Yesterday, one of my classmates dropped a link in our WhatsApp group about this weekend being designated European Heritage Days (Journées Européennes du Patrimoine). Basically, there are a few special small exhibitions and tours happening all over Nice, and I assume the rest of Europe. Although my French is currently only good enough to sometimes order food (case in point: I was feeling good about being able to ask for directions yesterday, but today the cashier heard “tart au citron” as “pain au chocolat” so CLEARLY my pronunciation needs a lot of work), I decided to visit a few attractions.

Asian Art Museum (Nice)

• 

• 

First up was the Musée des Arts Asiatiques (Asian Art Museum). There were two events going on – flash tours, which I did not get to go because I went at the wrong timing, and an exhibition called “In a Floating World”, which was described/translated by AI as such:

“In 2021, Caribaï was invited to present his artistic work in the marble and glass case designed by Kenzô Tange, in the middle of an exceptional collection of Asian art. Inspired by the place, she articulates in this original creation two principles of Chinese landscape painting that are dear to her: «Wind-Light» and «Mountain-Water». From suspensions to polyptics, it accompanies the visitor in his museum journey, from the bottom of the stairs to the space of the Buddhist rotunda on the first floor, and guides him in a journey before any interior”

To be honest, the exhibition and the museum felt a little underwhelming, especially compared to the Asian Civilisation’s Museum in Singapore. But I really like how the museum is surrounded by water and it feels like a very calm place to just relax.

Inventory Reflection at Centre du Patrimoine

• 

• 

• 

After this, I went to bake scones and then headed to the Centre Du Patrimoine in Old Nice because the description sounded really interesting:

“The exhibition presents the mission of the inventory at the national level by illustrating it by the field work of Nice. Mirroring the discovery of remarkable built and landscape elements related to the theme of the resort, this exhibition also offers some views of contemporary artists on the forms of the city.”

First thing’s first: the building that this was in was very, very cool. And I realised they have some pretty detailed booklets of the city so I know where I’m going when I’m going to explore Nice’s history.

As for the actual exhibition, it was just a collection of different building styles (coincidentally, I bought a book on architectural history in Nice at the museum). Unfortunately, it was all in French so I didn’t understand much apart from the name of the period (e.g. Art Deco).

After a very short visit there, I walked down the road to a burger place I’ve been meaning to try and had a really great early dinner! I wanted to go for a free tour of the Crypt de Nice this morning, but I couldn’t get the timing I wanted, so I’ll have to go another day – ideally when I know a bit more French.

Nice’s Festival of Books (Festival du Livre)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

On the way back after dinner, I realised that there was no queue to go into the Festival of Books! And since I now have a passe sanitaire and am a free person, I decided to go in and take a look.

The book festival coincides with the European Heritage Days and they actually have many, many events! There are also many authors who are there with their books which would ordinarily be an exciting event… except for the part where I don’t read/write/speak French. So I just wandered around for a bit and also went to Cours Selaya, where they were also selling books, just mostly second-hand this time. I would normally not buy anything, but I saw a few Agatha Christie books and was like “I can’t not buy a book by Christie!”.

And this is how I now have two additional reasons to learn French.