Beautiful Saint-Paul de Vence | Medieval French Doors

A door is simply a revolving barrier to the entrance of a building, room, cupboard, or a car. And many of us have the most basic of doors. I mean, how much thought do you put into your door. You just need it to do its job, right? Yeah, we might slap some nice paint on it, give it a shiny door knob, or decorate it at Christmas, but that's about it. I guess we'd rather spend our money elsewhere in the house.

We're not very nice to doors, if you think about it. We kick them, bang our knuckles on them, sometimes slam them, and jam our keys in them. I couldn't imagine doing that to any of these doors that I saw in this village. I mean, some of them looked so thick that all the banging and kicking in the world would do nothing other than injure your toes!

No, these old, and I mean old-looking medieval doors were impressive to the eye. And some quite beautiful, actually. So well-built, so massive, so intimidating, and handsome in appearance, that they ought to be considered a piece of furniture rather than just a door. Whether they had huge bolts, extra large hinges, thick, heavy wood, or attached chunks of iron, they all look pretty striking in appearance. They're probably soundproof, too! I think that to say these French doors are solid is an understatement. Like a rock.

Exploring this charming village called Saint-Paul de Vence was more to me than just taking general photographs of all the typical things like the cafés, streets and alleyways. Once you start to notice the details, taking pictures becomes way more interesting. My treasure hunt through Saint-Paul de Vence for awesome medieval doors was a blast.

Doors immediately caught my eye as I wandered the village, and I began snapping away. A man and a woman strolled past me and I heard them say, "What is she taking a picture of?" They stopped. "Oh, the door...wow...it's REALLY nice."
You can say that again.

Alors, on y va! Let me share with you my photos of some truly awesome French doors in the medieval village called Saint-Paul de Vence. 

~ Megs and Paul, lovers of doors! This post is for you ~

A fairly simple door, but the door knob smack in the middle is what caught my eye. Dark, rich color, looks quite solid.

If the doors are this cool-looking, I can't help but wonder what the rest of the townhouse looks like. Doesn't anyone want to invite a friendly American in for un café? No?

French cars are petite. This is probably a garage. So much character! No remote for this puppy, though.

The word medieval means primitive; it means not modern, old-fashioned. The complete opposite of the contemporary, state-of-the-art interior design that we see everywhere today. Old-fashioned seems strong, warm and comfortable to me. Maybe I'm a little old-fashioned.

I imagine that on the other side of the stately door is an equally stately, plump cat, and a loyal dog, curled up next to a grandiose fireplace. I also imagine that this door weighs far more than what I'm used to back in the states. Try to quickly swing closed one of these heavy, medieval doors and you're likely to rattle the windows...and disturb the sleeping cat.

 

Previously a dungeon?

OK, so there's no picture of a door here...it's in on the right, hiding. I didn't want to get that close to it! But the entrance way was just too charming not to capture. I imagine it with Christmas lights, flowers, a lazy, fat cat.

A more normal looking door, but I love their door knocker, and little ledge for the plants. So charming!

Happy travels, everyone!!

Beautiful Saint-Paul de Vence | Souvenir Shopping

Grab your credit cards, a bundle of euros, and a carry-all bag with good handles to put all your little bags into. Wear comfortable footwear and tell your husband to plan on ordering out for dinner, because ladies, you'll be home late; for there is no shortage of souvenir shopping in Saint-Paul de Vence.

Whether your thing is galleries, funky jewelry shops, perfume, wine and food, craft shops, or all of the above, it seems that with every street you're on, and around every corner, there's a new shop to discover. It.never.ends!

And good luck trying not to get lost in the village's maze-like streets. My advice, should you find yourself souvenir shopping in this beautiful village, is to let yourself get lost. Who cares? You'll eventually find your way out, one insanely cute shop at a time. And if you don't see everything, you have an excuse to come back : )

Go toward the light...

Your biggest problem will probably be in deciding which shops to enter. I hate to break it to 'ya, but you cannot do them all in one day. Each shop will seem more inviting than the next. You'll have to be a little choosy. Or be quick.

A warm glow draws you in...lovely scents fill the air...a wonderfully decorated window...oh, what to do, what to do! Just keep an eye on the time in case you're part of a tour. You don't wanna miss the bus!

Window shopping in the maze-like streets

If you like perfume, you'll definitely want to stop here

Save La Collégiale for last, or do it first, just be sure to make time for this wonderful souvenir shop. 

