After yesterday’s full day in Avignon, today was an easy day. In the morning I stayed at the hotel and wrote my blog.
In the afternoon, I went to Mucem – the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. I’d passed its striking building several times already. It’s on a scenic walk along the harbour. Every time I passed it, it was a bit too late to see all the exhibitions.
Today, I had time. I walked from the hotel. First, I popped into the cathedral, which I’d passed many times but had never been inside.
At Mucem, when I went to buy a ticket, they said entrance was free on the first Sunday of the month! By luck, I’d picked the right day to come despite being in Marseille over a week.
The museum consisted of temporary and permanent exhibitions. There were two exhibitions on the ground floor. The first was by French fashion designer Mossi Traoré. This was interesting, especially the attempt to combine fashion with other popular culture, such as football and urban art.
The second exhibition was on the household and how it had evolved over the years.
On the second floor, there were also two exhibitions. The first was about Mediterranean culture from Ancient Greece to now. The second was all things to do with mothers. That was the most popular exhibition.
The museum’s main building has two metal bridges. One crossing the water and another the road. You can reach another part of the museum via one of the bridges: Fort Saint-Jean.
The most striking part of the museum is the building itself. It has patterned exterior that plays with the light casting changing patterns. It reminded me of the Abu Dhabi Louvre.
