Antibes and around

glassblowing demo in Biot

Our hotel is in Old Town Antibes so we started the day by walking the narrow streets and along the ramparts and through the marina.  In the early afternoon we rode north to Biot, halfway to Nice.  The town is known for its glassblowers so we stopped to have a look.  Besides their own showroom and demonstration area (not active), they display glass artworks of various artists—mostly Czech, French, and American.  Biot is known for its "bubble" glass.  We had lunch nearby and when we returned a school group had arrived and activated the demonstration.

We rode to the upper town of Biot and walked more narrow streets before heading for our main attraction of the day:  the Renoir Museum at Cagnes.  Renoir built the house in 1907 when his hands were crippled with arthritis which he hoped the southern climate would ease.  He lived here with his wife and three sons until he died in 1919.  The house is sparsely furnished and contains photographs of the family and some artwork by Renoir and associates. The house has fine views and the gardens contain ancient olive trees.  The nearby "Farm" building was showing a video in French of an interview with his son, movie director Jean Renoir, who reminisced about his childhood experiences here.

Renoir home and museum in Cagnes

We left at 6 and rode south past Antibes to Juan-les-Pins and the Cap d'Antibes peninsula where we took a walk along the rocky shore.  Tomorrow we will visit the nearby Picasso Museum and perhaps see what Cannes has to offer.