Christmas Markets on the Côte d’Azur

 

It is well into that time of year when the Christmas decorations start appearing in the parks of local cities and lights glitter in an array of colors along many of the prime streets and homes up and down the Riviera coastline.

 

As in other parts of the world, it is a time of gathering with loved ones to partake in local traditions such as exploring the many Christmas markets.

 

The focus of this article will be on three main locations but if you are in the region, be sure to stop in at any other seaside or countryside locations as each is unique in celebrating the holidays in their way.

 

 

Cannes

The seaside city of Cannes never disappoints, and although quieter during the winter season, there is always a lot to see and do.

The place to take in most of the holiday activities would be at the Village on the Allées de la Liberté and the funfair on the Pantiero with rides and games for all ages at the port.

 

Browse and do some Christmas shopping at many of the artisanal stalls, enjoy an array of food items such as waffles and crepes, and here, one can even go ice skating at the rink.

 

 

Nice

Nice tends to be the most popular destination and the largest city for those looking to take in the Christmas attractions.

Meet up at Place Massena, where the city typically installs more than 50 wooden huts offering homemade artisanal items that can easily be shared as gifts for loved ones and a vast amount of food and drinks can also be hand including mulled wine, sugary waffles, varying Christmas beers, charcuterie boards, and other delectable delicacies.

 

And if you feel like getting an overview of the city, both day and night, you can take a ride on the grand Ferris wheel at the foot of all the action.

 

 

Monaco

One cannot go to the Côte d’Azur without making the journey to Monaco. This past week the Christmas village was opened at the Casino Square and Port de Monaco with a number of the royals in attendance, including H.S.H. Prince Albert and H.S.H. Princess Charlene along with H.S.H. Princess Stephanie.

Being the Principality of Monaco, it goes without saying that this is a both glamorous and glittering event and is a delight in every imaginable way with games and rides for both young and old along with numerous artisanal booths filled with both handmade crafts, local drink, and food items to partake.

 

Enjoy the season everyone!

World AIDS Day with Fight AIDS Monaco

 

Typically when one thinks of Monaco, thoughts of a luxurious lifestyle tend to come to the forefront, and possibly the last thing an individual may consider is that there would be an AIDS charity in the principality. 

 

Fight AIDS Monaco is here to change that thinking as it is a non-profit NGO founded by H.S.H. Princess Stephanie in July 2004. 

 

Faced with psychological, and financial distress along with isolation. S.A.S. Princess Stephanie has seen people living with HIV, in the face of discrimination that many suffer daily, and in the face of their acute, often hidden, internalized health and well-being. With that, Princess Stephanie has committed herself to and with them in this struggle for life and dignity.

As the honorable Princess Stephanie stated, “I join all those who are fighting HIV in their own lives, I encourage everyone to be screened, to protect themselves, and to thank anyone who devotes their time, their money to the mobilization of AIDS.”

Fast forward to late October 2023, when I received an email from Hervé Aeschbach, the Coordinator for Fight AIDS Monaco, whom I had met on several occasions before, the last time being at the Fight AIDS Monaco office where I was given a tour of the facilities and had shown an interest in the memorial quilts since I know how to sew.

Recalling this, Hervé asked if I would be interested in utilizing my sewing skills to help construct the memorial quilt this year. Without hesitation, I agreed, feeling honored to be asked as I had attended the charity’s unveiling of the memorial quilts in years past in Monaco on World AIDS Day. And now I had the opportunity to work alongside the other volunteers and clients to help put this tapestry of love together.

For the production of the quilt, once a week in November, we would meet at the Fight AIDS Monaco office where everyone was welcomed in an environment filled with conversations, ideas, and even laughter. 

 

Over the years, various people have helped to assemble a quilt, so there is no exacting way to sew the patchwork of beautifully hand-painted canvases, and each is designed in tribute by those with the association for loved ones no longer with us. But as a team, we looked closely at the construction of previous memorial quilts while laying out the canvases, formulated a plan, and pinned them together so that they could be sewn with the help of everyone involved.

With that, we completed a magnificent memorial quilt by the end of the month, ready to unveil with the others. The lesson from this process, it certainly does take a village.

On December 1st, World AIDS Day, this public event put together by Fight AIDS Monaco took place in the early afternoon at the Musée océanographique de Monaco. In attendance were H.S.H. Princess Stephanie with two of her children, Louis Ducruet and Camille Gottlieb, along with the Government Councillor, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, the National Councillor, representing the President, representatives of associations, members of the Board of Directors, permanent staff, volunteers and affiliates of Fight Aids Monaco, the Prince's Carabinieri Company, and the Monaco Fire Brigade.

Hervé Aeschbach from Fight AIDS Monaco in his opening speech welcomed everyone and spoke more about the important work of the charity and what we must do to keep moving forward, followed by a heartfelt speech given by a longtime volunteer, then everyone in attendance was directed to help unveil each memorial quilt individually as the names of those who are no longer with us were read out.

10 quilts in total were displayed at the Oceanographic Museum in memory of those who died as a result of AIDS, and the latest work pays tribute to the 5 affiliates who died in 2022 and 2023. The creation of a quilt requires 170 hours of work, representing a total of 2,330 hours since the start of this work of remembrance.

