As followup to my previous post, announcing the opening of this lovely park, I took a (crowded) stroll through during the inauguration weekend. Although the weather was cloudy, it seemed everyone in Nice was in attendance, with children playing on the huge wooden jungle gym animals and running through the misters and fountains. Stroll along with me !
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Blue Beach Seaside Restaurant
I recently met some girlfriends for a delicious lunch at Blue Beach, one of the seaside restaurants in Nice that overlooks the blue Mediterranean Sea. A nice meal with nice friends in a nice setting in Nice!
French Conjugation Exercise
Sabine aime dormir. Elle est très affairée mais elle (prendre) le temps de faire un petit dodo chaque après-midi. Elle (descendre) trente minutes après, les cheveux en bataille et une joue rosée, mais rafraîchie après sa petite détente. (faire) la preuve vous-même ! dit-elle toujours. Elle le conseille à tout le monde. (essayer) -le une fois et vous (voir) combien (se sentir) mieux.
Answers:
1 – prend
2 – descend
3 – Faites
4 – Essayez
5 – verrez
6 – vous vous sentirez
Source: AP French
The Best Pizza?
According to TripAdvisor’s website, the French city that was ranked as having the best pizza is (drum roll……..) Antibes (about 18 km west of Nice), with Nice coming in 2nd, Paris 7th and Marseille 9th.
Three of the most popular pizzerias are also in Antibes and Nice:
- Les Amoureux at 46 Bd. Stalingrad at the Nice Port
- Pizza d’Or at 10 rue Lacan in Antibes
- Pomodoro at 11 rue du Migrainier in Antibes
Pizza pie – that’s amoré!
Bon appetit!!
Credit: rivierareporter.com
New Promenade in Nice
What’s in a name? Read my article about the naming of the Coulée Verte.
After a massive 3-year project, the people of Nice and visitors will see the long-awaited opening of a brand-new 12-hectare urban park, 1.2 km long, in the heart of the city – called Promenade du Paillon.
With the demolition of the former bus station, the perspective has been cleared to provide a splendid view of the heights of Nice and the facades of the old town.
Photo : Ville de Nice
Photo : Ville de Nice Didier Quillon
A pedestrian walkway will lead walkers alongside strips of lawn dotted with water mirrors and take them on a botanical journey, with the promise of trees in blossom in every season.
And the children aren’t forgotten: there are swings, a variety of games and giant structures in the form of whales, dolphins, turtles, octopuses, etc… they’ll have a whole range of marine animals sculpted in wood to play with.
Running between the Nice National Theater and the sea, this vast green corridor of 1,000 trees, 61,730 shrubs and 55,364 hardy plants is intended as a place for recreation, well-being and tranquility. The Promenade is equipped with smart underground networks (fibre optics, Internet networks, electricity, etc.) and may therefore be used as a venue for future events.
Source/credit: Nicetourisme.com
Hard to Soft Water – Easy!
The water in the Nice area is very hard and leaves white calcium deposits everywhere – shower heads, water kettles, not to mention build up in pipes to washing machines and dishwashers.
Here’s a great solution to this problem that doesn’t require plumbing installation, but rather, uses electromagnetic charges to change the calcium’s polarity to prevent it from sticking to pipes. It’s a plug-in unit with wires that wrap around the copper water pipes of the main water supply – Voila!
I bought and installed one in August and noticed a difference in the water in about three weeks.
Check out Cyane HERE
This is NOT a paid promotional ad, but rather, a personal review.
Strike targeted for October 15th
“Strike movement growing for October 15
Three of France’s major unions have called for a strike to protest against the government’s pensions reforms currently being discussed in parliament. The action on October 15 is likely to affect education, transport and other public services. However turnout at September’s pension strike was low with unions counting 360,000 people nationwide and the government claiming 155,000.” (Souce: theconnexion)
LATEST NEWS:
French air traffic controllers walk out on strike
French air traffic controllers have walked out on strike causing disruption for thousands of passengers.
