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A train float at Nice Carnival.
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Snapshot of Nice
Nice, the administrative capital of the Riviera, is France's fifth-largest city and busiest passenger port.
Its climate is healthy, and its five-kilometer beach is popular, though pebbly. Nice was founded by Julius Caesar and fought over for centuries; then from the 1300s to the mid-1800s it was part of the Savoy-Sardinia kingdom, after which it joined France. With such a varied legacy it abounds in Roman, Italianate, classical, and baroque palaces and churches, parks and gardens. There are outstanding museums devoted to Chagall and Matisse, as well as other primitive and modern artists.
After Nice joined France large numbers of British began to winter there. They were joined by Russian nobility, and Nice's St Nicolas Cathedral is reputed to be the most beautiful Russian Orthodox church outside Russia.
Nice is most renowned, though, as the flower capital of France and the site of one of Europe's most famous Lenten carnivals.
Although there are many Carnival activities, most tourists go for the parades. The "Battle of Flowers," along the seaside Promenade des Anglais, reminds one of the Rose Bowl parade, but the ladies on these floats throw flowers to the onlookers, who throw them back – thus the name. A more traditional parade takes place at Masséna Square, where dozens of enormous floats from all over the world, as well as people dressed as caricatures of politicians, serpentine their way around bleachers erected for the occasion. Reservations are required, and the parades attract so many thousands of visitors that they are repeated twice a week throughout Lent.
We had taken a special tour bus from Cannes. It deposited us about two blocks from the action, and we were amazed at how efficiently we were shown to our seats, and how easily we were able to depart when the parade ended.
The Surrounding Area
Because of its climate and sunlight, artists have long gravitated to the Riviera, and many have left permanent legacies.
To the west of Nice and slightly inland is Cagnes, the site of Renoir's estate and studio, which the famous painter donated to the town. It is a popular picnic spot, and we saw families enjoying the shade of its venerable olive trees. For a small fee we toured the mansion, which contains some of his paintings, sketches and memorabilia, and has been re-furnished with donations from friends and family. We were in awe of his studio, and what he was able to accomplish in spite of crippling rheumatoid arthritis, thanks to a special hydraulic chair. His servants would place him in the chair, tape the brush to his hand and then move the chair up and down, because that was the only way he could reach every area of the canvas.
For centuries life on the Riviera was anything but pleasant because of pirates and invaders. Farther inland in the foothills of the Alps, mediaeval settlers built dozens of "perched villages" on crags and hilltops, often fortifying them for protection. Most are mildly interesting, but like millions before us we just fell in love with the most famous one of all, Saint-Paul-de-Vence. We were glad for the calm of winter, which let us savour the town's charms without the usual throngs of tourists.
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The famous Roman fountain of Saint Paul.
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Saint-Paul is a walled and fortified town, with narrow streets, a famous Roman fountain, and perfectly preserved mediaeval buildings where artisans and others still live and work. Its 12th century church has a painting by Tintoretto, and the tower next door harbors a collection of candid photos of famous visitors, ranging from Belafonte and Brynner to Sartre and Wilder. Modigliani and other artists of modest means used to exchange paintings for room and board at a small local establishment. It is now the famous Colombe d'Or (Golden Dove) Inn and Restaurant, and on its walls hang works by a veritable "Who's Who" of 20th-century artists . On a nearby hill, within walking distance, is the Maegt Foundation, a world-class museum of modern art.
Now let's head eastward along the Basse Corniche, the lowest of three highways that snake along the coast towards Monaco and Italy. It passes through Villefranche, a picturesque small town where Jean Cocteau was born, where the harbour was for some time the home port of the US Sixth Fleet. Beyond Villefranche lies a small peninsula, the preserve of the ultra-rich known as Cap Ferrat. Its famous residents have included King Leopold II of Belgium, Somerset Maugham, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Charlie Chaplin and many others. A six-mile drive around the Cape offers glimpses of villas and gardens half-hidden behind security walls. You can get an idea of how the cream of society used to live at the Ephrussi de Rothschild estate, which is now open to visitors as a museum.
Questions?
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