As 2014 draws to a close and everybody is busy with the Holidays, I’ll leave you with some images of a “Nice Christmas” aka the magical Christmas illuminations in Nice.  The theme this year is Belle Epoque with a magnificent model of the casino on the old pier that used to sit off the Promenade des Anglais taking centre stage.  Its placement at the end of the water mirror in the Promenade du Paillon, means that it reflects beautifully on a clear Côte d’Azur night and sparkles out of the mist when the fountains are on.  (A little historical aside, Nice used to have an ornate pier, modelled on the famous one in Brighton, England, built in 1882 but it was sadly destroyed during World War Two in 1944.)

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Christmas illuminations Nice France

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 The Apollo fountain was decorated with sparkly baubles.

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The market seemed a little quieter than in previous years.

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Anyone for a festive sword?

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The Christmas tree with its ride-in baubles was there again, much to the joy of our little son (and JF!)

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The icerink on Place Masséna was hosting a demonstration game of ice hockey, rather an unlikely sight on the Côte d’Azur.  We spotted one of the boy’s teachers – geography and history not sports –  in the role of referee!

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There’s not a great deal of food at Nice Christmas market but what there is couldn’t be from more extremes: at one end it’s champagne and oysters and the other it’s candy floss and churros!

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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays if you don’t celebrate Christmas.  Thank you all for following along this year, for your comments, support, shares, likes, tweets, pins and general friendship.  It’s been great!

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 Bonnes Fêtes!

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