Antibes

Bon jour, mes amies,

First let's have a sip of Crement and a bit of apero.  Anchoiade is a popular appetizer in this area.  Yes.  It's made with anchovies.  Yes.  It's a bit fishy.  I don't love anchovies, but I don't mind them either, so this tastes pretty good to me although it is saltier than I would like.  I'm going to try making a less salty version when I get home.
I can see the spreading of thunder clouds from my window, so I think that spells the end of our sunny weather for now, but I had a good day out.
I went to the train station and got my ticket, snooted around some shops and then went to wait on my platform. You know how I'm always reminding travelers to Europe to validate their tickets?  When I got to my platform I realized with horror I'd forgotten to do so.  This is a very naughty thing to do and can get the passenger in trouble. The ticket is read electronically so there was no going out and coming back in, but I did go down to the gates and stood as close to the machine as possible and looked pathetic.  A nice looking group of girls came along and I waved my ticket at them and said, "S'il vous plait?  Compostez?"  One of them helped me with a gracious smile.
As it happened no one looked at the ticket going or coming so I could have gotten away with it.  The ride was short and not very picturesque.  Even Nice has its Corbusier Villles, industrial parks, and hypermarche centers.
But the sun shone on my visit to Antibes.  The walk from the train station via the marina (What ho the yachts!) to the old town was longer than I anticipated, and I began looking for toilet, which at last I did find.  I took the occasion to remove one of my layers as it had warmed up nicely.
I strolled through the old town and up the hill to my target for the day--the Picasso Museum.  I could not visit the Cathedrale next door because a funeral was being held.  A visit to the Picasso Museum is somewhat time sensitive as it closes in the middle of the day for a couple of hours, but I made it in good time.  The museum is housed in the old Chateau Grimaldi built on the site of the original Greek settlement of Antipolis and the Roman castrum that replaced it.  The Grimaldis of Monaco gave up the fortress to the city.  The collection is fascinating and includes paintings, drawings, lithographs, sculptures, and ceramics most of them created in Antibes itself.  Also on display are works by some of Picasso's friends.  I especially appreciated the informative panels by each work.
After that I visited the covered Marche Provencal and tried not to drool.  The market was lively and only semi touristy, and there are a lot of places to eat nearby, and in the old town generally, which is very touristy but pretty and a lot of fun to walk around.
Then back to the train station and home.  Since the weather was pleasant I even walked home from the station, and this, of course, worked up my appetite, which my apero has appeased somewhat.
Rain or shine, I have plans for tomorrow.
A demain