Isn't carnival supposed to be a funny, getting together party?
Isn't it supposed to be a good occasion to enjoy the family reunion?
Isn't it the moment when everyone makes jokes and masquerades with anyone, even if they don't know each other?
If yes, I really wonder what the carnival in Menton is for?
Cécilia and I had the chance to go to Menton for the lemon party (all paid by the company by the way). Before the "show" started, we went around to have a look and were surprised to see only some chariots and few dancers. The chariots were nice but not as impressive as in Nice.
When the show started, it was like nothing happened: some music of course but no festive atmosphere, no one seemed to really appreciate and to celebrate, everyone was so passive! Gotta say that the public average age sould have been 70 years old... That may explain something...
With Cécilia we decided to "awake" the public a bit and we started shouting and dancing to animate a bit... but nothing... We watched the parade and complimented the dancers that were the only real attraction of the evening (Brasilians, Mexicans, Hawaian dancers...).
At the end of this boring parade was the fireworks which was as boring as the rest of the evening.
We took some funny pictures of ourselves getting bored and went home convinced that Menton was a place to die, not to live! :)
jeudi 26 février 2009
lundi 16 février 2009
Viva Carnaval!!
Carnival started in Nice this week-end and I had decided to be part of the party.
This year's theme was "The King Of Masquerades" and I assumed this would lead lots of fun.
On Satuday afternoon was organised the Flower Battle so at the right time, I went on the Promenade to get a nice spot. Unfortunately, the event was reserved to the people who'd bought tickets and at 25€ each, I didn't see the point in getting one and staying there the whole afternoon alone just to see some decorated chariots. In fact Cécilia was on holiday and Noémie didn't felt like coming. So I tried to take a couple of pics and to see throught the fences but after 15 minutes I gave up and my festive afternoon ended up doing shopping.
Nevertheless, on Sunday was the Corso Carnavalesque and that one was opened to the public.
It was a parade of chariots one more beautiful than the other. A great job has been done there and the athmosphere was really nice. Children on their parents'shoulders and everyone with spray bombs and confettis. Some friends had even organised spray bombs battle and everyone got sprayed in the public! The athmosphere was really childish and fun.
The parade lasted 2h and I really enjoyed the moment. I would certainly have been better with a couple of friends but I had fun anyway and will continue to go to the various events organised until the 1st March, day of closure.
This year's theme was "The King Of Masquerades" and I assumed this would lead lots of fun.
On Satuday afternoon was organised the Flower Battle so at the right time, I went on the Promenade to get a nice spot. Unfortunately, the event was reserved to the people who'd bought tickets and at 25€ each, I didn't see the point in getting one and staying there the whole afternoon alone just to see some decorated chariots. In fact Cécilia was on holiday and Noémie didn't felt like coming. So I tried to take a couple of pics and to see throught the fences but after 15 minutes I gave up and my festive afternoon ended up doing shopping.
Nevertheless, on Sunday was the Corso Carnavalesque and that one was opened to the public.
It was a parade of chariots one more beautiful than the other. A great job has been done there and the athmosphere was really nice. Children on their parents'shoulders and everyone with spray bombs and confettis. Some friends had even organised spray bombs battle and everyone got sprayed in the public! The athmosphere was really childish and fun.
The parade lasted 2h and I really enjoyed the moment. I would certainly have been better with a couple of friends but I had fun anyway and will continue to go to the various events organised until the 1st March, day of closure.
samedi 31 janvier 2009
I'm dreaming of a white... week-end!
The weather has been so cold in France in the last month that all mountains became completely white and the ski station were overbooked.
Fortunately I live only 2h away from the mountains so when Romain arrived at the train station Saturday morning with a 15 min delay, we hurried up to be on time for the departure of our coach: direction Isola 2000!!!
3h later (the time to rent the skis and buy the afternoon tickets to go up the mountains), we were all dressed up with our wonderfull coloured skisuits, ready to slide down the trails.
