Nice Daily Photo

The Beach..

2009-03-13T11:43:00.002+01:00

This is the stupidest reason ever for not blogging: just listen to this...

While opening a tin of food for my dogs last night I cut my finger quite badly so it is now swathed in a thick bandage and it's long, slow and a little painful to type..

(The good side is that I've been let off the gardening this weekend. )

I'll hopefully be back next week. Wishing you all a very enjoyable weekend.

Clocher de la Tour Rusca

2009-03-11T07:33:00.003+01:00

This is the Clocher de la Tour Rusca from the Quai des Etats-Unis. The Clocher is the bell tower of an old Benedictine convent and is a landmark in the old town..

The Flower Market: The Mimosa

2009-03-10T09:36:00.003+01:00

Last Autumn at Parc Phoenix I looked around an exhibition called The Invaders featuring the indigenous plant and animal wildlife that's been put at risk by the invasion of vigorous strains from elsewhere. The mimosa was one of them. Because it's a particularly resistant tree it takes hold in the dry conditions here and thrives thus marginalising more fragile plants. To the west of Cannes in the Tanneron there are forests of Mimosa gloriously yellow in the late Winter sunshine complete with notices warning not to pick; they're reserved for florists.

Opera Plage

2009-03-09T12:43:00.003+01:00

On the opposite side of the road to the Opera house is..Opera Plage, a public beach. The young couple under the sign were heading for the beach to eat their breakfast after a night's clubbing, exactly what my daughter and her friends used to do in the Summer.

Following the demise of my much loved screen, I'm using a laptop...with a dicey screen. Maybe it's me...

The Flower Market: Designer Salt

2009-03-08T15:25:00.003+01:00

Doctors and health advisers are constantly exhorting us to cut down our fat and cut out sugar and salt so what's a girl to think when faced with this array of salts from the four corners of the globe containing, well, everything from cranberries to oregano to lavender. Being completely devoid of any self control I cracked and bought one tube of the Himalayan which will look very pretty on my table..

Skywatch: Don't Walk!

2009-03-05T15:27:00.006+01:00

The Cours Saleya has three lovely archways that open onto a sublime view of the promenade, the palm trees and the Mediterranean and in all of them the eye is distracted by all the paraphenalia of urban life: the concrete bollards, the traffic lights, the information panel. I understand why these things have to be there I just don't understand why they have to be so ugly....
(The Victorians would have done it better)

Visit the world's skies over at the Sky Watch site..

The Flower Market: The Cheese

2009-03-05T08:01:00.003+01:00

Another of the produce stalls; the goat's cheese seller. As it was impossible to fade into the crowd (there wasn't one) I asked the seller if I could take a photo so she nodded yes...and posed. I didn't have a diplomatic way of explaining that she wasn't actually needed so I took her photo then the one I really wanted..the cheese. I bought the ones on the bottom right and they were delicious.

At the weekend dear Maria from Let The Good Times Roll gave me a very pretty award which I'm totally unable to copy here. I've had copying issues since I changed my computer..Thank you, Maria.

The Flower Market : The Potatoes

2009-03-04T08:20:00.000+01:00

The title looks strange, doesn't it? But the flower part only accounts for half the market; at the western end there are fruit and vegetable stalls, candied fruit, the socca seller. In short, there's something for everyone.
Now this is an example of a well stocked stall. I counted 11 different varieties of potato and I have to wonder if maybe he isn't too specialised but then I don't buy many potatoes...I did buy some garlic though.

The Flower Market 2

2009-03-03T07:08:00.002+01:00

Because the market was still empty I noticed details that would have escaped me in the hurly burly of the crowd. Take this window, for instance. I loved it; the colour of the shutters against the colour of the buiding, the way the awning which was nothing to do with the house, by the way, matches the house colour, the geraniums and just look at the painted inner shutters which I assume replace curtains. I would so love to take a peek inside...

The Flower Market

2009-03-02T08:12:00.004+01:00

I'm usually an early riser but for no obvious reason I was wide awake even earlier on Saturday so we had a quick breakfast and headed into the flower market to watch the sunrise and see the marketeers setting out their stalls. Well, we were early but many of the stalls were already up and running and even doing business. The surprise to me was that all the customers about at that hour were either old people or photographers. You'd have laughed if you'd seen how many people were out there taking photos presumably drawn by the golden hour so accurately described by Babooshka in Friday's post. (I've just tried to copy and paste the link to that particular post and was unable to...any answers, anybody?) Everything seems much more mellow at this time.
And, of course, there was the bonus of second breakfast in the flower market..

Theme Day: Biot Glass

2009-03-01T00:30:00.002+01:00

One of the must-sees on the tourist itinerary is the glass works at Biot, a village just in from the coast between Antibes and Villeneuve Loubet, where you can watch glassblowers actually creating some of the glassware on sale in the shop. It's an interesting experience though it's hard to imagine how they can stand the heat in the Summer; there's no point in air conditioning when your mouth is pressed inches away from molten glass and there are furnaces blazing away in the background.
I took the photo in the cool air of the gallery where various glass sculptures and other items are for sale.

These are the City Daily photo sites participating in this month's theme day.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Skywatch: Criss Cross

2009-02-26T22:52:00.003+01:00

Apparently there's evidence that proves that vapour trails affect local temperatures. I don't know about that but we certainly had a lovely, sunny day in Parc Phoenix and I left my coat in the car.

To see the skies of the world call in at the Sky Watch site..

Arenas

2009-02-26T11:28:00.004+01:00

On walking back to the car park I noticed these distorted reflections which evoke the ripple of light on water. The sea, of course, is a mere step away and Parc Phoenix is full of lakes and fountains so the distortion worked beautifully though I think it all would have been even better if the pay booths for the car park, the wooden constructions on either side, had been symmetrical. What do you think?

I've Got My Eye on You..

2009-02-24T14:48:00.004+01:00

We were back in Parc Phoenix on Sunday afternoon. The original plan was to head back for another carnival fix but enough was enough and we changed our minds while passing the park and ended up enjoying the sunshine and seeing stuff we'd missed before.
Now I don't know if these guys were there last time or if they're newly arrived but, you know, even though they were behind glass they still made my skin crawl...

(And if anyone from Parc Phoenix is reading I believe there were simply too many of these guys crammed into too small a space..)

