...And So "This Is Christmas" in Nice

Friday night November 29th

After much hullabaloo, at 6:30 the Nice Christmas Market opened. The mayor and others spoke. Then the little shops opened,

Before the shops opened along the tram line; note blue lights

the skaters took to the ice rink, the spectacular lights (but then I am a real sucker for French lighting!) went on, the huge ferris wheel started up, and the canned music started. One of the first songs was "And So This is Christmas", followed by "Jingle Bells", both in English.

 A large crowd of families and people of all ages were enjoying the arrival of Noël à Nice





Saturday November 30th


Mary told me about the library concert in the afternoon. The concert as described on-line translates (by freetranslation.com) as follows:

"Letto et Spirituale by Claudius: songs and madrigals of religious inspiration in Europe from the sixteenth to the XVIII century by the whole Voxabulaire with soprano, contralto, tenor, bass, harpsichord and lute. This concert of renaissance music and baroque offers a program also original that demanding, international and ecumenical since it brings together works of Italian composers and French Catholics, Germans and Lutherans, Russians and orthodox."

It was interesting, and certainly not music I usually hear.
Later that night Mike of Meetups had another photo showing at Fred's, one of the many small bars in the Port section of Nice. 

Sunday December 1st 

Meetup Coffee in the morning, and at 3:30 there was a concert in the Eglise in the Port. Every Sunday afternoon until the spring the same orchestra which performed in the Park after it opened will have a Sunday afternoon concert. This was the Nutcracker, so it was somewhat familar!

Tuesday December 3rd

A woman(Lana) I met from Canada who lives here permanently told me about the tai chi classes which are held all over the city. The first Tuesday of each month they are held up at the Chateau, so we get to do this graceful exercise with wonderful views! There were probably 200 people there, mostly women, but some men ventured out. So I have been traveling to different parts of Nice to do this class from 10-11:30 most mornings. So that, of course, has cut into my touristy traveling around Nice to explore places I've not yet seen. But I like it, and I've met a few English speaking women; since I am not swimming, it is a form of exercise!

Friday December 6th

My friend Caroline belongs to a film group called Cinema without Borders http://www.cinemawithoutborders.com/
They show films twice monthly at the Mercury in Place Garibaldi-yes,another 5 minute walk around the corner! I went to see the trilogy "My Way Home", an interesting movie about Scottish actor and producer Bill Douglas. It was in English with French sub-titles, although they could not get the sub-titles to work for the first segment. He grew up in a very impoverished family with his maternal grandmother and his older brother. It was an interesting look at an unknown culture; those of you who know me will be surprised to hear that I stayed awake! (I was  surprised as well!)

And so my life continues "living in Nice"! I will leave on Wednesday to spend five nights in Paris to explore the City of Light to see how it celebrates Christmas.

Thanks again for joining me! Hope you will check backt!!