It has been 10 years that I haven't skied so I was a bit affraid to go at the beginning but Romain had decided for me: he wanted to start with a blu trail. "I don't think that's a good idea..." said I, but Romain didn't let me the choice and in less time than expected I found myself in the middle of a flow of skiers.
I was happily surprised to see that I remembered quite well the ski lessons I had from my uncle and my cousin Luca 10 years ago as I manoeuvred quite well the skis.
In a whole afternoon I fell only 3 times and it wasn't the kind of fall you normally want to forget because it ashames you.
We ended the afternoon having done almost all the trails of the station and going from a green trail to a blu and even a couple of red ones!
It was really great and I loved it!
Fortunately I live only 2h away from the mountains so when Romain arrived at the train station Saturday morning with a 15 min delay, we hurried up to be on time for the departure of our coach: direction Isola 2000!!!3h later (the time to rent the skis and buy the afternoon tickets to go up the mountains), we were all dressed up with our wonderfull coloured skisuits, ready to slide down the trails.
It has been 10 years that I haven't skied so I was a bit affraid to go at the beginning but Romain had decided for me: he wanted to start with a blu trail. "I don't think that's a good idea..." said I, but Romain didn't let me the choice and in less time than expected I found myself in the middle of a flow of skiers.
I was happily surprised to see that I remembered quite well the ski lessons I had from my uncle and my cousin Luca 10 years ago as I manoeuvred quite well the skis.
In a whole afternoon I fell only 3 times and it wasn't the kind of fall you normally want to forget because it ashames you.
We ended the afternoon having done almost all the trails of the station and going from a green trail to a blu and even a couple of red ones!
It was really great and I loved it!
mardi 6 janvier 2009
European Tour: London - 5 days
- Do you want a cup of tea?
- Yes, please. I would highly appreciate it.
31.12.08: Leaving for London with Cécilia!!!
To sum all up: G-R-E-A-T!!!!
Visits: Madame Tussaud's Museum, British Museum, Harrods (Cécilia still can't realize the sales there while I can't realize how many people were fighting for a perfume!), London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbaye (from the outside as it was too expensive for us), London Bridge, Tower of London, Saint Paul's Cathedral, Sherlock Holmes Museum (well, just the shop actually, but I bought the first book of his adventures!!!)
Walks: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park (we even got locked in!!), Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street (for shopping obviously!!), Westminster Bridge, Portobello Road.
Food and drinks: Starbucks Coffee (first time for Cécilia), hot dogs (all included!!), Claridge's (4 stars hotel where we had a "high tea", very posh tradition. We were really embarassed at the very beginning but after a couple of minutes, we started being really at ease!), Pasta Hut and Pizza Hut, Ice Bar.
Cécilia fell in love with London and I went through a lot of memories.
We came back with more than 600 pictures and 52 films. That's a good summary! :)
- Yes, please. I would highly appreciate it.
31.12.08: Leaving for London with Cécilia!!!
To sum all up: G-R-E-A-T!!!!
Visits: Madame Tussaud's Museum, British Museum, Harrods (Cécilia still can't realize the sales there while I can't realize how many people were fighting for a perfume!), London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbaye (from the outside as it was too expensive for us), London Bridge, Tower of London, Saint Paul's Cathedral, Sherlock Holmes Museum (well, just the shop actually, but I bought the first book of his adventures!!!)
Walks: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park (we even got locked in!!), Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street (for shopping obviously!!), Westminster Bridge, Portobello Road.
Food and drinks: Starbucks Coffee (first time for Cécilia), hot dogs (all included!!), Claridge's (4 stars hotel where we had a "high tea", very posh tradition. We were really embarassed at the very beginning but after a couple of minutes, we started being really at ease!), Pasta Hut and Pizza Hut, Ice Bar.Cécilia fell in love with London and I went through a lot of memories.
We came back with more than 600 pictures and 52 films. That's a good summary! :)
lundi 29 décembre 2008
European Tour: Rome - 5 days
It was just great!! 5 days in the Italian capital celebrating Xmas with my family and rediscovering the ancient city.
