aixcentric

It is one of the chicest villages on the Cote d’Azur, a great favourite with the tourists, but right now Saint-Paul de Vence is peaceful and their summer sculpture trail is in place until the end of October.

‘Art en Ciel’ brings ten artists to the village to show their sculptures up on the formidable defensive  ramparts of the old village.  Good to see these massive walls being used for peaceful artistic purposes.

Here is Lucky, a horse made by Remy Pesce, out of horse-shoes, standing up on the ramparts with commanding views of the countryside. He is number 1 on the trail which takes you past all sorts of intriguing installations.Click here for a map: http://www.saint-pauldevence.com/agenda/parcours-artistique

Elsewhere, the village is a delight to visit with winding streets lined with art galleries and boutiques, that go right the way up to the church and the Place de l’Eglise.

Even the pavements are stylish with sun and flower patterns embedded in the pebbles.

The small square at the entrance to the village has the Café de la Place restaurant beside the ancient lavoir, the market stalls and the boules area.  Or, opposite, is the famous La Colombe d’Or if you want to push the boat out.  From the 20s on, this was the meeting place for various artists who would leave a painting or sculpture for the friendly owners…so today you can dine alongside artwork by Chagall, Leger, Picasso, Matisse and Calder.

Like most of the village perchés in the area,  the authorities have built spacious car-parks just outside the walls; in this case, it is an easy 5 minute walk.  The tourist office http://www.saint-pauldevence.com/en has downloadable maps and brochures.

And just a short drive away is the famous Fondation Maeght….my next post.