From Nice to Monaco

Nice is nicknamed Nice la Belle, which means The Beautiful Nice.
Capital of the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur) with 347,060 inhabitants (2006), making it the 5th largest city of France. The metropolitan area the 5th largest.

The area of today’s Nice is believed to be among the oldest human settlements in the world. One of the archaeological sites, Terra Amata, displays evidence of a very early usage of fire.
Throughout the ages the town changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. For years, it was an Italian dominion, then became part of France in 1860. Culturally and architecturally enriched over time, today Nice has become a truly cosmopolitan tourist destination.
The spectacular natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th Century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winter there. The city’s main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais (‘the Walkway of the English’) owes its name to the earliest visitors to the resort. For decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light has been of particular appeal to some of Western culture’s most outstanding painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Nikide Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city’s museums.

The climate and landscape are still what attracts most visitors today. It has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it’s the second-most visited place in France after Paris, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the second busiest airport in France after Paris and two convention centers dedicated to business tourism. The city also has a university, several business districts and some major cultural facilities, such as museums, a national theater, an opera house with a regional library and several concert halls and casinos.

Read More on wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice#cite_note-3

Check : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Rg-k5GxeE

Nice Carnival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyqSpHRaEwI

The Frenchy is in town

In West Palm beach for the week promoting Honore Estate.

And for the other fun part, one show Friday night and another one Sunday!

Carnaval de Nice

The main winter event on the Riviera is one of the largest carnivals in the world, offering a programme of unforgettable entertainment … from 12th to 28th February 2010.

The carnival processions, comprising 20 floats telling the story of the “Blue Planet” work their way up to a crescendo of gigantic decorations on the Place Masséna. These giant, colourful parades take place day and night, with entertainment provided by over 1,000 musicians and dancers from across the world.

In a unique setting, on the Promenade des Anglais, the elegant “flower battles” are part of the carnival not to be missed. On floats decorated with the most stunning floral compositions, extravagantly dressed characters throw out mimosas, gerberas, and lilies into the public …

For over 15 days, the city hums to the rhythm of this genuine, fairy-tale event … get a passport for the celebration and let the magic do its work … come and forget the dullness of winter and take in the sun on the French Riviera!

Le Carnival Parade is made up of some twenty floats designed on the year's theme and other figurines, including 30 in traditional papier mache in a colourful parade with dazzling colours, with the participation of street theatre and music groups from all over the world. In the evening all the floats are illuminated and the evening parades light up the heart of Nice.
Each Carnival represents an original shortlived production. Being a Carnavalier is not a profession, but a passion or a vocation. The large workshop where these craftsmen work, called the "Maison du Carnaval" is transformed into a magical setting for several months.
Even if new procedures, techniques and materials have paved the way for the mechanisation, articulation and modernisation of elements, the basis for float and big head construction has remained identical to its origins.

FLOWER PARADE
It was on the seafront, along Promenade des Anglais, that the first Flower Parade (Flower Parade) was held in 1876. Soon, the timid exchanges of bouquets of flowers between the rich winter visitors' decorated carriages developed into a prestigious show, now an integral part of Carnival.

Today,this event promotes the quality and large variety of Riviera flowers as some 90% of flowers used are produced locally. 20 flower covered floats parade along the promenade des Anglais between the Théâtre de Verdure and the Hotel Negresco.

The development and conception of the floats is a long and meticulous task which nonetheless has to be carried out within a very short lapse of time.

PARADE OF LIGHTS
The Place Massena, emblematic Carnival venue, has recovered the tradition of Carnival Parades, the departure point for a loop around the Albert 1er gardens. On the square, visual Entertainment is broadcast on giant screens. For evening évents, the floats are illuminated and the parades light up the heart of Nice.

France : the Best Quality of Life

For the fifth year running, France takes first in our annual Quality of Life Index. No surprise. Its tiresome bureaucracy and high taxes are outweighed by an unsurpassable quality of life, including the world's best health care.

France always nets high scores in most categories. But you don't need number-crunchers to tell you its bon vivant lifestyle is special. Step off a plane and you'll experience it first-hand.

I always wish quality of life indicators could measure a country's heart and soul. But it's impossible to enumerate the joy of lingering for hours over dinner and a bottle of red wine in a Parisian brasserie. Or strolling beside the Seine on a spring morning, poking through the book vendors' wares. Or buying buttery croissants in bohemian Montmartre...hearing Notre Dame's bells...walking antique streets paved with poetry.

Romantic Paris offers the best of everything, but services don't fall away in Alsace's wine villages...in wild and lovely Corsica...in lavender-scented Provence. Or in the Languedoc of the troubadors, bathed in Mediterranean sunlight.

Provincial French properties are often keenly priced and lifestyles are less expensive than Paris. The Southwestern Midi-Pyrenees region is a particularly good hunting ground for village homes for less than $100,000—and classic three-course lunches for $14. Houses cascade with wisteria blossom; outdoor markets are everywhere. Foie gras, pink garlic, Armagnac, and crystallized violets aren't gourmet fare for locals. Rather, just another day's shopping.

Source : Internationalliving.com