Anglais Though I had been to Nice several times in the past, I saw a different Nice in 2019. Gone were the familiar scenes with the exception of the Promenade des Anglais and the pebbly beach. How these people in the photo embrace the sea! For there lies the key to relaxation and a “happier, healthier, more connected” * mind. *Blue Mind, Wallace J. Nichols. Basilica Notre Dame de Nice It was a sad day when the Notre Dame de Paris burned down in April 2019. I remember attending a special prayer at the Notre Dame de Nice on Avenue Jean Médecin when all of France was mourning after the devastating fire that consumed the spire and roof of the 800-year old Gothic icon of Paris.  House of Adam and Eve Bas-reliefs of Adam and Eve in the old town of Nice was a surprising find. This former private residence dates back to the late 16th century and the reliefs are said to be of Adam and Eve. But there’s another story about these reliefs that attributes the figu

In 1966, Marc Chagall donated the group of paintings collectively known as “Biblical Message” to the French State. These paintings were exhibited at the Louvre and became the inspiration for the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice which was inaugurated in 1973 and attended by the artist himself. This biblical series of 17 large scale paintings form the core of the exhibition. 250 works were initially donated by Chagall. Aside from the paintings, there are sculptures, bas reliefs, a ceramic piece, lithographs and copies of his illustrated books. A mosaic wall called, The Prophet Elijah,  presides in the courtyard. Every Chagall painting has more than one story to tell. I learned to watch for the little vignettes scattered throughout his canvases so I wouldn’t miss the rich narratives that define his works. The Creation of Man, 1956-58 An angel carries Adam from the ocean where animals thrived prior to the creation of man. The rays of a swirling sun evoke the artistic style of

The Shades Club are out in force here in Montmartre. It’s pure delight to sit and drink a fine red Bordeaux while contemplating on this sculpture by Jaume Plensa. Bordeaux offers many outdoor cafés for watching the world go by while enjoying their famous canelé pastry. In Nîmes, the best seat for a cuppa is right beside the Roman amphitheater that was built at the end of the first century. In Nice, orange chairs and hanging laundry provide a colorful backdrop for these outdoor cafés. In the medieval hilltop village of St. Paul de Vence, there’s always time to join friends for coffee and conversation at the outdoor terrace. “And the idea of just wondering off to a café with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.” J. K. Rowling ***** Images by TravelswithCharie