Today we planned to go first to the Verrerie Pierini, the Glass Makers Robert and Antoine Pierini, at their atelier and gallery/store in Biot, housed in an ancient olive oil mill. We were told that they work every morning till about noon. We tried to get there early, but as usual didn't get out of the apartment until after 11, and so by the time we got to their studio it was just after 12. But we were in luck because Antoine, the son, was still working on a piece, under the watchful eye of his father Robert, a Grand Master Glass Artist who has shown his works all over the world. It was fascinating and we watched for about an hour till Antoine finished his piece that then had to cool and rest until the next step. It was a good time for a break and time for lunch. They said that Robert would be working in the afternoon, so we thought we'd go out for a bite and come back to watch the Master at work.
Up in the centre ville of Biot, a charming cobblestone village, we sat outdoors in the main square and had a salad of chèvre chaud, warm chèvre cheese over zucchini and salad. It was delicious, light, and just what we wanted. The people-watching, even in this little hill-top village, was just as satisfying as in Beaulieu-sur-Mer...loved it!
Then we got back to the Verrerie, glass atelier, just in time to see Robert make what will be a beautiful ball or vase, not sure which. But what an artist he is...museum-quality stuff. And both Robert and his son Antoine, who is on his way to becoming a Master Glass Artist too, are both so unassuming and humble.
Here's some of their finished pieces...and the prices reflect the quality and respect that they have around the world.
We finally left the Verrerie at about 2:45 so we could drive over to Antibes, a nearby town on the sea, where the Picasso Museum is located. By the time we got there it was well after 3, but we still had time to see everything because it didn't close until 6.
The museum is located in the Château Grimaldi, located on the ramparts above the port of Antibes. The Chateau was once the home of the princes of Antibes of the Grimaldi family, who ruled the city from 1385 to 1608. Today it houses one of the world's great Picasso collections. Picasso came to town after the war and stayed in a small hotel at Golfe-Juan until the museum director at Antibes invited him to work and live at the museum. After spending the autumn of 1946 painting here, he gave the museum all the paintings and drawings he'd done. This collection has beuen enriched over the years with numerous Picasso charming ceramics, lithographs, etchings, oils on paper, sculptures, and even tapestries. In addition, a gallery of contemporary art exhibits Léger, Miró, Ernst, and Calder, among others. And the terrace of the Chateau offers a permanent presentation of remarkable sculptures by Joan Miró and other noted artists. It is a remarkable setting overlooking the sea. We loved it.
It was around 5:30 and since we had made this drive to Antibes, about an hour away from home, we decided to take advantage of that and stick around the area to see some of the nearby interesting seaside towns of Cap d'Antibes and Juan Les Pins. 'The Cap' as it is called, is a very exclusive area, which you can tell right away with its high stone walls and mansions peeking over the top. In fact there is one of the swankiest hotels right on the sea at the tip of the peninsula simply called 'Le Cap.'. Everything here seems to be private, so we just drove through the town, and ended up in Juan Les Pins, a much friendlier town just around the bend, with outdoor cafes and restaurants along the sea and everywhere among all the shops. It was so inviting that we decided to have dinner in one of them, right on the boardwalk. It was delightful and we loved the whole scene. It wasn't packed, but we can imagine what this town must be like in season.
We drove home leisurely, taking the local roads, not the autoroute, and got home at around 10. Another eventful, fun and relaxing day in the Sud of France.
No comments:
Post a Comment