It's the oldest shop outside the ramparts (that's that huge wall that was built around the village to protect it from the bad guys). This merchandise packed store is across from Fragonard. Both Fragonard, which you won't want to miss, and La Collégiale are practically at the village's entrance.


At La Collégiale you can find all sorts of beautiful French fabrics, purses, hand crafted figurines, that famous French soap in more scents than you can dream of, jewelry, and adorable ceramic birds in a rainbow of colors. And there's more, so much more. 

You'll want to set aside quite a few minutes for this store. 


To tease you, I've added some photos!


What would you buy? What could you fit in your suitcase? 

La colombe (dove), very plump and adorable! Wait, are these pigeons?

an iconic symbol of France

one plentiful section of La Collégiale

Loved these fat, little doves! Just didn't love the price. Anne, what color to choose?

If you shop 'till you're about to drop...

The French espresso, or simply called coffee to them, is the perfect thing to recharge those batteries.

Don't have more than two though; you'll become jittery and may end up buying a whole store.

















Just roll on down the hill 'till you get to a lovely little square, or even a little further down, just outside the ramparts you'll find the Café de la Place, where you can sip your coffee while enjoying the local entertainment in the dirt courtyard: men playing boules.

a great spot to rest your feet and reflect on your wonderful day

this must be beautiful at night

From the square in the previous two photos, if you look over the ramparts, you'll see this below you, The Café de la Place, and the dirt courtyard where many matches of boules, also known as pétanque, take place.

Across from this charming café (left) is the Colombe d'Or (right), a well-known restaurant. You can just see on the roof of its terrace a giant sculpture of a dove. Le Colombe d'Or means The Gold Dove.

A match of boules is underway! Grab a seat and people watch. My dad would love this.

A woman at the Café de la Place, probably recharging her batteries. In the background, the ramparts.

Ramparts definition: A defensive wall of a castle or walled city, having a broad top with a walkway and typically a stone parapet.

Parapet definition: A low protective wall along the edge of a roof for concelament of troops.

Part of the ramparts (wall) and on the left a bastion. Do you remember learning about what a bastion is from history class? Neither do I. So here's a definition below. Also, note the tall, grey structure, called The Esperon Tower. Centuries ago, this was used to store gun powder.

Bastion definition: A projecting part of a fortified wall, or a well-fortified position, built at an angle to allow defensive fire in all directions.

A Traveling Tip :
At the Café, Act Like a Local, Even If You Won't Sound Like One
Why not try using a little French with your waiter? Even if your pronunciation isn't perfect, they usually appreciate the effort.  
Start with this: Bonjour monsieur/madame...un café, s'il vous plaît? (Hello sir/ma'am...a coffee, please?)
To ask for the check: L'addition, s'il vous plaît?
It's not expected of tourists, but the French are big on the pleasantries such as Hello's and Good-bye's, so as you're paying/leaving, just a simple: Merci, au revoir! (Thank you, good-bye!)

If you still have time, money, and energy for shopping...head on up the hill, and enter the village once again. So much still awaits you...

Here's where you'll enter the village. It's so exciting! 
Stop to look at the cannon, called the Lancan Cannon, named after a soldier 
from Saint-Paul de Vence, who served in the army of François I. 
Lancan brought this cannon back to the village in 1544, 
marking the French king's victory during a battle in Italy. 

Now...are you ready to get lost again in this charming, medieval village? Yes! More shopping!!! Best to leave the husbands at the café, watching the matches of boules.

Dashing through old streets...
So many shops on the way...
O'er the stones I go....
Laughing all the way!!!!      

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Beautiful Saint-Paul de Vence | an Open Air Museum

Saint-Paul de Vence: un très beau village médiéval

I heard that it's the third most visited place in all of France, with over 2 million visitors a year, but I felt pretty alone as I wandered this beautiful village's tightly woven and enchanting streets, oo-ing and ah-ing to myself (and sometimes out loud -- I couldn't help it!) at every turn.

As I meandered by open townhouse windows I was able to tune in to village life, which isn't unlike ours really...mothers talking to their children, dishes being placed in a sink, a dog barking, parakeets tweeting...but I wondered what it's really like to live in a medieval village in the 21st century. Do they have A/C? Fireplaces? Cable? What about internet, cell phone reception, garbage disposals?

