Category Archives: Nice

Russian Orthodox Cathedral Re-opens

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This is actually a very big deal. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas is a magnificent piece of architecture that dates from 1912, a time when many aristocratic Russians holidayed in Nice. Named a National Historic Monument, the Cathedral actually belongs to Russia which is in charge of its maintenance and upkeep. Much needed renovations began in September 2011 and are scheduled to last for two years. Meanwhile, the Cathedral will open to the public on July 1 and it’s FREE. Opening hours are daily 9am to noon and 2 to 6pm. As the Cathedral is a cultural and spiritual center, appropriate dress is required. … Continue reading →

Nice Jazz Festival 2012

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Jazz lovers can start planning their summer music schedule now that the Nice Jazz Festival has announced their program for the summer of 2012. As last year, the Jazz Festival will be held in the Jardins Albert Premier in central Nice. The location’s ease of access was a big factor in moving from the Jardins des Cimiez last year.  Mayor Christian Estrosi noted in a press conference yesterday that he was pleased with the attendance numbers last year (30,000) and is looking forward to doing even better this year. To encourage more visitors, ticket-holders get a free bus or tram ticket with their entry. If only there was free parking! Oh well. Last year’s parrain (literally ‘godfather’ but in effect ‘featured guest’) was guitarist John Mclaughlin; this year the marrain is chanteuse and French resident Dee Dee Bridgewater who has been a regular at this and other jazz festivals in France. And, Ms. Bridgewater will open the festival on Sunday 8 July. Here is the full program schedule for the 2012 Nice Jazz Festival: Sunday 8 July China Moses & Raphael Lemonnier Dee Dee Bridgewater Erykah Badu New Meeting Quarter Ibrahim Maalouf Eddy Louiss/Richard Galliano Quartet Monday 9 July Bernhoft Gregory Porter Selah Sue Jean-Mark Jafet The Bad Plus & Joshua Redman Herbie Hancock and His Band Tuesday 10 July Beth Hart Tinariwen Texas Jimi Brown Experience Dr John Trombone Shorter & Orleans Avenue Wednesday 11 July Trio Rosenberg Thomas Dutronc Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra Sebastien Chaumont … Continue reading →

Paloma Cantine: New Restaurant on Nice Port

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Nice Port was lively, to say the least, on this Saturday night in August. The row of restaurants along the Quai des Deux Emmanuel had lined up their tables outside and made sure that a wall of sound surrounded their customers. At a certain point we realized that we were listening to three separate musical tracks coming from different restaurants even though our restaurant mercifully spared us background music. Thank you Paloma Cantine. The attempt at some calm was not the only welcome touch at Paloma Cantine. I love traditional Niçois dishes like pissaladière, grilled sardines, bagna cauda but sometimes they get a little ho-hum. The modern decor here hinted at the fresh, contemporary touch the chef lent to these local staples. The sardines over polenta appetizer was amplified with delicate mixed greens and really first-rate cherry tomatoes in a savory olive oil based dressing. Nice. My second appetizer was a lovely pissaladière topped with rougets. The portions were not super-copious though, so don’t think you’ll get away with ordering an appetizer and calling it a meal. See more on Nice restaurants.   … Continue reading →