Paris

From St.Paul de Vence to VENCE is a 5 min climb with he car.
If I want to be honest and without any complacency I should say that Vence is an untidy provincial town having nothing more to offer the tourist as the memories to D.H.Lawrence, the British tuberculosis suffering author of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”, who died here in 1930 in a sanatorium and Matisse, who looked for a refuge at the end of WWII. He met a nurse in Vence who had taken care of him in Nice ion 1941. The nurse had become a catholic nun and she succeeded to persuade Matisse (who felt he was in debt to the sisters) to participate at the renovation of the local Dominican chapel of the cloister. The complete atheist Matisse designed the outside of the non inspiring CHAPELLE DU ROSAIRE, built by architect Auguste Piret, and painted the inside in such a way that the poet Aragon made an ironical remark:” It’s so joyful that you could turn it into a ballroom". Matisse worked at the paintings in his apartment in Nice where he returned in 1949. He was eighty years old at that time and painted lying in his bed with the brush tied on a long bamboo stick. About the result we can discuss for ages ;-). As for Matisse himself, he considered the chapel as the achieved masterwork of his life.
THE MATISSE CHAPEL is located on the road to Saint-Jeannet. Tours every Tuesday and Thursday 10.00-11.30 and 14.30-17.30.
Matisse realized the yellow and blue stained glass, based on leaf motif, and instead of frescoes he painted his designs for the wall. Unfortunately a few of his Stations of the Cross wall cracked when the building was set. Many of the original drawings are on display but the details are of the greatest interest: the candlesticks on the altar and the confessional door.

But let’s, despite the commercialism of the city, pay a visit to Vence.
The old ellipse shaped part of the city is only visible on foot. So leave you car at the entrance of the city on the place du grand Jardin. It’s the centre of modern Vence. Proceed from there to the place du Frene (ash-tree). This tree remembers a visit of king François 1er and pope Paulus to the city and was planted in 1538. It seems to be a botanical curiosity: such trees rarely grow in altitude, even if it's only 325 meters high.

Place du Peyra

The entrance of the Portail du Peyra leads to the place du Peyra which has a large chestnut tree shading the cafes. It is the location of the old Roman forum and an adorable little place, enhanced by 3 fountains, dating 1822. Via the rue du Marché (right) and the ruelle du Marché (an alleyway left) you arrive at the former cathedral at the place Clemenceau, where a flea market is held every Wednesday. The cathedral, with its 15th century watchtower is mainly from the 11th century and was the site of the temple of Mars in Roman times. The nave has four aisles. On the side aisles , which contain the chapels, one is said to contain the body of St. Veran (died 492). But the most stunning and beautiful is the rostrum, a tribune added in 1499, housing the choir stalls . Carved animals and plants recorded the daily life of people and clergy , sometimes not at all reverently! Finally, in the baptistery there is a mosaic design by Marc Chagall of Moses in the bulrushes.

Chagal mosaic in cathedral

Back outside, the recently refurbished town hall looks good. Loitering through the streets of the inner city you will be confronted all the time by the so-called “craftsmen” and “artists”, that name indignant.
To be complete let’s name the picturesque little place Surian with his mini morning market with the good smells of the Provence products.
I'll give you exceptionally an address for lunch or dinner: " Le Pigeonnier", 3-7 Place du Peyra on three levels with a terrace. Menus 105 FF and 155 FF. Reservation in the summertime is absolutely imperative.
Next article will take us to Tourrettes sur Loup via the THE GALERIE BEAUBOURG

Bibliography:

John Pemble, "the Mediterranean Passion, Victorians and Edwardians in the South", (Oxford University Press 1988), Mary Blume, "Cote d'Azur. Inventing the French Riviera" (Thames and Hudson, London 1982) Stephen Liegeard, "La Cote d'Azur (Ed.Serre, Nice 1988), Guide du Routard 1998-99, Patrick Howarth, “When the Riviera was ours” (Century, London 1977, Arriere pays de Cannes et Nice”, Henri de Langlais (ed. Duroche, Nice 1996).

From Nice to Saint-Tropez (suite)

Cap d'Antibes

Juan les
Pins-Golfe-Juan-Vallauris

Cannes

Iles de Lerins

La Napoule and Henry Clews

Esterel cornice to Frejus

Frejus

Sainte Maxime to Port Grimaud

Old Grimaud and Cogolin

Saint-Tropez

From Saint Tropez to Cassis

Ramatuelle-Gassin-Croix Valmer-Cavalaire sur mer

Le Lavandou-Bormes les Mimosas