The walkout is the latest move but controllers in their campaign against plans to create a single European air traffic control system.
Unions argue the move could cost jobs.
French controllers decided to press ahead with the strike, despite the lack of support from European colleagues, and will also join a national stoppage of public service workers in France on Tuesday.
Easyjet said it was planning 56 cancellations across its European network, while Ryanair warned of delays.
British Airways has cancelled two Heathrow flights, one to Marseille and the other to Lyon.
Underpinning the dispute are plans for a Single European Sky.
The project is aimed at ending the current patchwork system which sees flights passed from one country’s air traffic control to another.
(Source: Breaking Travel News)
A Nice Baby Shower!
I attended a baby shower the other evening in an amusing setting in Nice, especially for our heterosexual group: a new gay bar (on rue Rossetti in Old Nice) that is really two bars across from each other, called “Bar Butch & Bar B*tch.” Other than the (beautiful) drag queen poster on the wall and the bar’s cotton candy machine in full swirl, it was a typical Nice cafe setting.
The bar features an extensive selection of beers from many countries, as well as typical cocktails, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages. Service was excellent and the evening was fun, not to mention the people watching!
“Afternoons at either bar are a perfect time to relax with a drink and a bite to eat on one of the terraces while you watch the world go by. And if you want to meet the locals, this is also turning out to be the place everyone is going for an after work apéro.” (Credit: rivierabuzz)
Reportedly, Nice is the 2nd most-chosen city (after Paris) for the gay community, with gay-friendly beaches and other venues noted on the city’s tourism website.
LE BAR BUTCH – LE BAR BITCH :
New Concept ideally located right in the Heart of Old Nice 1 & 2 rue Rossetti (Rossetti Place) your two new trendy bars. With their terraces a hundred seats that face this, the street becomes the passage Rossetti force for a coffee, drink, cocktail . Their owners (Jean- Pierre & Mika key figure in the Riviera night and Thibaud & Anthony organizers of the famous Party “RAINBOW POWER”) welcomes you every day of the week, with many themes for parties, DJs, After Work, Dinatoire aperitif, Expo … and good humor.
BAR BITCH is open 7/7 from 02:00pm to 00:30am.
BAR BUTCH opens its doors 7/7 from 04:00pm to 00:30am, with a large selection of beers from several countries.” (source: officiel website)
Gougères – Cheese Puffs
This recipe looks like the perfect “amuse-bouche” to awaken your guests’ appetites and seems quick and easy to do – Bon Appetit!
Makes about 16.
½ cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
dash of piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup flour
2 eggs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Comté or Gruyère cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. Pour the water, butter, piment d’Espelette and salt into a small but heavy saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring to combine.
3. Turn the heat off but keep the pan on the burner and add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls from the sides.
4. When the dough forms a ball, remove from the stove and let it rest for 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and quickly stir to combine.
6. Combine the cheese with the dough, reserving one tablespoon for topping the puffs before baking.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment and drop about one tablespoon of dough every two inches to allow space for the gougères to rise. Place the remaining cheese on top of each puff.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the gougères turn golden. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Source/Credit: Kelly Page at Girls’ Guide to Paris
Louie, Louie, Oh, oh – Louis, Louis, Oh, la, la !
My favorite place to be is the Chateau de Versailles, with its opulent Baroque decor and grandeur. So, not surprising that I recently spent some time there during my trip to Paris. This time, however, I did a “visite-conférence” – a one-and-a-half hour guided visit, which included access to the private apartments of Louis XV and Louis XVI, the Royal Opera, and the Royal Chapel – areas not permitted to visit with the general admission. You can reserve the “visite-conférence” online (recommended) for the guided visit in English or in French.
My favorite “Louis” is the XIV, and with the chateau being his signature piece, his visual presence is seen everywhere. I love the dress and music of that period (video below). As the “Sun King,” he was golden and the gold-leaf decor equally resonates throughout the chateau. Vive le Roi – “My Louis”!
24/7 in FRANCE 