Carnival: The People

2009-02-23T00:30:00.000+01:00

So while the floats are parading round Place Massena, everyone squirts that sticky string over, well, everyone else. I hate the stuff. Last time I came to carnival I was hit on the back and my pullover was ruined. This time a young girl got my camera just missing the lens. I prefer the confetti; it's harmless and pretty..

Sky Watch

2009-02-20T04:28:00.004+01:00

We braced ourselves for rain or snow or high winds but in fact it rained just a little then the sky cleared.

Head on over to the Sky watch site to see the skies from round the world.

Carnival:The Floats

2009-02-19T11:40:00.003+01:00

I've just been pondering the shocking story of Sir Alan Stanford, the banking tycoon at the heart of yet another fraud so my choice of today's photo is somewhat topical. Traditionally the carnival floats can have political/satirical themes; this one depicts a fat cat capitalist enjoying the good life while people starve, note the emaciated figures to the front.

His Majesty The King

2009-02-17T08:55:00.002+01:00

Here he is the King of the Carnival, wonderfully colourful and huge, though a voice inside my head keeps saying: yes, but what is he exactly? You can get an idea of the height by looking at the people standing by the barrier.
The corso carnavalesque makes its way through the Place Massena between stands of seats and down onto the Promenade des Anglais where there are more seating areas. There is, of course, a fee for the seats but I had a great view standing near the barrier and it was more fun being a part of the crowd..

Carnival

2009-02-16T16:30:00.002+01:00

It's that time of year again; we're in the run up to Lent and Carnival started last Saturday with a battle of the flowers on the Promenade des Anglais. I missed that one but was there on Sunday to watch the grand parade of the floats bearing the huge characters. This year's theme is Masquerades so all the characters were wearing or carrying masks....

This is the Queen of the Carnival. I suppose I should have started with His Majesty the King but, you know, I much preferred her; she looks like a Disney princess and I half expected her to burst into song..

Windy

2009-02-14T07:52:00.002+01:00

Drying clothes when you live in an apartment can be difficult so hanging them out of the window seems like the obvious solution though I'm so obsessive I'd probably want to have my washing colour coordinated!

Skywatch: Mr Blue Sky

2009-02-12T20:58:00.004+01:00

The Mistral has been blowing hard this week. It's been a cold wind roaring down the Rhone valley from the Swiss Alps but in terms of clearing up all the rain, fog and cloud it couldn't have been more welcome. Here's a glimpse of the blue sky it left us with...

To see the sky all over the world go check out the Skywatch website..

Soaking Up The Sun

2009-02-12T03:00:00.002+01:00

At last the weather's improving though with the Mistral that's been blowing these last few days, the sea has been definitely agitated. I was amazed that this gull sat quite calmly on a submerged rock while the waves washed over it but it was determined to enjoy those rays of sunshine..

Seashells

2009-02-10T07:40:00.003+01:00

Seashells washed up by the storm in Cannes two weeks ago. I wish I could capture those soft colours to paint my house with..

Cannes: Palm Beach

2009-02-08T09:52:00.002+01:00

Being completely out of Nice photos I thought I'd share the last of my Cannes ones. I took this 2 weeks ago on a Sunday morning. You can see across the bay of Cannes to the Palais des Festivals where the film festival is held, and the hills behind. The Croisette, Cannes's equivalent of the Promenade des Anglais, follows the curve of the bay and is definitely the place to see or be seen..

Sky Watch

2009-02-05T20:46:00.004+01:00

The South of France has this reputation for being glitzy and glamorous. What many people don't realise is that there is a different side to the Riviera. In the hills behind the coast there all sorts of activities on offer. I've already mentioned the winter sports an hour's drive out of Nice. Now here's another example: paragliding. There are a couple of launch sites in the hills behind my house and on a clear Sunday I often see them spinning lazily in the breeze.

For a look at the skies around the world go to the Skywatch site and enjoy!

Russian Cathedral: the Bells

2009-02-04T00:30:00.000+01:00

While reorganising all my stuff on the computer I happened upon more photos of the Russian Cathedral that I'd intended to post and somehow never did. This tower houses a bell as you can see but it was the detailing round the top of the opening that really caught my eye. The colours are amazingly vibrant.

As you might expect the materials were some of the finest: the bricks were from England, the glazed tiles on the domes and the six crosses came from Italy. The domes themselves were coated with gold leaf and the mosaic icons on the facade were handpainted by Russian artists.

Wrought Iron.

2009-02-03T13:34:00.002+01:00

I have absolutely no idea what these are called; it's a wrought iron decoration placed on a wall that's head height. My guess is that it's there to discourage the uninvited from climbing over the wall. Whether it works I don't know but I think it's rather attractive just to look at.

Lycée Masséna

2009-02-02T09:56:00.003+01:00

This is the clock tower of the Lycée Masséna which stands opposite the theatre and modern art museum.
The building shared Nice's chequered history in that it started life as an Augustinian convent in 1623 but with the coming of the revolution became a school. It remained a school, though one governed by the Jesuits, when Nice was returned to Italy while turning back into a state school when Nice was returned to France. Since then the building has been largely rebuilt and extended to welcome a growing number of pupils. It now houses pupils from 16-18 years old though is mainly known for its classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles, more of which another day.

Carolyn's Ice Balcony

2009-01-29T16:20:00.002+01:00

This looks like an amazing ice sculpture but it is, in fact, the ice that had built up on a friend's balcony in Isola 2000. The snow there is apparently the best in living memory and may help to reinforce Nice's bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2018 which was submitted to the Comite National Olympique et Sportif Francais yesterday. The French committee will give their decision on 18th March..
(It's just occurred to me that 2018 is 9 years away. I wonder if I'll still be blogging.)

Palais Emelyne

2009-01-28T13:12:00.003+01:00

After that brief look at Palm Beach we're back in Nice. If you enjoy architecture then there's plenty to look at in the town centre. Styles vary wildly depending on which period of history they were built in and to which country Nice belonged to at the time and then there are the names: take this one for example. The word Palais locally means simply a large building not necessarily a palace, though there are some of those too.
This one, Emelyne, just escapes the Belle Epoque period being built in 1923, though it does have several features from that time. The building had just undergone a renovation and was softly glowing in the morning sunlight.
For the last few years the council's policy seems to have been to restore these fine old buildings where possible. Some of the newer developments, without grace or beauty, that line the Promenade des Anglais are a disgrace..

