the colours of Nice

Last month we had a wonderful few days in Nice. It seems a world away now that its raining and grim, but it was hot and full of beautiful colour and so inspiring.

yellow

We found a small hotel right in the old town, and we could walk everywhere from there. We nearly walked our feet off, and came home with lots of pictures.

The colours are definitely brighter and more saturated in that southern light, and I always think its worth remembering to look up- I love this man looking out of his blue window in a yellow wall, and this lovely art deco tile fascia which was above a restaurant. 

orange

The best place to be at the Museum of Modern Art is on the roof- from there you can see the whole of the city spread out below, contrasting with the grey steel curves and singing lines of colour.

..and the best part inside the museum is the spiral staircase which looks like a Sonia Delaunay painting..

red

What a pleasure to see the beautiful ripe fruit and vegetables in the market, something that is so important to the French (eat your 'coeurs' out, British supermarkets), and what a pleasure to be able to stroll around the little streets of the old town, and to eat outside in the evenings in the warm velvety dark.

terracotta

The Matisse Museum is in this gorgeous colourful villa, set in an olive grove in front of what was once the Hotel Regina where he spent his last years. It was here that he produced the cut-out pictures we saw earlier this year at Tate Modern.

We were thrilled to see lots of lithographs, paintings and drawings we had never seen in such a sympathetic setting, and to visit the church just close by where he is buried.

This athletic young man was part of a path which featured lots of different Greek Gods.. 

azure
The azure sea of the Cote d'Azur...

I am hoping to keep these colours in my mind's eye until we can visit again...