My mum and brother came as well from Paris so we spent Xmas all together.
Even though I was about to miss my flight because I locked myself out of the door just before going to the airport, leaving my ID card, fly ticket, etc in my appartment, the flight was ok. My cousin, Marco, and one of his friends were waiting for me at the airport. I haven't seen Marco in years!!! So it was just great spending time with him again.
DAY 1: Wednesday 24th December
My mum, brother, Marco and I left for a big walk in the city: we saw the Bocca della Verità, the Campidoglio from where we admired the Fori imperiali, then walked to the Pantheon (where it DOES rain inside!!). There Marco had to leave us to go pick up his father's Xmas present so with my mum and brother we continued 
our tour to Piazza Navona, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Spagna and close from there visited a hotel for one of my groups which will go there soon (work's never far!).
We came back by metro and had a nice Xmas dinner next to the lovely and fairy Xmas tree my uncle, Pierangelo, had settled.
We finished the evening playing society games (I won most of the time :) ).
DAY 2: Thursday 25th December
We woke up early enough to go to the Xmas mass in a very nice basilica famous for having all the portraits of the popes on the walls.
After lunch and a couple of games, we went for a long walk on Via Appia Antica where the Romans use to walk and drive. Via Appia Antica is the last authentic street of the Roman Empire in Rome, with the original stones and the prints on it made by the chariots.
Then we left to see the Mosè from Michelangelo and finished our walk in front of the Colosseum.
Lots of pictures obviously.
DAY 3: Friday 26th December
Out with Marco, mummy and Greg to visit the Vatican and some other places.
First San Pietro basilica to admire the beauty and the majesty of the place. Pics, pics, pics :)
Then back to Piazza di Spagna to see another hotel and to take some daylight pictures, after that Piazza del Popolo and up to the "Pincio" to have the best view of Rome (all the momuments where illuminated as it was starting to be dark) and finaly, last look at the former city door before going back to the metro.
DAY 4: Saturday 27th December
We went to a huge mall called Euroma 2 where the majority of the stores are brands. In fact the prices where just too high for us. Anyway, we had a walk there and spent some time watching the shops.
In the evening, we all went to an Indian restaurant (delicious!) and straight after my mum, Greg and I got our last real Italian ice cream (even if it's winter!!!). It was huge, tasty and great! :)
To finish the evening, Marco brought me to see some of his friends. :)
DAY 5 : Sunday 28th December
Very early in the morning, my mum and my brother left for the airport. End of the winter holidays for them... already! A quick goodbye and back to bed for another couple of hours as we came back at 3am from his friends evening.
We went for a walk in Porta Portese and then back home to pack, have lunch and finaly leave as well toward the airport... feeling blue...
These 5 days were the more relaxing I have had this year and my time in Rome was just wonderful between the discoveries and the family. I really wanna go back again... But I threw a penny in Fontana di Trevi, so I will!
My mum and brother came as well from Paris so we spent Xmas all together.
Even though I was about to miss my flight because I locked myself out of the door just before going to the airport, leaving my ID card, fly ticket, etc in my appartment, the flight was ok. My cousin, Marco, and one of his friends were waiting for me at the airport. I haven't seen Marco in years!!! So it was just great spending time with him again.
DAY 1: Wednesday 24th December
My mum, brother, Marco and I left for a big walk in the city: we saw the Bocca della Verità, the Campidoglio from where we admired the Fori imperiali, then walked to the Pantheon (where it DOES rain inside!!). There Marco had to leave us to go pick up his father's Xmas present so with my mum and brother we continued 
We came back by metro and had a nice Xmas dinner next to the lovely and fairy Xmas tree my uncle, Pierangelo, had settled.
We finished the evening playing society games (I won most of the time :) ).
DAY 2: Thursday 25th December
We woke up early enough to go to the Xmas mass in a very nice basilica famous for having all the portraits of the popes on the walls.