Palm Beach

2009-01-27T00:30:00.001+01:00

This bike marked the turning point on my Sunday walk. I assumed it must belong to the boat owner but there was no one about. I could have done with a bike to get me back to the car as, lulled by the sun and the fresh air, I'd walked further than I'd intended.

Footprints in the Sand

2009-01-26T10:19:00.001+01:00

This is still Palm Beach, Cannes. The beaches in Nice are all pebbles and shingle so it's pleasant to take a walk along a sandy beach for a change. Although I was out early I wasn't the first to enjoy the pristine sand..

Avenue of Palms

2009-01-25T15:31:00.003+01:00

We're moving west along the Riviera today and have ended up in Cannes which was so lovely this morning I felt I'd like to share. This is in the Palm Beach area at the end of the Croisette; it's a splendid walk along the sea..

On Friday Olivier tagged me to reveal 5 secrets about myself so without further ado here we go:

1. My mother, sister, brothers and I live in 5 different countries on 3 continents which is tough on mum.
2. I go for a walk on 6 days a week usually with my dogs.
3. I have thick, frizzy hair which I've spent lots of money trying to straighten but now I have learned to live with it as it is.
4. I love salads but if you offer me a choice between anything at all with sugar in it and the most magnificent salad I will always choose the sugar..
5. I hate flying. Every trip is an agony of terror and/or sedation..

So now comes the tricky part. Who would like to play? I'll nominate:
1. Catherine in Paris
2. Hilda in Manila
3. Bibi in Belgrade
4. Jilly in Monaco/Monte Carlo
5. Walker in San Diego

Sky Watch Friday

2009-01-22T22:17:00.004+01:00

The roofs of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Nice; I fell in love with the Cathedral last weekend and have shown several photos from various viewpoints. I promise this will be the last, at least for a while.
For anyone interested in the history of the Cathedral scroll back to Tuesday's post..

A happy sky watch to all participants and if you'd like to see more sky shots visit the Sky Watch website.

Parc Imperial

2009-01-22T08:47:00.003+01:00

A palace? A hotel? A museum? Built originally in 1899 as a luxury hotel to house holidaying heads of state and nobility, this huge building with its arches and columns fell into the hands of the city council after the first world war and the building was transformed into an educational establishment.
Now on this site there are a college (11-16 years), a lycee (16-18 years) and further education courses. There's an interesting web site which gives you a photographic tour of the building if you'd like a peek inside, just click on the camera icons.
It really doesn't seem like a bad place to be educated!

The Chapel.

2009-01-20T10:02:00.003+01:00

While holidaying on the French Riviera in 1865 the Crown Prince of Russia, Nicholas, contracted and died from meningitis. He was 20 years old.
His father, the Czar Alexander II, bought the entire 40 hectares of property belonging to the house where the young prince died, razed to the ground the 40 room house and its grounds and had constructed this commemorative chapel in 1867. The altar stands on the exact spot occupied by the death bed of the prince.

The chapel is built in the byzantine style and is situated in the grounds of the Cathedral.

From the Sublime..

2009-01-19T13:16:00.004+01:00

..to the less sublime.
Imagine yourself living in an apartment block in this street. You put your head out of the window, look north and you have an amazing view of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, an explosion of colour in the sunlight.
Look south, however, you have a less stunning view of the main line railway that links us to points East and West and above it the voie rapide, the fast through road. Both are highly useful adjuncts to a busy life but don't cut the mustard aesthetically speaking.
So, would you buy an apartment on this street?

A Closer Look..

2009-01-18T16:21:00.003+01:00

Firstly some facts...for two centuries there has been a strong Russian presence on the Cote d'Azur, composed mostly of the nobility and other influential people who followed the example of the Dowager Czarina, Alexandra Feodorovna when she moved to Nice for health reasons in the 1850s. To sustain their faith an orthodox church was built in Rue Longchamp but as the community grew it was considered necessary to build something bigger and more in keeping with the importance of the community.
To this end Czar Nicholas II gave the land which was his property and the first stone was laid in 1903 and the project finished in 1912.

The facts, of course, do little to explain the sight of all this Russian magnificence framed by fairly ordinary french apartment blocks and the Cathedral with the sun shining off its enamelled roofs tiles is enough to take your breath away. I can't believe that I've lived here so long and never seen it before but I'm so pleased I have done now.

I'm sorry that I will not be able to show you the interior. No photos are allowed and though I've searched can't find any on internet but I will try again..

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral

2009-01-17T17:43:00.004+01:00

Yes, it really is Nice and not Moscow. This is the Cathedral of St Nicholas located in the Parc Imperial district of Nice and the largest Russian orthodox church outside Russia.
More about the church tomorrow but if you could see only one monument in Nice, make it this one!

Skywatch: Agave Americana

2009-01-16T08:25:00.003+01:00

Isn't it odd that there are so many living things that once they've born fruit, turn their toes up and die and doesn't that fact make you feel happy you're a human being and we don't normally do that?
The agave puts up its flower, this spike you see here and then dies. Having said that, it does take a long time to grow the flower; it's called the century plant in some places because of the time it takes to store up the nourishment needed to push out that flower spike.
The agave was introduced into Europe in the 16th century as an ornamental plant perhaps at a time when gardens were bigger as a fully grown agave can be pretty big. They do well in dry soils like we have here and you can often see the flowers silhouetted against the sky or the blue of the Mediterranean. If you'd like to know more about the agave you can check it out here.

To see some glorious sky images pop over to the Skywatch site.

Classic'Prom

2009-01-15T13:44:00.004+01:00

The road closure I mentioned yesterday was caused by a 10 kilometre race, the Classic'Prom which means competitors run 5km on one side of the Promenade des Anglais then swing round and run the 5km back.
This year the race celebrated its 10th birthday with 5,000 men and women competing, more every year than the previous one. I'm not a runner but I reckon it must be a great experience to run between the sea and the palm trees with the winter sun on your back. There are worse ways to spend a Sunday morning..

A Mystery...

