Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE ARRIÈRE-PAYS
The 'coast' in Côte d'Azur is what many people come to see, but the
arrière-pays
(hinter-
land) has a charm of its own. Less crowded and incredibly varied, it has something for
everyone, from keen walkers to culture vultures and foodies.
MUSÉE RENOIR & MUSÉE ESCOFFIER
Except for their historic centres, the sprawling towns of Villeneuve-Loubet and Cagnes lack charm. Two cultural
highlights make them worth the detour, however. Le Domaine des Collettes, today the evocative
Musée Renoir
(
04 93 20 61 07; Chemin des Colettes, Cagnes-sur-Mer)
, was home and studio to an arthritis-crippled Pierre-Auguste
Renoir (1841-1919), who lived here with his wife and three sons from 1907 until his death.
Works of his on display include
Les Grandes Baigneuses
(The Women Bathers; 1892), a reworking of the 1887 ori-
ginal, and rooms are dotted with photographs and personal possessions. The magnificent olive and citrus groves are
as much an attraction as the museum itself. Many visitors set up their own easel to paint. The museum was closed at
the time of writing for a major refurbishment and planned to reopen in summer 2013.
Equally wonderful, but in a completely different genre, is the
Musée Escoffier de l'Art Culinaire
(Escoffier Mu-
seum of Culinary Arts;
www.fondation-escoffier.org
;
3 rue Auguste Escoffier; adult/student/child €5/2.50/free;
2-7pm Jul & Aug, to 6pm Sep-Jun)
, which retraces the history of modern gastronomy. Escoffier (1846-1935), invent-
or of the pêche Melba and dried potato among other things, was France's first great chef and a celebrity amongst
Europe's well heeled.
The museum includes beautiful period furniture and 'appliances', hilarious period cartoons that ridiculed the notion
of cooking as an art, and a fascinating wall chronology retracing the history of cooking and chefs from prehistory to
nowadays (alas in French only).
St-Paul de Vence
POP 3540
Once upon a time, St-Paul de Vence was a small medieval village atop a hill looking out to
sea. Then came the likes of Chagall and Picasso in post-war years, followed by showbiz
stars such as Yves Montand and Roger Moore, and St-Paul shot to fame. The village is now
home to dozens of art galleries as well as the exceptional Fondation Maeght.
