Everyday life becomes art: as I explored the empty streets of Collioure early one Sunday morning, this humble, colorful display caught my eye, as did the beautiful wall and window. One feels a sweet emotion, as one passes these types of offerings to the world along the narrow streets of this ancient fishing village near the French border with Spain. I loved walking about while everyone was still at home, enjoying a leisurely day off, and no one was yet in the streets.
Collioure has an ancient past whose harbor has been used since Roman times.....and also - more recently - was the inspiration for many of the post-Impressionist pre-modernist French painters, like Matisse and Derain who delighted in the colorful southern atmosphere of this place where many villagers spoke Catalan, like their neighbors in Spain. There is wonderful cheese here, and delicious honey, and the bright yellow and red of the Catalan flag show up in tablecloths and home decor. This lovely little town has its own unique atmosphere, peaceful during my winter stay there. I truly loved it.
About Collioure, from Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collioure
And about the Fauve painters, Derain and Matisse who lived and worked in Collioure in the early 1900's:
modernartconsulting.ru/en/2012/06/birth-of-fauvism/ 