From previous experiences, this event is reflective in memory of those who have passed due to HIV/AIDS complications, yet also filled with compassion and love as a supportive community along with the strength and hope that we must do all we can to bring more awareness and raise funds with the hope to eradicate this disease that can affect anyone. And this year, World AIDS Day felt no different.

The Fight AIDS Monaco non-profit organization works with board members, a small but important team of employees, and many volunteers, all of whom share their time, along with Princess Stephanie to help put the word out about AIDS awareness, and prevention and to raise funds for the charity through various events in and around Monaco annually.

Fight AIDS Monaco is funded by a grant from the Government of Monaco but mainly from private donations. To donate, please contact: Fight AIDS Monaco

Photo credits: Frederic Nebinger, Pauline Carostefal, Michel Dagnino

Outdoor Markets in Nice

 

Outdoor markets are a part of everyday life in France, and the city of Nice is no exception to that rule.

Besides food, practically anything you can imagine can be found for sale in these neighborhood markets - crafts, antiques, flowers, artwork, etc. The key to finding the best of what you are looking for is to also go early before goods sell out.

The most popular of these outdoor venues is in historic Vieux Nice (Old Town), along the Cours Saleya and the surrounding area. Busy every day of the week, and offering a variety of food and goods, even the locals tend to come across things they weren’t expecting. This is where you truly see the community come into action and socialize.

 The following are the days and hours (subject to change):

• Flower Market, Cours Saleya, from 6 am - 5:30 pm. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 6 am - 6:30 pm. Wednesday and Saturday, and 6 am - 1:30 pm. Sundays and holidays.

• Fruit & Vegetable Market, Cours Saleya, from 6 am - 1:30 pm every day but Monday.

• Antiques Market, Cours Saleya, from 7:30 am - 6 pm on Mondays (unless they are holidays or the eve of holidays).

• Flea Market (Marche au Puces), Port of Nice, Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm.

• Arts & Crafts Market, Cours Saleya, from June 1 to Sept. 30, every day from 6 pm - midnight.

• Fish Market, Place Saint-Francois, 6 am - 1 pm every day but Monday.

• Used & Antique Book Market, La Place du Palais de Justice, every Saturday, 8 am - 6 pm.

• Arts & Crafts Market, Place de Palais, second Saturday of the month, 8 am - 6 pm.

• Antique Postcard Market, Place de Palais, fourth Saturday of the month, 8 am - 6 pm.

• Evening Artisan Market, Cours Saleya, during the high season from mid-May to mid-September 6 pm to midnight.

Beyond Vieux Nice and the Port, there are a number of other outdoor markets with the Liberation District market just North of the train station being one of the most popular.

 Each of the markets is open every day but Monday from 6 am - 1:30 pm.

• La Libération, haut Malausséna, along the Jean Medecin Tram route.

• Ray, place Fontaine du Temple

• Saint-Roch, boulevard Virgile Barel

• Ariane, place de l'Ariane

• Pasteur, avenue Antonia-Augusta

• Cimiez, place du Commandant Jérôme

• St Augustin, bd Paul Montel

• Caucade, place de Caucade

At any of these locations, there are restaurants and cafés around to take a break and people-watch, all making for a truly wonderful French experience.

New Updates Surrounding the Nice Airport

 

For well over a decade now, the area surrounding the Nice Airport has gone through some dramatic and much-needed updates in order for a variety of new businesses to open, and most of all, a more streamlined way of going to and from the airport.

This recently included moving the Saint-Augustin train station 500 meters to the west of Nice, which increased the number of passengers from 2,900 to 7,000 per day with an expectation of 10,000 to 12,000 passengers daily from 2028.

With that, by 2028 the new "Nice-Aéroport Station" will open. It will link up the airport, train station, tram line to the city, cycle lanes, with a new bus station next to it, coaches, park and ride facilities and multi-story car parks with 700 spaces, all next door to each other including 900 bicycle parking spaces all planned just 200 meters from Nice Côte d'Azur airport.

The development will also provide accessibility for people with reduced mobility, and 1,500m2 of service and shops, plus 600m2 of waiting room.

It will also be the first bioclimatic station in Europe.

This station will showcase a huge triangular canopy with photovoltaic sensors, 4,200 m2 of gardens with 90 trees and 300 Mediterranean shrubs, and ventilated spaces for natural ventilation - that appear to be trying to integrate man and nature with the environment it creates.

Nice-Aéroport station, formerly Nice Saint-Augustin, which will extend over 4,000 m2, is preparing to become "the first bioclimatic station in Europe", in the words of the Mayor of Nice, also President of the Métropole and Deputy President of the PACA Region, accompanied by the Director General of SNCF Gares.

So what is a “bioclimatic” station?

“It is above all a garden station with open spaces where the rain will be collected,” underlines Raphaël Ménard, architect and president of AREP, a subsidiary of SNCF Gares et Connexions project management. "Roofs that are not solarized will collect rainwater. And on the canopy, the water will be collected by large gutters. The surface is made up of several layers with first a solar production system on the roof made up of panels photovoltaic and transparent membranes. Below will be a steel structure. Then a wooden braid will make the light filter." 600 megawatts/hour of electricity per year will be generated. “Perhaps we will be able to make this station self-sufficient. This is the challenge of creating positive energy mobility.” And promising,“carbon neutrality in seven years.”

The plan is for the multimodal architectural complex to be delivered in 2028.