Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Rita and I were in Nice; on 16 January we decided to go and visit one of the most beautiful tourist sites in France, the village of Saint Paul — yes, because that's the real name of the place. From Nice we take the convenient number 400 bus, which takes us to our destination for 1 euro (20 km) After about an hour we arrive in Saint Paul, a small, very popular medieval village perched on a rocky spur; from a distance it looks like a fortress surrounded by high walls (we'll see later that the walls can be walked along), topped by a tower; at this time of year it's not very busy, so the visit is very enjoyable. The village's origins are ancient but its current layout dates back to the 14th century, although much of what you see is from the 14th-17th centuries.

Its discovery as a tourist destination is relatively recent, around 1930, when it began to be frequented by famous painters and artists (Miró, Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, to name a few) attracted by its particular position; then film actors and directors came. We enter the village, which is almost entirely pedestrianised, through the Porte Royale, where the mouth of the Lacan cannon is placed — used in 1544 in a battle fought in Piedmont — with two pleasant sculptures beside it; we then begin our visit by walking along the rue Grande, a narrow street of Roman origin that crosses the whole village from the Porte Royale to the Porte de Vence; we walk among small stone buildings with beautiful façades, with large boutique windows, art galleries, souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants on either side, all well integrated, and you'll often come across cheerful sculptures.

Along this street cross very narrow lanes with arches and steps; note the cobblestone paving — it's all interesting, also because in January there aren't the crowds of visitors. We come to the Place de la Grande Fontaine with the famous elegant fountain from 1600-1850 in an artistic little square, with an old washhouse behind it, then the Placette. The Rue Grande ends in front of the small cemetery where the great Chagall is buried. We climb onto the walls and walk a stretch of them (ignoring the danger signs) to enjoy the interesting view, with the sea in the distance. Then from the Place de l'Hospice we walk alongside the western part of the walls, where there are some terraced spaces that form belvederes, from which the view in some spots reaches as far as the sea.

Naturally we don't miss visiting the Chapel of the White Penitents, also called the Folon Chapel, from the 17th century (entrance 2 euros including the museum, open only in the afternoon, you can take photos without flash), with its recent original frescoes, mosaics and sculptures in modern style inside (the altar shaped like a hand, which symbolises giving, is original), designed by Folon, and the Collegiate church (13th century, rebuilt in 1700), which I could call the cathedral of the village; on the same square are the Town Hall and the 13th-century tower, a remnant of an old castle. As for the Maeght Foundation, it's closed for renovation, while the Colombe d'Or, the famous hotel and art gallery, we tried to enter, but the staff told us that to visit it you have to stay overnight.

We had lunch at the famous Café de la Place from 1850, with the pétanque court in front of the square; we paid 14.5 euros for the dish of the day. Around you'll see many photos on display of famous French actors trying their hand at the game. Then back to Nice on the 400. Ferny Forner