We'd stayed on this campsite in April. There is a frequent bus service just outside the site that takes you the 5 kilometres or so to the centre of Nancy. We wanted to come again because there was so much to see.
We went into Nancy three days running. On the first day we e started out looking around the shopping district,
but mainly focussed on the art nouveau architecture that Nancy has in abundance.
We had lunch outside a sandwich bar just off Stanislaus Square. It was next door to the restaurant we'd lunched at in April.
On then to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, which was closed for refurbishments earlier in the year. First we went upstairs to what I can't help thinking of as the the more boring old pictures.
One room was almost devoted to different artists' interpretations of 'The Annunciation'.
On the way down a different set of stairs there were a couple of large paintings in botanically inspired art nouveau frames.
Downstairs was where the 20th century art was to be found.
I liked this large painting by Suzanne Valadon. The model was her lover André Utter. One of her son's less impressive efforts was round the corner.
This back of head, neck and shoulders was by André Derain, I believe. Not the more familiar fauvist style. After the liberation of Paris, Derain was in big trouble for his collaboration with the Nazi art hierarchy.
We found this painting of women playing billiards intriguing. Don't know who the artist is.
2012 was, I believe, some kind of anniversary for Jean Prouvé. Although from a leading Nancy art nouveau family he was an engineer and designer. He is responsible for versatile prefabrication in building, functional furniture, modernist staircases and ballustrades.
In the grounds of the museum we could walk round a complete Prouvé prefabricated building.
In the cellars of the museum is a retrospective art nouveau glass collection from the Daum factory in Nancy.
After which we needed refreshment in the art nouveau splendour of The Excelsior Hotel restaurant.
The chef's afternoon tea featured something with to do with melon.
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