After lunch and a couple of games, we went for a long walk on Via Appia Antica where the Romans use to walk and drive. Via Appia Antica is the last authentic street of the Roman Empire in Rome, with the original stones and the prints on it made by the chariots.
Then we left to see the Mosè from Michelangelo and finished our walk in front of the Colosseum.
Lots of pictures obviously.
DAY 3: Friday 26th December
Out with Marco, mummy and Greg to visit the Vatican and some other places.First San Pietro basilica to admire the beauty and the majesty of the place. Pics, pics, pics :)
Then back to Piazza di Spagna to see another hotel and to take some daylight pictures, after that Piazza del Popolo and up to the "Pincio" to have the best view of Rome (all the momuments where illuminated as it was starting to be dark) and finaly, last look at the former city door before going back to the metro.
DAY 4: Saturday 27th December
We went to a huge mall called Euroma 2 where the majority of the stores are brands. In fact the prices where just too high for us. Anyway, we had a walk there and spent some time watching the shops.
In the evening, we all went to an Indian restaurant (delicious!) and straight after my mum, Greg and I got our last real Italian ice cream (even if it's winter!!!). It was huge, tasty and great! :)
To finish the evening, Marco brought me to see some of his friends. :)
DAY 5 : Sunday 28th December
Very early in the morning, my mum and my brother left for the airport. End of the winter holidays for them... already! A quick goodbye and back to bed for another couple of hours as we came back at 3am from his friends evening.
We went for a walk in Porta Portese and then back home to pack, have lunch and finaly leave as well toward the airport... feeling blue...
These 5 days were the more relaxing I have had this year and my time in Rome was just wonderful between the discoveries and the family. I really wanna go back again... But I threw a penny in Fontana di Trevi, so I will!
mardi 16 décembre 2008
European Tour: Paris - 4 days
Back in Paris for a couple of days. Home sweet home as we use to say!
Originally it was to take my internship oral exam but it appeared to be more to see again the people I know than to have a studying stay.
I did the typical "duties" (consulate, doctors...) and then took advantage of all my friends, even the one I wasn't expecting to see. Ok, let's say it, I was never home!! I think I may have seen my mum for 3 hours out of 4 days!!
Anyway, to all the one I saw, thanks for your time, it was good seeing you again. And for the others, we'll plan to see each other soon.
The weather was not that bad up there and I even got the chance to see the opening of the Xmas market... At least that as the decorations in my street were really shitty! So desappointing!
Anyway, it's not bad beeing back in Nice. Not that I was getting bored in Paris (I didn't have time!) but there was a little something different...
Oh!! And I received my Christmas present from my mum!!! A brand new camera!!! Lots of pictures coming soon!!!
Originally it was to take my internship oral exam but it appeared to be more to see again the people I know than to have a studying stay.
I did the typical "duties" (consulate, doctors...) and then took advantage of all my friends, even the one I wasn't expecting to see. Ok, let's say it, I was never home!! I think I may have seen my mum for 3 hours out of 4 days!!
Anyway, to all the one I saw, thanks for your time, it was good seeing you again. And for the others, we'll plan to see each other soon.
The weather was not that bad up there and I even got the chance to see the opening of the Xmas market... At least that as the decorations in my street were really shitty! So desappointing!
Anyway, it's not bad beeing back in Nice. Not that I was getting bored in Paris (I didn't have time!) but there was a little something different...
Oh!! And I received my Christmas present from my mum!!! A brand new camera!!! Lots of pictures coming soon!!!
mardi 25 novembre 2008
Discovering the region...
...And discovering it by all means!
After having been to Saint-Paul de Vence by car with Cécilia, having visited Monaco with my mum and having done scuba diving in the Mediterranean sea, I took advantage of a day organised by the region of Var to discover more!
After a workshop in the congress center of Saint Raphaël and a not that good lunch served in a seminar room of the closeby hotel, we went sailing on a catamaran for about 40 minutes. Just the time to reach Port du Poussaï were the excursions started.
