Èze

If you are ever visiting Nice, take a day and go see Èze, a small village about 10 km away with roots going back to Roman times. The well-preserved medieval hill town is a lovely tourist attraction. Emphasis is on the word “tourist.” Every shop caters to the cruise boat crowd -- perfumeries, bad art galleries, and knick knacks abound. Despite all that, the town is lovely. Within the town walls, at the apex of the hill, are the ruins of the old castle. The citadel was converted in the 1940s by a visionary mayor into a “jardin exotique” that is now full of cacti, aloe, and statues (entry fee, 5 euro; views, priceless). Just be aware there are lots of stairs. Relax for an hour in the sculptural wooden chairs that emerge from the waterfall in a secluded corner of the garden before rousing yourself to dine at the lovely Chateau Esa, former home of Prince William of Sweden. (Apparently he had more common sense than me and T, and fled chilly Northern Europe for warmer climes.) Make reservations, so you get a seat with an uninterrupted view of the 500 foot elevation drop to the sea and town below. And don’t forget your camera, like I did.

We met an artist/gallery owner in one of the shops. She was cranking out art while sitting behind the counter. There were strong lines in the work, mostly female nudes, but it all looked the same and a little wooden. I can’t blame the artist in this case, because she has to pay rent, and she knows that she can sell this stuff. But I resolved then and there not to get in a position where I had to sell out my art like that. The conundrum many artists face is finding that appropriate balance between creating wild and free work versus cranking out what sells. Well, the conflict for some anyway. For others, the choice is more about whether to buy more drugs or art supplies, but I digress. I think I’m lucky to have the engineering background, because I can continue to do engineering in some capacity which allows artistic freedom, if I’m not wed to selling the art. The problem with that approach is that art is a demanding mistress, requiring more focus and time than a part time artist can possibly deliver.