2009-01-14T12:43:00.003+01:00

The Promenade des Anglais was closed on Sunday morning obliging us to take a diversion round the back streets. As the back streets aren't intended for through traffic, it was a long and sometimes frustrating detour: for the driver that is. For the passenger, i.e. me, there were lots of fascinating things to see from the car that I would probably have missed on foot.
I spotted these oxen way up near the top of a building holding up a terrace. There must have about ten in total arranged in pairs. The building was a biggish one, faced with stone and what I'd love to know is: why the oxen? If anyone out there knows Nice I'd love to know something about the building..
The other thing that would be interesting is to remember where I saw them.

My World

2009-01-13T08:46:00.003+01:00

This was definitely a Wednesday afternoon because the sailing schools are always out in force then with their brightly coloured sails.
In France all schools are closed on Wednesday afternoons leaving pupils to choose an activity to follow. There's lots of different things on offer but as we live so near the sea water sports are always popular.

There are lots of beautiful My World photos to see by following the links on the My World site.

Trouble in Paradise

2009-01-11T16:29:00.004+01:00

Another vista to finish the week or start the week depending on where you're standing....For me Sunday is definitely the end of the week. I wanted to take a long walk round the port and the Cap towards Villefranche, east of Nice but I couldn't find a parking place at all, not one, not even a car park so I double parked, took a couple of photos and went straight home; it was very unsatisfactory particularly as it was such a glorious day and perfect for a good walk.

I had intended coming into Nice yesterday to browse the sales a little and am glad I didn't. I read this account on our local forum of a mini riot that broke out in the city centre yesterday during a demonstration against the bombing of Palestine..
......."Later in the afternoon I was coming back home through Place Massena to be faced by a multitude of police vans and riot police with guns, helmets and riot shields. Apart from a lot of 'youth' hanging around, I could not really fathom out what the problem was. Shoppers were passing through to the sales. No cordon was put up and the police were chatting with the public. As I live just behind Nice Etoile, I passed on up Jean Medecin as normal although there were more vans and police ahead at Nice Etoile. All of a sudden there was a surge of 'youth' charging down Jean Medecin into the path of the shoppers. We all turned tail and ran into doorways and corners to escape the stampede. Very frightening and the children were all screaming and crying. Next thing is the Police threw tear gas (my first experience of this nasty stuff). That I think is the bangs you heard. People were running in all directions, there was pandemonium. I ran for home but had to go through it all with my eyes and nose streaming. Safely indoors the scene converged into our street, Boulevard Dubouchage, and tear gas bombs were thrown into our gardens (not sure if by police or protesters). Being on the ground floor we had to watch (with windows tight shut) through a haze of smoke as riot police chased through running shoppers in pursuance of the trouble makers. It was pretty scary because we thought we might get a fire bomb through our windows. After that about 20 police vans lined up outside across the street and the rioting continued with a lot more bangs (I hope not guns) shouting, tear gas and people running down our street. I cannot say what was going on exactly because I did not dare venture into the gardens to find out out...let alone the fact you you couldn't breathe. "

And here's a link to the article in Nice Matin, our local newspaper.

http://www.nice.maville.com/actu/actudet_--La-manif-pour-la-paix-a-Gaza-vire-a-la-bataille-au-coeur-de-Nice-_dep-794197_actu.Htm

Pushing the Boat Out

2009-01-10T18:25:00.004+01:00

We're about a 2 minute walk from the spit of land in the post before last. There's a water sports club here and it's not unusual on the approach to Nice airport when flying in to feel like the plane is going to skim the masts of the boats and windsurfers.

Hot Chocolate

2009-01-09T00:30:00.003+01:00

When I stop for coffee I like to try somewhere different each time. I loved this place..

For my Sky Watch contribution please check out my Valbonne blog:
http://valbonnedailyphoto.blogspot.com

The Sea, the Sky, the Airport

2009-01-08T09:22:00.004+01:00

The impression of isolation here is wildly deceptive. At my back was the busy shopping mall of Cap 3000 and the spit of land in the distance that runs from the left is the runway for the airport. This part of the River Var that marks the western boundary of the city, though, is a mecca for bird watchers, nature lovers, dog walkers and people taking photos.
I stumbled over what looked like a professional photographer with his tripod, huge camera bristling with gear. I would have liked to ask him what he was shooting but he was fiercely concentrated on his task. I came across him later moving down the bank and noticed that he had someone to carry his equipment. Then I really regretted not waiting to speak to him

Leaving..

2009-01-07T00:30:00.002+01:00

Son is leaving this afternoon heading back to university and arctic temperatures in the UK. I'd like to be sure he'll wear his coat and wrap up warm and have something hot to eat at the other end but he just laughs at me..

Baie Des Anges

2009-01-06T08:34:00.004+01:00

On Sunday morning I drove along the Bord de Mer, literally sea side, the road that hugs the coast . I started in Nice and ended up on the stretch that runs between Villeneuve Loubet and Antibes. It was a clear, cold day and I especially wanted to catch this view, the view across the Baie des Anges to the snow capped mountains where the sea stations are located .
The built up area in the background is Cagnes sur Mer, a little west of Nice which is further to the right. You can easily see the apartment blocs of the Marina Baie des Anges complex there on the left; they warrant a post of their own but if you'd like to see a photo of them taken from the air go check out this site.

Stars at La Victorine

2009-01-05T10:01:00.003+01:00

A few years ago the call went up for bilingual children to act as extras in a film being shot at La Victorine. Never being ones to back away from a challenge the children and I signed on for the ride.
They were totally fascinated by the whole filming process...

PS The film never made into the cinemas being released directly onto DVD and even though I've been over the whole thing with a magnifying glass I can find no sight of me or my kids. Hollywood: it's your loss..

Studios de la Victorine

2009-01-04T16:32:00.006+01:00

Given the Riviera's connections with the film world it's hardly surprising that one of France's most prestigious studios is located in Nice just above the airport. Like the Palais de la Mediterranee, the Studios de la Victorine is a story typical of the south, of glamour and glitz combined with corruption or at the least massive mismanagement.

