Weekend in St Paul De Vence

This painting is a perfect way to represent the medieval village of  St. Paul De Vence. Located in the Alpes-Maritime area of the French Riviera, it is the oldest medieval village dating back from 1537 but it is also well known as the centre of modern and contemporary art in the region. As the painting shows the juxtaposition of an old medieval village portrayed here in a modern melange of colours. 

I am one of those people that love visiting medieval villages in Europe. These villages perches or perched villages rise like jagged summits on the hilltops, requires lots of walking around the village to explore it,  discovering little nooks and alleys to discover their way of life and learn about their stories. As we arrived in the village, we had to get off our car to enter the village, climbing narrow stairs and alleys to discover their beautiful stone houses, churches, lots of art galleries, art shops and of course, I discovered a store selling very stylish bags. There are many great restaurants in the area too, of course serving Provençal cuisine and my new favourite, Provençal  Rosé wine. The seafood in the region are so abundant and fresh. Then the french pastries and cakes are just so decadent. So every walking step in this medieval village was just worth it! 

It was very easy to get lost around this beautiful and artistic village. But who wouldn't mind getting lost here? I had fun discovering every corner in this medieval village. Every turn was a new discovery of works of art, as some famous artists like Miro, Marc Chagall and Picasso have visited this area. We also saw the grand view of the Alpes-Maritimes area. Then on a clear, sunny day, we were lucky to see the view of the Mediterranean Sea. For the first time in my life, I thought about how nice it would be to live here, in a small medieval  French village with driving distance to the Cote D' Azur. Ah, wishful thinking! 

St. Paul De Vence surrounded by high medieval walls and vineyards.

Here I am climbing narrow stairs and getting lost to discover this medieval village.

Restaurants and shops in the village.

A colourful shop of candies and biscuits, La Cure Gourmande.

A restaurant in this centuries old stone house and a modern art Sculpture titled Le Chat (The Cat) by Mancini, year 2000.

Modern art sculptures are scattered around the village.

Provencal houses and vineyards surrounding St. Paul De Vence. Beyond those mountains in the horizon is the Mediterranean Sea.


Works of Art

Art galleries are all over the village.

Here is an Art shop in a stone building. It was like going down a cave filled with art treasures.

Such lovely art, especially the painting of the Pugs in the middle.

For those who read the popular book, Fifty Shades of Grey, Christian and Anastasia visited St. Paul De Vence during their honeymoon to buy some art.

This is the entrance to the village. As we arrived, there were old French men playing boules in the sandy field in front of the restaurant. Across from this plaza is the well known and prestigious Hotel & Restaurant in the area, La Colombe D'Or. Visitors in this restaurant and in the village were famous artists like Miro, Marc Chagall, Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Greta Garbo, among others. Some of these artists have left their works of arts in lieu of payment for their lodging bills. Don't miss visiting St. Paul De Vence when in the French Riviera. It was truly an enchanting medieval village to visit.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!