Carnaval de Nice

Finally this weekend I got to be on the Côte d’Azur - the French Rivera! The Sun! The Mediterranean Sea!

While in Nice, I managed to see a lot of gorgeous sites...

The Baie des Anges

Cascade (waterfall) at the Colline du Château

View from Colline du Château

La cathédrale Saint-Nicolas

(A Russian Orthodox cathedral that opened in 1912 under the patronage of Czar Nicolas II.)

Every year the City of Nice has a grand Carnaval celebration- easily the biggest one in France. Carnival is essentially an extension of Mardi Gras, and is a festive time during Lent when people can dress up and make fun of each other. The modern Nice Carnaval has its origins in 1873, when the Nice painters Alexis Mossa and his son Gustav-Adolf Mossa introduced grotestque and spectcular parade floats to the city's festival.* There is a different theme each year for the Nice Carnaval- this year it was "Roi des Cinq Continents" ("King of the Five Continents"). Consequently throughout the Carnival parades, there were floats that represented the various cultures of the world.
*Summary from http://www.nicecarnaval.com/en/carnaval/historique/origine.php

Highlights of the Bataille de Fleurs (Flower Parade):

The different floats were spectacular and very interactive. This is a video of the mechanical camel.:

The Flower Parade was so beautiful! The people on the floats even threw mimosas and other flowers out to the crowd!

Highlights of the Corso Carnavalesque Illuminé (Carnival Parade of Lights):

Although the Flower Parade was not really political or controversial, the Carnival Parade of Lights definitely made some political, economic, and social statements.

Video of the Chinese dragon breathing "smoke":

What the French think of the United States:

(In case you were wondering...yes, the fat Statue of Liberty is holding a Coke and has ice cream cones for a crown- while standing on a hamburger.)

Video of the mechanical dragon breathing "smoke":

The European leaders trying to stay afloat during this economic crisis:

The Académie française fighting the influence of Captain America (English) on the French language:

Surfing during global warming:

The world's dependence on oil:

The "World Wide Web":

The Nice Carnaval was very entertaining and amusing! Nice is the place for Carnival in France!