A Taste of Nice, France

By Margo Lestz

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW:

- Why sultry, sexy voices announce the tram stops.
- How the Statue of Liberty almost stayed in France.
- Why the library headquarters looks like a head.
- If an eccentric Riviera lady really had a wedding for her dog.
- Why Greek themed mosaics adorn the hilltop.
- And maybe most importantly... Where to get good chocolate.

I feel very privileged to live in Nice and to be able to explore its beauty and quirkiness on a daily basis. This short book is just a sample of some of the art, architecture, and tasty treats awaiting you in and around this French Riviera city.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Margo Lestz
• Release date: Sep 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370784851

Margo Lestz

Margo Lestz is American by birth but now divides her time between London, England and Nice, France (with a little bit of Florence, Italy thrown in for good measure). Life in a foreign country is never dull and every day is a new learning experience. She describes herself as a perpetual student and is always taking some kind of course or researching a moment in history that has caught her fancy. She’s curious by nature and always wondering who, what, why, when, where, and how. Margo shares her adventures (and her questions) with Jeff, her husband of many years. She enjoys travel, history, observing cultures and traditions - and then writing about them, of course.

Book preview

ART ON THE TRAMWAY

Afew years ago, I took a course that required me to get up early and commute to another town. Part of my journey included a tram ride, and I used to giggle to myself every time I heard those breathlessly sexy voices announce the next stop. They alternated between male and female voices so everyone could enjoy them.

I just thought they were amusing, but little did I know that these announcements were part of the Art in the City (L’art dans la ville) project. Apparently, the recordings are different depending on the time of day, day of week, and season. They’re intended to make our travel experience more agreeable, and I can personally attest to the effectiveness of those early morning ones.

When the city planners were designing the new tramway, which was inaugurated in 2007, they decided that the journey should not be just about getting from one place to another, but about beauty and discovery along the way. As part of the project, thirteen public art pieces were installed along the 8.7 km (5.4 miles) of track, turning it into an open-air art gallery.

Let’s explore a few of these artistic additions that can be discovered along the tramway:

Conversations in Nice

This installation, by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, is found in Place Massena, and is one of my favorites. The seven figures perched high above the plaza represent the continents. At night, they slowly change colors, symbolizing a conversation taking place between them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all nations could exchange ideas in such a calm and beautiful way?

Porte Fausse (False Door)

The False Door connects Boulevard Jean Jaurès to Rue du Marché in the Old Town. As you approach this beautiful arched opening clad in gold and marble, you might not even notice the engraved words on the wall which read "porte fausse" and mean false door or gate.

Why is it a false gate? Well, when the old city was surrounded by a large defensive wall, there was a small, sort of hidden door here. It was designed to be discreet and unnoticed by the enemy. When they weren’t under attack, the inhabitants would come and go through this gate. A dark, narrow corridor, which passed through part of a building, led to the Old Town. In 1946, the owner of the building donated part of it to make the larger public opening that we see today.

This false gate was decorated as part of the Art in the City project. The artist, Sarkis, saw it as a transitional space between the Old Town and the modern city and lavished it with gold and marble. On the