And the thing often missing from a dwelling like this: driveways. If your house is connected to the next house, where do you park the voiture? On the street, usually. But when the street's only wide enough for you and a bicycle... Where are all the cars? J'en sais rien!

Admiring the outside and not being able to tour the inside of these townhouses is like having an itch you can't scratch. J'adore French décor! Someone, please invite me in for un café! I felt a little strange taking photos of people's homes, when the madame or monsieur could very well have been on the other side of the window with a raised eyebrow. But they must be used to it, I thought. And so I clicked away..
 

Inside the Café de la Place. I absolutely love this combination coat/hat/scarf/umbrella/stemware rack. And it looks like it weighs about a thousand pounds!

An 'intersection' of 5 paths

Nothing snaps you out of your hypnotic state and back into reality like crashing into a bunch of tourists as you come to an intersection of sorts, where 5 stone paths briefly meet. I saw some of the people that I came with (small tour bus) and they looked as happy as I felt. 

For the most part, the tourists quietly strolled. Voices were low, at a murmur. No loud and obnoxious cell phone conversations here! I guess it's partly because walking around Saint-Paul de Vence sort of feels like you're in a museum.  

I took paths and staircases less traveled, looking for anything to catch my eye. Everything caught my eye.

It's said that Saint-Paul de Vence belongs to the artists who've made it famous. I wonder what the locals think about that. I'm not what you'd call a lover of art, and you'll probably never find me in a museum (except for The Louvre..I mean, c'mon, it's The Louvre! What a magnificent place), but strolling through a medieval village? Pfft, yeah!! I'm there! For your complimentary, viewing pleasure, the artists have placed several works of art outdoors, and it's nice to look at as you're taking in everything else.

To me, the whole village is a work of art. The townhouses that curve ever so perfectly as you round a corner, the impressively constructed ramparts, and all the perfectly placed pebbles and stones, in the street below your feet.

Through my camera lens, I hope you'll see how postcard perfect it all is, how easily the village enraptured me, making everything else disappear. How easy it is to fall in love with this hilltop village called Saint-Paul de Vence.

So come take a walk with me as I relive, through a series of posts, my once-in-a-lifetime visit through one of the oldest medieval villages in Provence. I hope you'll love it as I did. It's the stuff of a photographer's, a poet's, and a painter's dream.

Saint Paul de Vence is very well known for its modern and contemporary art museums. But you don't have to go in the museums to appreciate the art. 

Here's a sculpture perched upon the ramparts. 

 

 

Looking out over the ramparts, toward the azure Mediterranean

Talk about a townhouse with character!

Jean-Michel Folon, L'Envol, 2005

Rémi Pesce, Lucky, 1993

My reflection in the artsy bathroom wall at The Cafe de la Place

A sculpture of les boules, which are used in pétanque

César, Le Pouce, 1965

Outside a gallery in the village

Artfully laid stones making the streets look even more dream-like

Art, everywhere you look. Creative passages to guide your quest.

Perched artwork in a 3rd floor window

If I ever go there again, I'm buying one of those fabulous pitchers!

Tobiasse, La Vénus de Tobiasse, créé à New York 1985, a Renault Twingo, and a quaint little church

Ready to pack your bags and head to Saint-Paul de Vence, Annabelle? Well if you're an art lover, all the more reason to go. Not to be missed for the art types is The Fondation Maeght. It's not in the village, but is a walkable distance away. The oldest contemporary art museum in France, it was completely financed by its creators, Marguerite and Aimé Maeght, who dreamed of having a place to house their collection. Art fills the shaded gardens and galleries. I didn't go there, so I don't have any pics for you...but just google the museum to get a taste of what you'd see. 

So if it's said that the artists made Saint-Paul de Vence famous, don't you wanna see what all the fuss is about? Artists have flocked throughout the years to discover the light of the south of France. Artists such as Chagall, Matisse, Modigliani, Signac, to name a few. And don't forget the poets, writers, and Hollywood celebrities -- Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, and Sophia Loren, and many more. And the musicians...ex-Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman, has a home there. 

Saint-Paul de Vence is located just outside of Nice, about a 20 min drive. If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, I would definitely suggest stopping by. You won't be sorry! 

From the car, the view as you approach that makes you go, "OMG!"

When you get to the village, exit the village..yes!..walk down the road, turn around, and get some great shots.

Yards and gardens cascading down from the village walls. The mediterranean is lovely to gaze at from here.