Foam left on the shore
It is amazing that in the southern shore of France there is no heat. Even in the middle of summer. The season falls a maximum of five or six really hot days. And the sea seems to be warm, and the tan falls, but that exhausting heat, from which you go crazy in the south of Greece or Spain, no. From the Alps descends the gentle, like Koktebelsky, breeze, shaking palm trees and cataging light wave. Not so that the storm, but a little bit, break bored.
It is to overclock the metropolitan Petersburg boredom and relax from affairs in a hurry in the last century our aristocrats. Although this resort must not be in its original popularity, but the British. Intrapure islanders invented tourism in the middle of the seventeenth century – from curiosity to look at how they live on the mainland. And by the 30s of the last century opened the world Nice. ours appeared thirty years later. By that time, the Sardinian kingdom (then not Italy) and France divided the Savoy Duchy. Nice with surroundings went to France.
From Italian influence in Nice remained Nissart – a sonorous dialect on which the locals express themselves to this day, which resembles Italian rather than French. From the British – Promenade Des Anglais (English Embankment). From ours – magnificent villas, the imperial service at the hotel "Negrico" and the imperial chandelier ordered before World War II Nikolai II. And our church built by Maria Fedorovna in memory of the dead young Tsarevich. The church was recently renovated and began to take 12 francs ($ 2) for the entrance – from all, including permanent parishioners. So the house of God turns into a museum – and once was the stronghold of our culture in Nice, in which the surviving our aristocrats brought icons saved from revolutionary Russia. Boulevard laid past the church – retained the name "Boulevard Tsarevich".
Everything else in Nice – French: Parks, exquisite architecture, the richest museums, by the number and level of which Nice is inferior in France only Paris. Famous Museum of Contemporary Art, Matisse Museum, the most complete collection of Shagal. In Nice, all pink-salad and yellow-blue – typically French combinations of colors. More precisely, olive, gentle, nicely rustic. Although Provence and his capital of Marseille from here go and go. But here on olive paints imposed an impeccable secular gloss, creating an atmosphere of calm and holiday.
In the English embankment of Nice walks today not only the British, but everything is the Italians, Germans, Americans. ours less than a hundred years ago, but appear. Mostly not poor, slowly cutting the branded weekend the rest of the same hotel "Negrico" – in the style of Napoleon III, or in the style of Louis XIV, or. There is a lot of all that is intended – the hostess of the most fashionable hotel Nice is not indifferent to the antiques, and the rooms do not hold fakes. Apartments A La Louis Xiv loved to Moscow Milliona Bryntzalov. And indeed, under "Royal" Baldakhin – what he is not the king sun?
Satisfied with the life of older Cavalers and their ladies, not going down to the beach, sit down on free chairs in the English embankment, which offers a wonderful view of the angels bay, and heated, crumpled legs on the parapet. Ladies of Balzakovsky age sunbathe at the hotel pools, and then they wanted to bouquets, prices in which are noticeably below Moscow. Their husbands carefully master the golf: on the azure shore 25 golf clubs, half of them – in Nice. The young man is roasting on the beach to shine with tanned bodies on discos. Then climbs into their shabby backpacks and rushes on old Nice. Admiring multicolored houses with covered shutters windows, eye on "Live statues", Throwing coins by street musicians and empty at last souvenir shops. In the evening (specifically these days) everyone strive for "star" Jazz festival, which takes place in Nice in the 38th time.
And then they go somewhere else – there are enough beautiful places on the azure coast. The most Pijon of them is Monaco, an hour’s ride on a mountain road with tunnels. The country is descended to the sea steps, one street goes under the other and, although everything is close, move easier by car, and not on foot.
In the dwarf prince, the area of which does not exceed 5 square kilometers, very few residents – incomplete five thousand. The government of the state consists of three people, all of them – members of the Princely family. Monaco’s citizens are terribly occupied – spending inconspicuous income, visiting wellness activities of the type of simulators and sea term, discussing the next scandal in the reigning family. Interest in all in-family affairs of Prince Rainier is not hypocritical, but sincere. His subjects daily on the pages of newspapers and in their own living rooms are admired by the large caroline, the extravagance of the blessing Stephenia is wound and worried about Albert. The 40-year-old offspring of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly would have already become the official heir to the throne, if he married. And he does not hurry to marry, because it is distinguished by non-traditional sexual orientation.
In front of the Palace – the residence of the prince – as hundreds of years ago marching guardsmen in white. On the contrary – a respectable summer restaurant, the so-called "Palace dining". After a couple of tables from us in this restaurant, a couple was sitting: a very beautiful lady in black, pearls, wide sunglasses, with artificially "Made" Sponges, and a nice man. My neighbor nodded his head: "You guessed! This Madame Rei is a new wife of the prince’s nephew. With husband. Public individuals are taken from time to time to appear in public". Having drunk a bottle of wine, the couple left the restaurant, and a seagull village with a stone fence next to me. On offer to bite bread and fish from our table seagull did not react. In Monaco, everything, even birds, some unpleasant.
