Nice Carnival is one of the greatest carnivals in the world: every year before Mardi Gras, there are two weeks of daily events and parades, including the famous Night Parade (on the Promenade du Paillon) and the Battle of Flowers (on the Promenade des Anglais).
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NICE CARNIVAL
Did you know that the Carnival in Nice is the original carnival-type celebration ? We all know about – and even travelled to – the famous Carnival in Rio or in Venice, but few of us are aware that the Nice Carnival is the oldest ever mentioned, namely by the Count of Provence Charles d’Anjou in 1294. The Nice Carnival is not only one of the major carnivals in the world, but it is maybe the greatest in terms of the complexity of the parade: each year has a special theme which sets the tone for the design of 18 spectacular floats and all the masquerades and connected activities. The 2020 theme…
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SINE QUA NON: NORMANDY
MONT SAINT MICHEL The only possible number one. Although is closer and more intimately connected to Bretagne, it will be top-of-mind for any escape in Western France. I wrote more about “the wonder” here. THE ALABASTER COAST AND PAYS DE CAUX La Cote d’Albatre is the French counterpart of the famous white cliffs that are the picture-perfect signature of the English Channel coastline. It makes for a great roadtrip, with its towns and villages of quaint charm and the often striking beauty of the high falaises. Stop in Etretat, Yport, Fecamp, Veules-les-Roses, Dieppe. Etretat has the most beautiful cliffs, Fecamp is a jewel of a town where you cannot miss…
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Mont Saint Michel, legend of tides
Is it a castle or an island? Is that the desert or the sea? Is it Bretagne or Normandie? Each day, this castle becomes an island, then the sea withdraws to leave treacherous sands behind. Meanwhile, a whimsical little river draws the border between the two realms, making Mont St. Michel part of Normandy. The mountain has always been a place of awe; beautiful and inaccessible, it caused many to perish at the mercy of tides. And as it happens with so many places of awe and beauty, it has always been a site of worship. In the early days of Christianity, monks were…
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#POSTCARDS: LA FRANCE SECRETE
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# FOOD POSTCARDS
Crepe supercomplete, Dinard
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THE BEST TRAVEL ADVICE IN THE WORLD
Travel to wonderland. Just use the rabbit hole and go where the magic is: visit Disneyland or the Harry Potter Studios, follow the GoT locations, spend a week in a 300+ yo home, camp in the desert and bathe in the Milky Way at night. Travel back to yourself, recapture the world as it was before you grew up. Return to your happyplace. You must have one. It’s either a cabin, or a lake, or a beach, or a city, a precise time of the year, a table with a view, or a person. Return as many times as you can, or move there. Travel with your best friend. Friendship…
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What to do once in a blue moon
The blue moon is rare, that’s a fact. But the expression <once in a blue moon> stays with us to remind us of things rare, mysterious, out-of-ordinary and – well, blue. What to do once in a blue moon? 1. Go for your prreciouss: put a finger on a thing that you covet and go for it. An expensive treat, a collectible or even a person; whatever makes you feel you hold the keys to the universe’s secret. Something like seeing Tosca in the Teatro Antico di Taormina, with a view of the sea and of Etna in the backdrop (possibly with incandescent lava on top). 2. Venture into the mystery:…
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Parce que
If it’s July or August, then it’s the mountains or the seaside. Let’s not give into that routine, n’est pas? I went for the anti-fashion and straight into the big, deserted city. One week in Paris, after the 14 juillet havoc. Les reveries d’un promeneur estival, in 4 simple scenarios: DO NOT go with an agenda. Venture carelessly, no schedules, no must-sees, no reservations nor lines to climb the TourEiffel. If you were at the beach, what would you do? Well do it in Paris instead: there is a beach right in the city center, and you have no idea how cool it is to walk bare-foot in the sand,…
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Bretagne pentru gurmanzi
Pofticiosi suntem cu totii, insa apetitul este de mai multe feluri: lacom, impulsiv, artistic, retoric, disciplinat, cultivat, rafinat sau pur si simplu pasionat. Asa cum nu am nici o indoiala ca fiecare va descoperi cel putin une crepe sau une galette dupa care sa scanceasca de placere si sa-si linga degetutele, tot asa stiu ca, dupa Bretagne, 3 lucruri se vor schimba pentru totdeauna : viziunea asupra stridiilor, asteptarile de la banalele midii, si rolul miraculos al sarii in bucate.
