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DAY 1
DEPART USA
DAY 2
ARRIVE IN NICE
MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART
VILLA KERYLOS
OVERNIGHT IN MONTE CARLO
Arrive at Nice Cote D'Azur Airport. Cosmopolitan capital of the French
Riviera,
Nice is the largest city between Genoa and Marseille, and one of the most ancient,
founded by the Greeks, who called it Nike (Victory.)
Because we cannot check-in at our hotel in Monaco until the late afternoon, we have scheduled two exciting visits today which
will keep you awake despite your transatlantic flight.
The MAMAC Rooftop with its Terraces is an Attraction of its Own with Spectacular Views of the City of Nice and the Bay of Angels
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
View of Place Garibaldi and the Surrounding Hills from the Rooftop Terrace of MAMAC
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
The
Nice Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC) is considered a must-see, and not just for art enthusiasts.
The building itself, both inside and out, is a unique work of architecture and art.
The museum features European Nouveau Réalisme, Pop Art, Minimalism and Art d'Assemblage. The permanent collections
contain major works of artists such as Yves Klein, Andy Warhol and Christo.
Works by Niki de Saint Phalle
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
One hall is exclusively dedicated to Niki de Saint Phalle, with 190 of her pieces. The daughter of a French count and his American wife,
Niki de Saint Phalle rejected the conservative values of her family and eloped at 18 with an American author to work as a model, appearing
on the covers of Life and Vogue, before taking up painting as a form of therapy. During a visit to Barcelona, she was exposed to the works
of Antonio Gaudi and was greatly influenced by the Catalan artist.
Villa Kérylos
The Interior Courtyard at Villa Kérylos
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
After time for lunch in Nice, we visit
Villa Kérylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer
on the Mediterranean coast between Nice and Monaco.
The Greek Villa Kérylos is one of the most extraordinary
monuments on the Riviera. Built between 1902 and 1908 during the period the French call the "Belle Epoque", it is
a unique reconstruction of an ancient Greek home built on the island of Delos in the 2nd century BC.
"Kérylos" means Halcyon, often identified as a kingfisher, a poetic mythical bird, considered to be a bird of good omen.
The villa is a tribute to Greek civilization by two lovers of Ancient Greece,
Théodore Reinach, an archaeologist
and patron of the arts, and his inspired architect, Emmanuel Pontremoli.
Wall Decoration at Villa Kérylos
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
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