Best Local Hotels belong "Sea Bathing society", in the past century. Including a fabulously beautiful hotel De Paris in Monte Carlo (one of the five districts of Monaco), where you can taste the culinary masterpieces of the best French cook Allen Duchees, coming here from Paris for three days a week. Near the hotel, on the casino square, is the main gambling house – he is the Opera House built by Charll Garnier, the architect of the Paris Grand Opera. When the opera was built in Paris, there was not enough money, and the missing amount lent the then Prince of Monaco – with the condition that before being taken for the metropolitan theater, the same architect will build theater in Monte Carlo.
Now in the Paradinary Road Road Presents Opera and Ballet Monte Carlo. And Gastrol serve. And around, in the same building, there are tables covered with green cloth, followed by ladies in evening toilets and cavallers – in jackets, ties and sometimes shoes on a boss foot: hot. The minimum rate is 50 francs – by the middle of the night grows at least 200 francs. But then in the casino, despite the fact that the entrance is paid, you will not enter – places are busy.
Monegaskov (so written – MoneGasque) two favorite museum, not counting the princely palace. The first – the museum of oceanography, in the basement of which is a luxurious aquarium, and at the top – exhibits mined in expeditions of famous travelers, including Jacqua-Yves Kusto, and an outdoor pool with piranhami. The second of the main museums is the Museum of Vintage Car Prince Rainier. While I’m trying to capture the first to the chamber "Daimlers" and prehistoric "Rolls Royus", Our cheerful guide Eric dragged us into a memorial room: "See this "Bugatti"? On him, my cousin in 37 won the Montte Carlo races".
Old limousines and today are found on Monaco’s streets – all licked, re-trimmed, sparkling. In Monaco, there is no battered or even slightly rumped cars. If you are going to go there on your personal vehicle, please note: the car should look like Okey, otherwise it will not be put into the principality. A familiar translator, which is falling on the race in Monte Carlo, in which she had to work, had to pass through and task with bribes (T-shirts with the emblem of racing) of the police – in the end it was allowed, but they took a promise that, having come to the place, She will put the car somewhere around the corner and will not use it within the country.
Of course, a few lines to describe all the incomparable charms of Monaco little. But, as reported above, there is something to see on French Riviera. At least Cannes, if you have several free days left, exactly worthy. Charming resort town, moderate, moderately, in moderation. At the top there is a chapel of St. Anne XII century, with which, in fact, and the construction of the city began. Opposite the two islands – Saint Margarita (there in the castle there was a martyr in "Iron Mask") And San Onor, where sison sisters live in the monastery. During the film festival, ordinary tourists are deprived of the opportunity to stay at Cannes hotels (there is an agreement of the festival organizers with hotel owners), but the rest of the time the city is waiting for guests and boring does not happen.
On the waterfront croisette – parade of hotels: "Martinez", "Majestik", "Carlton". The carpet with the famous staircase of the festival palace was removed – but on the hotel’s stairs "Noga Hilton" on the croisette built on the site of the old palace of festivals, the red carpet is always. From August 23 to August 30, the our Cinema Festival will be held in Cannes. Company "Inna Tour" and the Academy of our Culture participating in the organization of the festival will gladly accredit our kinomans and simply curious about this event. Of course, accreditation (for the entire festival or on the best of its activities) is attached to the mandatory range of travel services: airfare, visas, accommodation in Cannes hotels – fashionable or modest three-star. In the program of the festival – a retrospective of films with the participation of Inna Churikova and the best works of domestic cinema, from the last. The festival will open by prayer in the Orthodox Church of Cannes and the installation in front of the Palace of the Sculpture Festivals of Zurab Tsereteli. Called "Fountain of Arts".
Cannes and Cote d’Azurh really fount the musical festivals and circus festivals, fashion show, show, fireworks, golf championships. In August in Monaco, with the support of all the same "Societies of sea bathing", The Academy of our Culture suits the joint show of the collections of the Claude Bonucci designer and the glory of Zaitsev. They found each other. In a wonderful tiny, twenty with a small room, hotel "Victoria" At breakfast, I saw a brilliant Israeli violinist Ivry Hitlis – on the eve he gave a concert in Cannes.
And in the street you can all more often hear our speech. In some hotels, not only in Cannes, but also in Nice and Monaco, there is someone to explain in our. In restaurants, including in the famous restaurant "Chanticleer" Hotel "Negrico", There are menus in our, in "Metropol" In Monaco in the evenings, the our folklore ensemble speaks. We are waiting.
With this joyful thought I got into the salon of a small A-320 Airlines Air France. ". The walls of the antiba gradually went into the blue water, and from the opposite side of the bay, above Nice, like a narrow strip of foam, left by the wave on the shore, got a long chain Alps: At first they seemed green, then a wide shield of snow was performed on their gear vertices". Maupassan, who wrote these lines, never flew by plane. But I saw the same delightful picture from the air. Then, forcedly staggering between Duty Free flights at Charles de Gaulle airport, I wandered into a gastronomic shop. Looking for gifts odor "Camembama" and "Br", I came across a canvas bag with Herbes de Provence – Grass Provence, the most popular local seasoning. So smells the French Mediterranean.