The studios opened in 1919 and have played host to many cinema classics through the years. Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" was shot here as was Truffaut's "Day for Night" and more recently "Mr Bean's Holiday" and the hugely popular French film "Brice de Nice," but have always been dogged by misfortune: bankruptcies and 3 major fires among them.
They have changed hands several times and since 1999 have been in the hands of Euro Media Television who've changed the name to Riviera Studios; I think I prefer Victorine though, myself. The only problem is that the city of Nice owns the site and after 2018 can sell it for development which may limit the amount of investment any company may want to make in the buildings and sets..

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T10:38:00.004+01:00

I'm taking a brief break from Nice but I'll be back at the weekend. The party will continue in Valbonne though, so come see me there.

In the meantime I wish you all a very happy Christmas with your families and friends. I hope it'll be a good one for everyone.

A Very Silly Christmas Joke:

What do you call Santa's little helpers?
Subordinate Clauses

Sorry!

And When You Can't Ski...

2008-12-22T09:07:00.004+01:00

....there's always the sea..

We have a Swedish friend who went to Isola, found the black slopes closed because of the Mistral, didn't want to waste the day so drove back to the coast and went windsurfing.

Which would serve as an apt definition for "driven" I guess.

I was so happy to find this award waiting for me at North Metro Daily Photo. I've always admired DL's photos so it's an honour: two days, two awards. That's a great start to Christmas week and I'm going to milk it for all its worth and give it out 10 times, 5 for each award.

Geneva Dail Photo
Birmingham, Alabama DP
Palos Verdes DP
Around Roanoke
Visual St Paul
Mumbai DP
Ramsay IOM
Jilly in Menton & MC
Oeiras DP
Alice in Arradon

And Let it Snow..

2008-12-21T12:36:00.007+01:00

Apart from showing you how much cool stuff there is going on around Nice, I also wanted to share with you the news that Nice has put in a bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2018. When I first heard the news I was stunned at the ambition of the Maire of Nice, Christian Estrossi; Nice doesn't at first, or even second, sight seem the most obvious candidate with the emphasis firmly on sun, sand and glitzy glamour. The fact that the city attracted British nobility including Queen Victoria in times gone by, owes more to the warm winters than the snowy ones. (though I may treasure the mental image of Queen Victoria on skis)
But once I'd put aside my prejudices, Nice has got quite a lot going for it: it has the largest airport in France after Paris, the area is packed to the brim with hotel rooms that are largely empty through the Winter and is beginning to develop a reasonable public transport network. I would say that the biggest problem is the unreliability of the snow which seems important when thinking about the Winter Olympics. Last year's snowfall was good and this year's, even this early in the season, is excellent but there have been years when the snow simply hasn't fallen.
The choice of a French candidate will happen next year and the final choice should be announced in 2011. The campaign will be interesting to follow..

Rob of Trieste Daily Photo has honoured me with these lovely awards which I'll be passing on tomorrow. Thank you, Rob, you made my day!

Let it Snow...

2008-12-20T09:15:00.004+01:00

just nowhere near me..

There's no way I can get up to the snow right now with Christmas looming large on the horizon so I asked Josh if I could share some of his photos. This was taken 2 weeks ago at Isola 2000, a ski station around a 40 minute drive from Nice, depending on who's driving, at 2000metres altitude.
When I first arrived here I had absolutely no idea that the area wasn't just the coast but the alps as well hiding a number of small ski stations. When the children were small we used to religiously head up every weekend there was snow and fasten everybody into their snowsuits, struggle with the ski bindings and herd them up the lifts. Now, of course, they whizz off with their mates and leave me to do what I do best: the apres-ski

More about Nice and its ski stations tomorrow.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-12-19T08:40:00.003+01:00

As I have a distinct aversion to being cold and enjoy the snow only from my armchair by the side of the fire, you can tell I didn't take this photo so it's thanks to Josh who headed up to experience the white, fluffy stuff.
The shot was taken about 2 weeks ago, after the first snowfall, from the Col de Vence looking out over the Med and the crowded coastline..

To see more glorious Sky Watch images go here.

Promenade des Anglais

2008-12-18T08:29:00.002+01:00

A photo to celebrate the return of the sun after the rain. Practical and attractive to look at, there are several of these structures along the Promenade des Anglais offering a place to sit out of the sun.

Nice Etoile

2008-12-17T13:04:00.002+01:00

My least favourite thing about Christmas is shopping but it has to be done so I gritted my teeth and headed for Nice Etoile, an indoor shopping centre on Nice's prime shopping street. It's home to chains like C&A and Habitat and French names such as Genevieve Lethu and Longchamp though there are enough independent shops to make it interesting. How long this situation will last is debatable, though, as recent rent increases are driving out the smaller businesses..

I tend to be a fairly early riser and am ready to hit the shops at 10am when they open which is lucky for me as they're fairly empty with most people arriving at lunchtime. The strange thing is that in Cardiff where my family lives it's the same; from 9am till midday the shops are empty and then everyone arrives together. Do people actually enjoy shopping in crowds? This is mystifying...

A Love Story

2008-12-16T09:51:00.007+01:00

A little while ago I was contacted by Steve, an Australian who had lived in Nice. He'd seen my photos of the Promenade des Anglais and sent me a note saying that he'd met the Love of His Life while sitting on one of the white benches. They'd moved away to Ireland but the photo had stirred fond memories for them. He said they'd left a sign on the bench and why didn't I go have a look. So being a sucker for a love story I did just that....I searched high and low and, really, there are a few of those benches usually with people sitting on them but couldn't find the sign so eventually I gave up.
Then I received another email from Steve. They were back in Nice and the original sign had been removed but they'd had a second one made to commemorate their first meeting and had superglued it in place and that if I saw them I should stop and say g'day. Sadly they weren't there but I'll try to catch up with them next time.

Christmas...

2008-12-12T13:27:00.003+01:00

Christmas decorations abound in the centre of the city. There are the obvious lit garlands above the main street itself which look glorious at night time but I do like this practice of putting displays outside shops on the side streets. The red is very cheerful and you get a lovely Christmassy feeling without having to crane your neck. Though I wasn't able to capture the whole scene, pesky shoppers getting in the way, you can imagine how nice the whole road looked with the same festive display repeated outside each shop. Very tasteful. Well played, ville de Nice

Beachcombing

2008-12-09T08:43:00.001+01:00

I was sitting in one of those nice blue chairs enjoying the ozone in my lungs and the spray on my face when the noise of machinery disturbed my calm. On investigation it proved to be an earth mover redistributing the shingle after the storms.