As a start, we decided with Cécilia to be adventurous and we loaded in a buggy trip.
Actually, before seeing the buggy, I thought the vehicle would be similar to the ones I drove back in Dublin on the golf course so I was pretty confident on my capacity to drive it (as, as you can remember, I was a golf buggy driving master!).
But the buggies from Dublin were far different from the ones we were about to drive there. Way more quiet! These ones here were sport buggies! A sort of engine I had never seen before. So I lost a bit of my confidence when I saw it but then, the "teacher" explained the way it was working and I felt completely disarmed: the wheel was hard to manage, there were tiers, a handbrake...
But I still insisted on driving the engine (Cécilia didn't want to drive anyway!)
He distributed a pair of glasses to all of us saying we would need it at some stage because of the dirt on the way (which didn't really make me confident) and he checked we were all well cinched to the buggy's sit (which affraid me a bit more!). And there we were, ready to go!!!
We had to stay in queue but as soon as everyone left, the first problem arrived: the buggy didn't want to start! The motor wasn't turned on! Haha!!
After a couple of minutes and some meters covered, I felt more and more confident and realized I was not that bad in buggy driving.
Despite that, Cécilia got a panik attack on the way up the hill. This was probably due to the fact it was her first adventure experience after the canyoning event so that scared her but she breathed and finally controlled her fear feeling.
Up and down the hill, back to the start point. Great experience and great sensations. For me it was more than anything getting the driving pleasure back and feeling more confident in a car... or some sort of! :)
To calm down the adrenaline and finish the day trip, we ended up on the beach for a petanque game. It was fun and relaxing and nice doing some traditional activity.
I realize that I have never done so many things in my life than since I'm here: scuba diving, going to the Spa, touching an iguana, driving a buggy, etc... My life here is just... INCREDIBLE!!!
After having been to Saint-Paul de Vence by car with Cécilia, having visited Monaco with my mum and having done scuba diving in the Mediterranean sea, I took advantage of a day organised by the region of Var to discover more!
After a workshop in the congress center of Saint Raphaël and a not that good lunch served in a seminar room of the closeby hotel, we went sailing on a catamaran for about 40 minutes. Just the time to reach Port du Poussaï were the excursions started.As a start, we decided with Cécilia to be adventurous and we loaded in a buggy trip.
Actually, before seeing the buggy, I thought the vehicle would be similar to the ones I drove back in Dublin on the golf course so I was pretty confident on my capacity to drive it (as, as you can remember, I was a golf buggy driving master!).
But the buggies from Dublin were far different from the ones we were about to drive there. Way more quiet! These ones here were sport buggies! A sort of engine I had never seen before. So I lost a bit of my confidence when I saw it but then, the "teacher" explained the way it was working and I felt completely disarmed: the wheel was hard to manage, there were tiers, a handbrake...
But I still insisted on driving the engine (Cécilia didn't want to drive anyway!)He distributed a pair of glasses to all of us saying we would need it at some stage because of the dirt on the way (which didn't really make me confident) and he checked we were all well cinched to the buggy's sit (which affraid me a bit more!). And there we were, ready to go!!!
We had to stay in queue but as soon as everyone left, the first problem arrived: the buggy didn't want to start! The motor wasn't turned on! Haha!!
After a couple of minutes and some meters covered, I felt more and more confident and realized I was not that bad in buggy driving.
Despite that, Cécilia got a panik attack on the way up the hill. This was probably due to the fact it was her first adventure experience after the canyoning event so that scared her but she breathed and finally controlled her fear feeling.
Up and down the hill, back to the start point. Great experience and great sensations. For me it was more than anything getting the driving pleasure back and feeling more confident in a car... or some sort of! :)To calm down the adrenaline and finish the day trip, we ended up on the beach for a petanque game. It was fun and relaxing and nice doing some traditional activity.
I realize that I have never done so many things in my life than since I'm here: scuba diving, going to the Spa, touching an iguana, driving a buggy, etc... My life here is just... INCREDIBLE!!!
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