200 years ago, the wealthy British tourists that flocked here every winter, insisted on an upgrade of the potholed dirt road running along the beach, so they could stroll along the seaside without getting their finery soiled with dust and dirt. The working-class Niçois didn’t really see the point, so the industrious English (Anglais) community just got to it and organized and financed the paving of what is now called the Promenade des Anglais (and now you know why!)
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of its inauguration in 1824, the Ville de Nice is throwing a birthday party of sorts, and you are invited. All weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Aug 31-Sept 1, the Prom will be punctuated with fanciful animations, music and surprises; mostly centered around the Jardin Albert 1ere, but also all along the ‘English Walk’ including vintage photos under the pergolas.
Last June marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day: the storming of the beaches of Normandy. But that was just the start, as battles raged all summer, including the storming of Toulon/Var beaches on August 15th. Town by town the Nazi occupiers were eradicated and villages liberated, each at tremendous cost.
In medieval times, ancient Convent of the Visitation in Old Nice was an austere abode for pious nuns. The nuns are long gone and the convent has been boarded up for decades, but nevertheless the locals fought tooth-and-nail to stop its transformation into a lavish 5-star hotel, fearing the introduction of an ostentatious luxury resort would forever alter the feel of the vieille ville.
It’s rare to find a hotel with such a sense-of-place: the guestrooms are sober yet elegant, the spa evokes Roman baths, the terraced gardens beg to be strolled, the restaurants serve on antique linens and vintage glassware …and they grow their own herbs, just like the nuns used to do.
Update: The city held a huge memorial with the two caskets right in the middle of the Promenade du Paillon gardens (!) backed by a big screen with photos and memories. Over 1400 people showed up to pay their respects, including a who’s who of the local art world. Following the public tribute, a private ceremony was held before the cremation.
In the spring of 1944, the situation in Nice was dire. Nice was not only under German occupation, but after the townspeople frequently foiled the Gestapo’s efforts to ferret out hiding Jews, the SS had recently sent a new commandant, the brutal and sadistic Alois Brunner, who was now ruling Nice with an iron hand, and submitting the town to daily horrors.
There were 29 bombers in all, each carrying 5-6 tons of explosives. The targets were a Saint Roch warehouse stocking metal (from the Jette de la Casino?) and the Saint Roch train station which sent the supplies to the North. But the bombs were dropped from such a high altitude, especially with the resulting smoke, that precision was not possible and the bombs fell everywhere…