Blue Chairs

2008-12-08T08:03:00.003+01:00

These blue chairs have been a feature on the Promenade for as long as I can remember but I notice that there are fewer of them now as they seem to be being replaced with those white benches.
After a blowy night the sea was quite agitated. I'd forgotten how exhilarating it is to walk along the sea with the wind in my hair and the waves pounding. The Med. usually has a tide of 10 inches so this was pretty exceptional...

Sky Watch Friday

2008-12-05T10:44:00.005+01:00

The sky looking North to the mountains: as you can see the bout of cold weather brought us lots of cold rain at lower altitudes and snow at around 800m which means that the small ski stations will have a good base of snow for Christmas..

I was also going to point out the contrails which are ever present in our skies as flights from Nice to Paris, I think, fly over our house. There was a lively discussion about contrails and how they're responsible for messing up the weather on a local forum which I was intending to link to but that's disappeared during the course of the forum's revamp. Being a Gemini I listen to both sides but not being a scientist I have no idea which side is right. Interestingly, though, as the sky filled up with the vapour trails it did actually rain later..

Check out all the other Sky Watch sites by clicking here...

The Negresco.

2008-12-03T14:49:00.003+01:00

I don't think I would ever tire of looking at this building. It truly is a magnificent piece of architecture and design. I have actually featured the Negresco right at the beginning of this blog but I think it's worth a revisit.
The facts: the hotel was built by a Romanian called Henri Negresco who was director of the municipal casino when he had the clever idea of building a sumptuous hotel to attract the moneyed classes to the riviera. It was designed by Edouard Niemans with the pink dome being designed by Eiffel. The chandelier composed of 16,309 crystals was by Baccarat so we really are talking top of the range. The chandelier is especially stunning though it's hard to capture its beauty in a photo.
The hotel opened in 1913 but was turned into a hospital during the first world war and then fell into the hands of creditors after the war. Negresco died at the young age of 52.
In 1957 the hotel was bought by the Augier family who turned the hotel's fortunes round. The hotel now houses an important art collection and a famous restaurant as well as being a 4 star hotel and a listed French monument. The hotel has its own web site in English and French and even if you can't visit in person, you can take the cyber tour and take a look at that chandelier.

The Negresco.

2008-12-03T14:49:00.000+01:00

The Solex 2

2008-12-02T14:45:00.003+01:00

You know that thing about waiting hours for a number 10 bus then 3 turn up together, it was a little like that with the Solex. Having had the iconic nature of the machine pointed out to me, all I saw for the next few days were Solex and you wouldn't believe the number of emails I received from people who have fond memories of the beast. Of course, before the scooter became popular, the solex was the mode of transport of choice of non drivers and adolescents.

I've been having a look at the various websites and discovered that the Solex will do an amazing 214 miles to the gallon which, if the price of petrol goes up again makes it a very interesting proposition. Anyway I'll give you the link to the American site and the British one.

It's amazing what you learn taking photos..

Sunday Morning: the Fountain

2008-12-01T13:31:00.003+01:00

The square facing the Palais de Justice, the law courts which are to the left. During the week this square is packed with people; Sunday was quieter. As I've mentioned before I have a passion for ice cream and my favourite ice cream shop is just behind where I was standing..

It's Cold and Wet

2008-11-28T09:13:00.002+01:00

The Vilebrequin swimwear shop in the pedestrian area. Vilebrequin is a French brand that was created in St Tropez (where else?) in the 1970s when the founder took a chequered tablecloth and cut it up to make comfortable swimming shorts. The business enjoyed a small success but only really took off when bought by its present owner. As in so many cases having a clever idea simply isn't enough.
Anyhow, the brand now has passionate followers and you can find the shops in all the major riviera towns as well as in Paris and the US. Personally I love their fabric designs which are always colourful and summery. I especially like the matching father and son range which you can just catch a glimpse of in the window but I can just imagine the look on my husband's face if I'd suggested he and our son wore matching swimming shorts...

My 200th Post

2008-11-27T00:30:00.003+01:00

You'll be pleased to hear that even though the economy is in recession, we in Nice are keeping standards high. We may no longer be able to afford to drink champagne but at least we can use the champagne bucket for washing our bikes.
Photo taken outside Wayne's, a bar in the old town which the website describes as "a cultural melting pot" If you'd like to know more about Waynes, you can read about it here in English.

My 200th post: it's been a great ride so far. I'm both surprised and pleased at having come this far and my thanks to you all for visiting and commenting...and a Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans out there...

Deliciously Ironic.

2008-11-26T14:00:00.004+01:00

My weird sense of humour again, I know, but I simply couldn't pass this by without a remark...in a city stuffed full of magnificent buildings (just look at the building to the left) why would anyone want to house the Forum of Town Planning and Architecture in this?

Looking Up

2008-11-25T09:29:00.002+01:00

This is a reminder to myself to lift my eyes from the pavement and shop windows occasionally. On my own I would have missed these charming windows. The building itself was clean and tidy but not especially old and I'd love to know what was inside, a stairway perhaps or just a view point onto the street but, unfortunately, there was no one about to ask.

Sunday Morning 5

2008-11-24T09:32:00.004+01:00

A party for Olivier whose birthday it is...joyeux anniversaire, Olivier, de la part de la ville de Nice et sa photo quotidienne...

I took this over a week ago when temperatures were up in the 20s. Yesterday it was cold as we experienced the same cold front that's affecting the rest of Europe.
I'm still very ambivalent about monochrome but I rather liked it here as it emphasised the geometry of the bench. I'm pretty sure that it was the same bench that Lady with the Great Hair was sitting on.

Nissa La Bella

2008-11-23T08:58:00.004+01:00

Given its position on the Mediterranean and mild climate it isn't surprising that Nice is one of the earliest human settlements on the planet so considering the time it's been around it shouldn't be surprising that it comes with a lot of chequered history. For instance, the county of Nice has been passed back and fro between France and Italy like a game of Pass the Parcel with the city eventually ending up French in 1860.
Part of the city's cultural baggage is that it comes with its own dialect: Niçard, Nissart, Niçois or Nizzardo depending on which written form you prefer...
The dialect is actually a sub dialect of Occitan or Provençal, the language spoken in the Mediterranean region of France, Italy and Spain. Here's the link if you'd like to know about it. And this is a link to the song Nissa la Bella, Nice the beautiful, an anthem to Nice, which you can hear sung in Niçois and even join in with the karaoke version should you so desire.

