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| Colourful fragrant mimosa |
No time for winter blues here in the South,
there’s too much going on in February for that.
The villages peppered in and around the
coast have planned three perfectly delightful events to liven up the month:-- The mimosas are blooming and soon it’ll be Fête du Mimosa
-- The lemons are ready for the Lemon
Festival in Menton
-- Carnival time in Nice
The
Mimosa Festival
Fête du Mimosa is a festive season involving at least 8 towns of the Var and the Alpes Maritime departments of the region. If you don’t know what they are, mimosas are fragrant yellow plants that Captain Cook brought back from Australia; those heavenly flowers that transform the Autoroute du Soleil every February into a world of colour and perfume.
The mimosa trail, all 130 kms of it winds
along the coast from Nice, Bormes les Mimosa, St. Raphael, towards Cannes ending
up in Grasse where mimosa is used for making perfume.
Mandelieu La Napoule calls itself Capital
of the Mimosa Trail. And quite rightly so as it was here that the first mimosa
festival was held in 1931.
Among the many activities planned from 15
to 24 February are flower parades, guided tours, exhibitions, concerts
and the even the crowning of the Mimosa Queen.
Floats, parades and other activities for
the festival will kick off earlier in
St. Raphael -- 9 to 17 February.
Lemon
Festival in Menton
Menton, a quiet elegant little town between
Monaco and the Italian Riviera becomes full of activity, colour and energy in February
with an artistic celebration, Fête du Citron.
This
is a true work of art – designs, decorations and floats all made up with tons and
tons of oranges and lemons.
Hotel owners came up with the idea back in
1895, a way of entertaining the rich who came here in the winter months. It worked.
Today Menton attracts more and more visitors every year when the streets are transformed; taken over by musicians, dancers, citrus themed floats etc.
Fete du Citron starts February 16 and will continue for a month.
www.feteducitron.com
Carnival in Nice
Nice is just as spectacular in February as
in summer months with blue skies, a mostly mild climate and healthy Riviera
lifestyle – perfect for a carnival.
Carnival in Nice is different every year with different themes, different floats, lots of street entertainment and concerts.
Starting February 15 with the grand parade, organizers say the program this year will be rich with excitement and good humor. A theme labeled King of the Five Continents can only mean diverse regal entertainment in this bubbly vibrant city.
