It’s that time of year, again; the Nice Carnival.  The bleachers are up on the Prom; tour buses are filing into town and locals are bracing themselves for the annual traffic meltdown. Despite the few residents actually attend the Nice Carnival, everyone has an opinion about it. The first opinion is that it’s “trop cher” which means that locals have to actually pay for it. It didn’t used to be that way! It used to be open to everyone! Well, that was before my time but certainly  after Garibaldi’s era.

Anyway. You don’t have to pay for it anymore. Now the  Nice carnival parade is free every day except the first and last days. Chouette?  You do still have to pay for the Bataille des Fleurs but, IMO, it’s well worth it. (See photos of the Nice Carnival (Carnaval, in French).

Here is the program for Nice Carnaval 2009:

Saturday February 14
14h30 Battle of the Flowers

21h – Corso

Sunday February 15
14h30 – Corso

Tuesday, February 17
21h00 – Corso

Wednesday, February 18
14h30 – Battle of the Flowers

Saturday February 21
14h30 – Battle of the Flowers

21h00 – Corso

Sunday February 22
14h30 – Corso

Tuesday, February 24
21h00 – Corso

Wednesday, February 25
14h30 – Battle of the Flowers

Saturday, February 28
14h30 – Battle of the Flowers

21h00 – Corso

Sunday, March 1

14.30 Corso

21.00 Burning of the King and fireworks