So what's this got to do with the photo, I hear you asking. If you look at the road sign it's actually bilingual, the top in French and underneath in Niçois. The language is enjoying a renaissance locally with a significant number of pupils opting to learn it at school while a significant amount of Niçois are bilingual in French and Niçois.. It's impossible to give the exact numbers because apparently people do lie about whether or not they speak the language!

I find it fascinating that the more we embrace the idea of being Europeans, the tighter we cling to local cultures to reaffirm our national identities.

I Can't Imagine...

2008-11-22T00:30:00.001+01:00

what it's like to have obedient hair.

Sunday morning again on the Promenade des Anglais. There's no better place on Earth to do some serious people watching.

Many thanks to Jilly for solving my photo sizing problems. Those small ones made me feel cramped..

Parc Phoenix

2008-11-21T03:00:00.003+01:00

I'm taking a little diversion round Parc Phoenix again. I went back recently and whilst there spotted these two glorious birds. They were absolutely magnificent in their snowy whiteness and with those adorable tassels on their heads.
However, I have absolutely no idea what sort of birds they are so if you know could you tell me, please, for my records.

Sunday Morning 4

2008-11-20T00:30:00.001+01:00

Excuse me but you've got something stuck on your back....

Sunday Morning 3: The Solex

2008-11-19T00:30:00.003+01:00

So there were these two guys walking towards me, one on a moped, the other dressed very formally and they'd been talking quite intensely. I figured their faces would make an interesting photo so I took it whereupon my husband asked if I'd got the moped in the shot.

Well, no, actually I liked their faces.
But it was a Solex...
And that's interesting because...?
Because a Solex is to mopeds what a Vespa is to scooters. Iconic.
Who knew?

Sunday Mornings: Testing the Water

2008-11-18T00:30:00.001+01:00

I've lived here for 23 years but watching someone voluntarily go for a swim in mid November, and she did swim, still amazes me and makes me shiver. Which is a joke really as both sea and air temperatures were probably warmer than the UK on a nice Summer day!

Sunday Mornings 1

2008-11-17T00:30:00.003+01:00

So what does Sunday morning mean to you? Me, I slop around in night clothes, email the family, read a newspaper, have a leisurely breakfast and eventually work up enough energy to walk the dogs. This morning, however, I actually got up, dressed and headed into town to see how the average Nicois spends his down time and was stunned to discover half the city out and about and engaged in all sorts of physical activities: jogging, walking, cycling and sailing. It was so inspirational I just had to find a bench to sit on while I recorded it all...Anyway I'll show what I saw over the next few days.
This photo came with a bonus: you can just catch sight of the airport runway sticking out into the sea behind the yacht. It's almost touching down in the water that makes landing in Nice such a special start to a visit here.

I'm back in Valbonne...

2008-11-12T14:12:00.000+01:00

I've restarted my Valbonne blog so call by and see me there. I'll be back in Nice shortly. I just need to ease myself in gently....

Please Bear With Me....

2008-09-26T21:11:00.002+02:00

As I was saying it's been a difficult week and I'm afraid Miles didn't work his magic as my computer crashed again last night, emphatically. So until I can either fix the old one, again, or buy a new one I won't be posting. However, I will be able to visit and leave comments so don't think I'm not watching you all!

Miles Davis

2008-09-25T23:22:00.003+02:00

It's been one of those weeks: computer problems, grey skies, son going back to university et al et al. I need a morale boost and what could be better than Miles Davis by Niki de St Phalle outside the Negresco?
A glass of good red wine inside the Negresco might come close though...

Le Liber' tea

2008-09-22T06:41:00.003+02:00

Not a bad way of marking the end of Summer and beginning of Autumn. This is Place Magenta in the heart of the zone piétonne, the pedestrian zone surrounding Rue Massena. When you're presented with lots of choice how do you choose your restaurant: menu, degree of charm, good looking, attentive waiters? The name drew me to this one but after taking time to decide there were no free tables....so we had a sandwich on the beach.

Sunflowers

2008-09-21T08:36:00.006+02:00

Place Grimaldi, Saturday lunch time. 3 euros 50 for a pot full of sunshine. I just wish I could have taken the wagon too...

Is It Him?
Catherine, author of The Five of Us, sent me a mail wondering if the unknown young man in the park could be the son of her friend. She's published a photo of him on her blog. Scroll down my page to "Chillin'" and you can see the photo I took. I think there's definitely a resemblance but I'd need to check out his feet!What do you think?
Go and read her charming stories of family life in Paris...

PS If you're in Nice or coming to Nice or just interested here's a great map. Click on Patrimoine and it'll show you all the most interesting places some with photos. If you're looking for a specific street just feed it into the search box.

Sailing Ships...

2008-09-20T18:05:00.004+02:00

Driving along the Promenade des Anglais this afternoon we caught sight of these beautiful sailing ships heading towards the port. What to do? Stopping was impossible; traffic's always busy and for once all the traffic lights were on green so my inventive son hung out of the car window with my camera and with a judicious bit of cropping, (I doubted anyone would want to see the barrier or the window), this is the result. Oh and my son's fallen in love with my camera..
According to Nice Matin newspaper this was part of a prestigious sailing ships event. Here's the link...

Chillin'

2008-09-17T06:36:00.002+02:00

I was dashing through the park late for an appointment; the sun was beating down and my face was getting redder by the minute. When I spotted this young man under the trees I was just so envious...

Fashion Street.

2008-09-16T09:05:00.004+02:00

...also known as Rue Alphonse Karr which is part of what's known as the golden triangle of Nice shopping streets. In other words leave your plastic at home and wear blinkers as you walk past the shops. I found the Marc Jacobs shoes here...

Scenic Sunday

2008-09-14T06:48:00.005+02:00

What you're seeing here is a view down Rue de la Prefecture towards the Clocher de la Tour Rusca sometimes called Tour de Clocher and on the left is the side of the Palais de Justice, the law courts. Both are admirable buildings with interesting histories.
Now let me tell you about the ice cream shop which is just behind my right shoulder. You can't see it so you'll have to take my word for it. They have lots of different flavours and the portions are generous and the view looks even better with an ice cream in your hand.
PS A tip from me...don't buy more than 2 balls because you simply can't eat them fast enough...
If you'd like to see more scenic sundays then go here.

