Archive for the ‘Travel News’ Category
February 5th, 2009 | 
Author: It’s not a strike. Really it’s not. Because a strike would be illegal. So, workers on the TER regional train network that transport passengers from Nice to Monaco and beyond have hit on a new and legal way to torture their fellow citizens.
Since a strike can only begin on the 60th minute of a non-working hour, train conductors and their SNCF supporters stop work for only 59 minutes. This is enough to disrupt the entire train network in southeast France which is fine by them.
The trouble started when the SNCF proposed to change their train schedules to make them easier for passengers to remember. Even though it would not have increased the length of the workday for train conductors, it would have increased its “density” somehow. And so, the SNCF workers launched their non-strike in early December and have continued to press their demands in spite of the increasing anger of passengers who depend on the trains to do stupid stuff like get back and forth to work in the morning.
The unionized workers won an important court victory yesterday in Marseilles which would seem to insure that this punishing and petulant protest will continue.
See more on transport on the French Riviera.
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It’s been a long wait but well worth it. The Musée Massena (Massena Museum) in Nice finally opened after a nine-year restoration. For years, I would stroll by the stately exterior wondering when (if ever) I could see what’s inside.
I waited a while after the opening ceremony in March to pay a visit. I took advantage of the special €2.50 fee (it’s usually €4) and chose a Saturday instead of the first and third Sundays of the month when admission is free.
All in all, it was a charming excursion into Nice history. Although the museum claims to own some 15,000 objects displaying the history of Nice, only a fraction were on display. My favorite was the display of photos and paintings showing Nice up through WWII. It gave an excellent idea of a less developed and more relaxed city.
My only complaint (and it’s not a small one) is that there was a lack of labelling on the objects. In many cases, it was not really clear what you were looking at.
Ah, but that’s why admission is only €2.50, the ticket seller told me. In another month or so, all will be in order and the museum will be even more fascinating to visit.