Today’s program began with a lecture from Alison Bracker of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on “Visionaries of the French Riviera”, followed by a walkaround with John Meffert (our National Trust leader) showing us aspects of the recent major renovation of the Hotel Carlton, which had hosted the G20 in 2011 but fell on hard times only a few years later. Many million euros were spent bringing it back to its former glory, culminating in its reopening in 2023.
Diane and I went our separate ways today; she went to Grasse and mixed perfume, while I went to Antibes and the Picasso Museum in Castle Grimaldi, where Picasso had produced over 100 pieces during the fall of 1946…most of which are still there.
We finally reached the Picasso Museum. Their collection isn’t limited to Picasso’s work; our guide had pointed out the home (about three blocks away) of Nicolas de Staël, a French painter of Russian origin who leapt to his death after a meeting with an art critic. This is his last painting.
But most of our time was spent with Picasso.
After leaving the museum, we spent a few minutes exploring the Antibes Sunday market (almost entirely food; they have a big general market on Thursdays).
We walked through the main square of Antibes, where our guide pointed out “The Lovers of Paynet” outside the Paynet and Cartoons Museum.
We had a lavish lunch at Restaurant Ferni; I was impressed with how well they handled dietary restrictions (for example, they gave me a salad instead of the calamari). I was also amazed at the amount of food they served; I felt slightly guilty for not finishing everything, but only slightly…and it was nice to be able to walk out of the restaurant instead of waddling out.
They had some unusual plumbing.
And then it was back to Cannes to meet up with Diane and go out for a long walk. After dinner, we followed John Meffert’s suggestion and took a look at the lobby of the JW Marriot, about a block from the Carlton. I thought it was sterile and not very welcoming, but I guess that’s the vibe they’re looking for.
