Another trip out in the Van from Esterel took us 30 miles or so back along the coast to Port Grimaud (yet another Venice of Provence, I hear you say). Vanya visited the place many years ago while on a cruise around the Med. I’d not been there before. It proved a really pleasant outing. We arrived out of season but most places in the village were open and we were very well received by the locals wherever we went. As an example, it was raining as we arrived and we looked to a small cafe for coffee and croissants until the rain ceased. The cafe wasn’t really open at the time and only serving coffee but; we were welcomed inside with Nala and Beanie and told that we could buy food at a nearby store and eat it in the restaurant if we so wished. We did just that and stayed until the rain stopped.
Port Grimaud was conceived by the architect (and sailor) Francois Spoerry in the 1960’s and is not to be confused with the old village of Grimaud up in the nearby hills. Building on reclaimed marshland Spoerry set about creating a small harbour town. More than that he designed a town where every seaman could park his vessel in front of his home. And that is exactly how it is. More than 2,000 homes were built (1,100 of which are detached villas) and each house has it’s own mooring. These mostly very pretty colourful houses (terracottas, creams and pinks seem to be the order of the day) are spread across 12 different islands and connected by no less than 14 bridges. There are more than 7 kilometres of waterways and 2 kilometres of quayside. It’s not hard to understand why it is called the Venice of Provence and I am certain it has a greater claim to that title than Martigues (much as I like Martigues).
Take a look yourself…
Of course the village has become a tourist attraction with more than half a million people visiting every year. Much of it is out of bounds to tourists but security was lax while we were there and we were able to go wherever we wanted. One particular island is very much a designated tourist area with it’s shops, restaurants, bars and even a church, the Eglise de Saint Francois d’Assise de Port Grimaud. The church serves more as a viewing platform (for it’s views over the village) than a house of prayer. No one entered the church while I was there and that’s a shame because, despite it’s simplicity, it is an impressive place. There are a couple of features within the church which stand out. First are the stained glass windows which reflect the movement of the sun throughout the day. I’ve never seen anything quite like them before. Second, Spoerry is interred in the church. His tomb is plain to see.
A few photos of the Eglise de Saint Francois d’Assise and a couple from it’s roof…
One thing I learned only after leaving Port Grimaud is that Francois Spoerry commissioned various Trompe L’Oeil to be painted on the walls around the village. I wrote about Trompe d’Oeil in some detail earlier during this tour when we were in Sainte-Marie La Mere. It is French for ‘Trick of the Eye’ and they are life sized murals which look real from a distance. Oh dear, to have missed them in Port Grimaud. There are other features of the village that I overlooked. Spoerry’s own house for starters – He designed it himself and it looks more like a castle tower than anything but, amongst other things, it has a swimming pool which is half inside and half outside. There’s also a pebble mosaic in the covered shopping arcade on the Place du Marche which I would have liked to have seen – Apparently more than 200,000 pebbles were used in the making of this mosaic. I suspect there is a great deal more about Port Grimaud that I would have enjoyed had I seen it. I’d definitely return for another look especially out of season such as now.
Trompe de L’Oiel in Port Grimaux. Not my photos…
The weather improved greatly during our visit and we were able to sit outside a restaurant bar for a glass of wine or two and Vanya even found time to take one of the boat tours around the different islands that make up the village. I should have done the same, if only for the photo opportunities. I think we’ll be back.
