Not missing out on the royal wedding on the Riviera
For those keen to catch this month’s nuptials between Prince William and his Kate, the official royal wedding website has decided to make a live broadcast of the royal shindig that people will be able to stream via the internet for free.
A thief around every corner?
On February 12th 2011, Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi stood in front of his troop of municipal police and in a rousing speech, told them firmly: ‘The reality is this: our society is becoming violent, and our citizens expect us to protect them from violence. Can we ignore this request, this concern?” His response to his own question was clear and resolute: “I, for one, mean to fully use all the space that the law allows me, to go to the very limits of the powers granted to me in terms of crime:
Killer on the loose in the Riviera
Police have stepped up their hunt for a man who is suspected of killing his wife and four children.

Just a quick post to share the unusual expression of team spirit in Nice this evening. Nice’s football (soccer) team made it to the Coupe de France semifinals, and are playing Lille in Nice tonight. The football stadium is in earshot of my apartment, so I’ve seen plenty of red and black scarves, flags and jerseys in the streets. Much more than for other matches, it’s fun. Even this women’s clothing store got into spirit. The guys below are dressed in Nice team jerseys, I passed them on my walk home, among dozens of others (who were harder to photograph).

By fraise

Ten years in the making: a killer whale finally gives birth
A 9-year-old orca (killer whale) has given birth to what is believed to be the first whale calf conceived in Europe by artificial insemination.
French authorities block train links as Italian protest over border controls
French authorities yesterday blocked off access to the Italian border town Ventimiglia, as the row over migration from North Africa escalated.
Not missing out on the royal wedding on the Riviera
For those keen to catch this month’s nuptials between Prince William and his Kate, the official royal wedding website has decided to make a live broadcast of the royal shindig that people will be able to stream via the internet for free.

Petrol prices predicted to rise above two euros a litre
The head of the French oil company Total has predicted petrol prices will rise above the two-euro mark.
No false modesty
The vast hall of La Cité des Arts de la Rue, the former oil works converted into Marseille’s Centre for Street Arts, was bone-chillingly cold, but the smiles on stage were warm and hearty. The occasion was a major press conference called to give a progress report on Marseille-Provence 2013, the celebrations of Marseille and the surrounding region as European Capital of Culture.
Vence opens 8 million euro police station
A state-of-the-art police facility has opened in Vence. The new station, on Avenue Emilie Hugues, will be home for 25 officers and staff and is equipped with living quarters for all who work there.

Mons matchstick models (en Provence)

Charter to save Côte’s endangered flippers
The sea around the Provence Côte d’Azur region, have become the latest waters in France to be protected thanks to new international powers granted by the United Nations.
Peter Mayle leaving Provence

Eden Roc says No to Obama
Since Cannes was revealed as the location for this year’s G20 summit, the world’s major political leaders have been seeking out their accommodation in the numerous luxury hotels in and around the famous French Riviera town.
Four Seasons Provence – best place to perfect your golf?

Auto bleue hits the road… will you be getting behind the wheel?
Less than two years after the vélo bleu hit the Niçois streets, the city is taking its ecological activities a step further with the provision of self-service electric vehicles, which by 2012 should be available at 70 stations.

As of yesterday, licensed drivers in Nice can now get around with pay-per-use electric cars, dubbedAuto Bleueand decorated with wings. One of the stations is near my apartment; all of us in the area are delighted by the concept. Currently, it costs (“les tarifs” on the website) 25 euros to sign up, for which you have to provide a scan of both your driver’s license and a second form of valid ID, then:
- 8 euros for one hour
- 20 euros for four hours in the morning (if you first take the car between 7am and 9am)
- 20 euros for five hours in the evening (if you first take the car between 7pm and 9pm)
- 50 euros for a full day (if you first take the car between 7am and 9am)
- or, for 50 euros a month, you can use the service for a total of ten hours in the month, beyond which it’s 5 euros an hour. (You have to sign up for a minimum of 6 months for this offer.)

The price includes the electricity, mileage, insurance, and round-the-clock assistance from the car – they

By fraise

Nice airport outlines plans for summer 2011
With the 2011 tourist season on the Riviera about to get into full swing, the Nice Côte d’Azur airport has outlined its plans for the summer and beyond.
Getting tough on immigration: French border police in PACA put on full alert
While the eyes of Europe are turned to the horrific situations in disaster struck Japan and the war torn Ivory Coast, a humanitarian crisis is starting to unfold closer to home.
Pollutant vehicles to be hit by eco ban
The Nice Côte d’Azur municipality is set to become one of eight urban communities in France to clamp down on those vehicles most guilty of polluting the environment.

PACA given nuclear all clear as situation worsens at Fukishima
The French Institute for Nuclear Safety and Protection against Radioactivity (IRSN) has declared that there is no risk of radioactive fog hitting the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region.
American girl raped after night out in Cannes
It has been reported that a 19 year-old American girl was sexually assaulted in Cannes at the weekend.
The changing politics of Christian Estrosi
Is Christian Estrosi drifting further towards the centre? Known for being staunchly rightwing, the national daily Le Monde has noted that the mayor of Nice has started to take up a more centrist stance on economic issues over the past two months.