Head out of Nice into the mountainous countryside and it's another world! Nice is beautiful and the perfect location to access the French Riviera and coastal icons. The promenades are just beautiful places to stroll through......something for everyone.

Chocolatiers are so amazing!! Lani, Imogen and Matilda... I know you want it!!

There was a very classy jazz festival set up at the end of Promenade du Paillon with all the limos, rolls and beamers rolling up to a red carpeted entry! All the plebs sitting around outside dancing and enjoying the ambiance.

Bit baffled by the 'Jazz' as the songs were more like David Bowie... Let's Dance... So I did!

Nice Beach, beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

There are sections of the beach that are free to sit at... Completely pebbles! Pretty difficulty to walk into the water, most people had special reef shoes to get around, me I hobbled in with as much ladylike finess that I could muster!! Other parts of the beach had back to back beds to hire... Plus umbrella.... Plus towel... get the lot for about 50 Euros. Whoop whoop!

Grasse, just an hour up into the mountains was originally a tannery because of the abundance of water. They started to make scented gloves back in the day and then the perfume trade took off. There are about 30 perfumeries there, 3 of which offer tours, and there is a museum full of objects related to perfume. If you have seen Perfume you can really get a good picture of the process... Lol.

Then there is perfume sprays all up and down the streets..... Not!

Intell: A Nose is a person who makes perfume blends and would train for 9 years!

Grasse is the world capital of fragrance. Beautiful!

Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporian, Nice.

This museum was awesome with a focus on the relationship between new European realism and American pop art and assemblage. Artworks include Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Yves Klein and Arman. On entry there are huge homages to Calder ... Truly great!!

Calder with a Warhol in the background...

Niki de Saint Phalle, sculpture artist from France

Marc Chagall Museum, Nice.

Detail of one of the larger paintings....

This museum has the largest collection of Chagall's testament series.... The colour so pure. There was also quite a few works from his circus series. Am sure Boyd was influenced by this guy. Spent hours devouring his work. Matisse and Chagall did mosaic works and stained glass for churches, simply gorgeous!

Completely amazing!!

My art is an extravagant art, a flaming vermilion, a blue soul flooding over my paintings

~ Marc Chagall

.............................back to Paris, X