Tour de Grasse

Today C had to report in to work, so that mean I was on my own. Having spent the day exploring Cannes yesterday I decided to go on a little adventure and take the train to the village of Grasse. After studying up on it last night, I left at 10:30 am feeling prepared to see all that Grasse had to offer. Grasse has been known for centuries as the perfume making capital of the world. I also found that it has been "twinned" with several cities one of them being Marblehead, MA and that it is where the famous singer Edith Piaf died. The train ride was just 25 minutes long and it passed quickly. I enjoyed getting out of the bustling area of Cannes for a change of scenery. It was another perfect day with the sun high in the sky, which made riding along the sea spectacular. Further on we passed beautiful landscapes with chateaus built alongside the mountains and cut right through a scenic and well-manicured golf course. Winter has somewhat dampened the beauty of the countryside, but mimosa flowers have come alive and decorate the landscape with it’s brilliant yellow color. I imagine this region has a completely different personality in the spring and summer months.
The moment I arrived and stepped off the train I inhaled the fragrances that make this hillside village so popular. I was anxious to begin my tour but was caught off guard upon arriving. The train stopped at the bottom of the hill and was surrounded by hilltop villages. Which way to go? I must say it took some courage to approach a bystander and utter the word “Center?” which thankfully sounds much the same in English and French. The person to whom I was speaking understood me and directed me to a little white bus that stopped directly across from the station and would take me up to the “center.” The road up zigged and zagged and wound around so much that it was difficult for me to follow on my map. The roads are terraced along the side of the mountain and literally zig-zag all the way to the top. As we approached the city center I noticed a sign that said Musee International de la Parfumerie and decided that would be a good place to start. Here I learned a great deal about the history of Grasse and how it's passion for perfume has grown since the 13th century. From here I visited Fragonard Parfumeur, a museum, boutique and factory that was built in 1782. It is one of the oldest perfume factories in Grasse and is still owned by the same family and run by the grandson of the founder. It was given the name Fragonard by M. Eugene Fuchs in honor of the Fragonard family. Francois Fragonard was a perfumer-glove-maker and father of the world-famous painter Jean-Honore Fragonard. My next stop was Parfumerie Galimard which was founded in 1747 by Jean de Galimard. The history of the perfume industry is really quite interesting! I enjoyed walking through the museum and again spraying sticks with different fragrances trying to pick out the different flowers used in each one. After breathing in all that perfume I decided I needed some fresh air and headed out to see some more sights. The streets throughout the town were extremely narrow and there were stairs leading everywhere which made it difficult to navigate. Many of the shops I passed by were closed up and the streets seemed deserted. Whenever I came upon a place there were usually open shops and cafes. Eventually I made it to the Cathedral de Notre Dame du Puy built in the 12th century. There are several paintings inside by notable painters Rubens, Fragonard and Bourdon. From then on I simply meandered through the streets snapping photos and peeking in shops. Soon it was time for me to find the free bus that would take me back down to the train station. With a deep breath in I jumped on the train and concluded my tour of Grasse.
It was only 3 o'clock when I arrived back in Cannes, just about lunch time! I went to the boulangerie C and I found yesterday and ordered a spinach calzone and a loaf of olive bread to snack on. I decided to take a walk by the water in a direction I had not yet traveled. I am so glad I did! It was a mild afternoon/evening, perfect for a stroll along the beach. On this side of Cannes it felt like a cold day in Hawaii. The beaches were lined with restaurants and gelato stands. There were several people running and others playing volleyball. Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set. I found the perfect spot and sat on the beach while I watched the sunset over the Mediterranean. It was a perfect ending to my "day before the last day."