Another Sunday, always a quiet day. We finish up our melon and juice for breakfast and toss a load of laundry in to wash. The two grocery stores near us close at 12:30 and 1:00 respectively, so we make a run down to Monoprix to replenish essentials, since we have an early start tomorrow. We get the laundry out on the terrace and head out.
Today we have targeted the Caumont Centre d’art. This place is special for several reasons. The center is located in the Hotel de Caumont, originally the Hotel Rolland de Réauville (‘Hotel’ meaning Prestigious building).
It was built as a private residence starting in 1715, completed in 1745. Built in the ‘between courtyard and garden’ style, it is one of the finest examples of this architecture in Aix-en-Provence and was designated a historic monument in 1990. Of course, it went through the various stages of neglect and abuse and in 2010 was acquired by a local group involved with reclaiming historical properties called ‘Culturespaces’ and underwent an extensive restoration.
The building now houses the Caumont Centre d’art and has many prestigious exhibits each year. Today is the final day of the ‘Nicolas de Stael en Provence’ exhibit. Between July 1953 and June 1954, the artist drew new inspiration from Provence, painting hundreds of paintings. The exhibit has 71 paintings and 26 drawings from this period. Unfortunately, after this massive creative outpouring, the artist committed suicide in early 1955.
On permanent display is a very nice 30-minute film on the life of Paul Cezanne that we watched at the end.
After the art center, we wander around the streets, very quiet from most days and decide to get lunch at ‘La Maison Du Handburger’. I had chicken, just saying. They do encourage you to eat the sandwich with your hands, not normal in French culture. A leisurely stroll home ends the days adventures.
M.
One of the few cultural attractions in Aix that we had not visited is the ‘Caumont Centre d’Art’, a historic structure housing an art museum in the city’s Mazarin district. The building has been restored from a severely neglected state and is beautiful. Several of the rooms have been decorated with period furniture and artwork.
The centre also hosts special art exhibits. The current exhibit is ‘Nicolas de Staël in Provence’ and today was the final day for visiting. Neither Mary or I had heard of Mr. Staël but are quite impressed with his work. For two years he resided in Provence and, like Paul Cezanne, was captivated by the landscape, light, and colors of the region.
Included in our admission fee was a short movie on the local hero, Paul Cezanne – with English captions too!
I’ve been away from the States for a little over 5 weeks now and have successfully resisted American food. Alas, once we saw the marquee over the ‘‘La Maison Du Hand Burger” (note the spelling of ‘Hamburger’) and realized they were open (on Sunday!) and served food during the normally ‘dead dining hours in France’ it was all over. Cheeseburger! I made sure to ‘Frenchisize’ it a little by ordering with a mixture of ground beef and lamb.
D.