Monument aux Morts

2008-09-13T13:49:00.002+02:00

This is for Virginia who asked for a closer look at the War Memorial.

Let's start with a little history: the memorial was inaugurated in 1928 to commemorate the nicois dead during the first world war then extended to include those killed in the second world war and the conflicts in Indochina and Algeria.

The structure is magnificent and really does honour those who died for their country. At 32 metres high it's constructed from local stone and is built into the base of the Chateau hill looking out over the Mediterranean sea and the Port of Nice. The original designs planned for it to be built in a beautiful and peaceful setting far from traffic; these days a busy 4 lane road runs across the front, unfortunately...I'll try to get a night shot because it looks even more imposing lit up.
If you'd like more information you can find it here in French.

Whimsical!

2008-09-12T07:31:00.002+02:00

These shoes are cute but for that price I need more than cute...
They were occupying centre stage in an upmarket shoe shop on Nice's Fashion Street (yes, really!)

Out Of Order

2008-09-11T09:02:00.004+02:00

The fountains in the Jardins Albert 1er were out of order so we all sat and watched the repairs instead...in fact, some people photographed them.

Lady in Red

2008-09-10T08:46:00.002+02:00

I really wanted this lady to be more central but she was walking at such a fair pace I had a job keeping up. In the end I gave up and just took the photo...

We're on Place Massena here which was renovated during the tramway project. The fountain is called Fontaine du Soleil and used to sport a 7 metre statue of Apollo in all his naked glory. However it was felt that the public wouldn't be able to cope with the sheer excitement of it all and he was removed. And just in case you're imagining victorian style city fathers; this took place in the 1970's!

The Beach.

2008-09-09T00:30:00.001+02:00

Anyone visiting Nice primarily for a beach holiday would be a little disappointed, I'd say: the beach is a relatively narrow, crowded strip of pebbles between a busy road and the sea. Having said that the Mediterranean is beautiful, the sun usually warm and the ice cream cold...
Looking across from the Quai Rauba Capeu towards the Quai des Etats-Unis; the weather's still hot during the daytime though the evenings are cooler. Last year Autumn lasted forever let's hope it's the same this year.

Sunday Afternoon.

2008-09-08T09:16:00.004+02:00

Before having this camera I didn't realise:

how much I enjoy taking photos of water. There's something very satisfying about capturing the play of light on water rather like trying to capture liquid mercury in your hands, (not advisable)
exactly how many fountains there are in Nice. There must be hundreds. Which is lucky for me..

I took this one sunny Sunday in the Jardins Albert 1er.

Up on the Roof...

2008-09-07T14:00:00.000+02:00

The first thing I did on entering the museum of modern art, apart from a brief spirited dialogue with the officious person on the desk, was to head up to the roof terraces from where I took these photos.
The building itself is in the shape of a hollow hexagon so there are lots of terraces, objets d'art and views to see. I was quite lucky because there were only a few of us up there possibly because it was hot or maybe because it was lunchtime. The paths are fairly narrow and I don't think I would have been comfortable up so high in a crowd.
The photos show the Acropolis, a modern conference centre, to the north: the museum entrance which, I thought, looked scruffy: the view south east(ish) over the old town and a glimpse of the plaza in front of the Theatre of Nice and MAMAC. You can just catch a glimpse of one of the installations there on the left.
I must have been up there for 45 minutes until the midday sun drove me back inside...

The Grand Tour

2008-09-06T08:18:00.003+02:00

A change of location today. I'd had enough of the air conditioning in the museum and looking for some sun on my skin so we're back on the Promenade des Anglais.
Next time I'm in Nice I'm detemined to take one of these tours though I'll definitely sit on the top. I don't think you'd see much from downstairs. When I go, I'll take you along but you'll need a hat.

Venus

2008-09-05T11:27:00.004+02:00

again by Niki de St Phalle. I liked this immediately, love at first sight you could say. Studying the structure you can easily see that it's constructed from wool over a frame with various bits and bobs sewn all over it. The flowers and fruit possibly tie in with the concept of Venus, the feminine form, and the plastic cows stuck on the breasts, well, self explanatory; the cowboys, soldiers and other military plastic figures crawling over the shoulder, though, left me slightly puzzled but, still, perhaps they were what was at hand at the time...

But is it Art?

2008-09-04T13:12:00.003+02:00

I took time out last week and paid a long delayed visit to the Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain. I've been meaning to go for ages and that's the wonderful thing about this blog: it provides me with a reason to escape the mundane, to wander down new streets, to explore far flung corners of the city and to talk to and snap complete strangers. Now how satisfying is that?

So, to MAMAC. The official web site is here and you can read it in English if you wish.
The Museum faces the Theatre of Nice across a broad plaza and as you could guess both are modern in architecture. The plaza is home to three stunning works of art which display so well on this plain, open space one of which is by Niki de St Phalle of whose work I'm a devoted fan. It's called, and you could probably guess this one too, The Loch Ness Monster. I love the sheer exuberance of the piece and its bright shininess appeals to the Blackpool landlady in my nature(Blackpool Landladies please note: no offence intended)
There's a whole gallery devoted to Niki de St Phalle so we'll have a look at more of her work another day.

Another Way of Keeping Fit

2008-09-03T08:56:00.001+02:00

depending on where you sit! At first sight I thought the poor girl at the front was pedalling the customers around herself and it occurred to me that there must be easier ways to make a living. However, I see I was wrong, thank goodness, and the cyclo does have a motor.

One Way of Keeping Fit.

2008-09-02T10:27:00.002+02:00

This seemed like a good way to kill several birds with one stone: walk the baby, keep the small boy amused, get some exercise and fresh air and take everyone home tired and ready for a siesta...
A report recently published tells us that merely taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator will trim our waists and add extra time to our lives.
I don't know about you all but I really enjoyed Theme Day this time possibly because of the evidence of cooperation between sister cities on DP but more, I think, because my sense of humour was tickled by the incongruity of some of the thumbnails: New York sporting a picture of the Forbidden City for instance.