Passionarta at Christmas - Galerie Oscar

I really really intended to stay longer at the Christmas cocktails evening at Galerie Oscar.  It is fated that something happens that means my attendance ends up being brief! Unfair?

Not unfair, I got to meet Marita Oceelli who does great work with glass.  Makes me think about applications not simply an object to place  (comment makes sense to me).  Robust & delicate at the same time.    Like the way they let light through.  Yup, works for me.

Je vais au theatre! Encore? Oui. Packed house as well!!

Yes, back to the Theatre du Port yet again to see what I intended to see the first time around being Arrete Ton Cinema! It was way more challenging than my previous adventure since it depended a lot on  being familiar with Cinema Francaise (between you and me I am not) and understanding all the words (don't ask).  Packed - ALL 50 seats taken!! I made certain I went as my other choice was a similarly mega arena of 50 seats, Theares des Oiseaux, to see Potins d'Enfer.  I turned up expecting a thin crowd only to find out it was sold out through to the end of next week.  Qual dommage! Mon Dieu!  Vengeance de Sarkozy?  It was fun and I enjoyed it - so there!

Les voisins

Place Arson, a block away from Comedie de Nice, has issues with security that featured in Nice Matin last week.  This article from Nice Matin shows that there are slum landlords and Really effective slum landlords who know how to provide sub-standard accommodation properly.  Sure most of the tenants have no right to be here - does that make it ok to take advantage of their predicament? Not my battle at all.  This was rue Beaumont, there was another article a few days ago about rue Barberis. So what?  This is 'my' area, Port up to Riquier. There are some good bits and some woefully bad bits all jumbled together.  A reality check,

Another movie! Rhum Express

Rhum Express (US title: The Rum Diary) sees Johnny Depp playing Hunter S Thompson an alcohol addicted journalist-would-be-writer in an age (the late 50s early 60s) when it was possible to be completely wasted on booze.  It is set in Puerto Rico the 'other' US state.  Not exactly a story that is either a romance or an adventure more of a 'I wonder how he will get out of this' type thing. A good escapist watch! This movie was shown at the more upmarket Rialto in Rue Rivoli.  Nice seats, bit too comfortable as it is all too easy to settle in and doze off!!  See Contagion first!!

Apartment - Riviera-Passy

Je vais a Comedie de Nice

An evening at the theatre once more.  This time to see Le Clan Des Divorcees at the Comedie de Nice in the Riquier section of Nice. This time the theatre was huge compared to the Theatre du Port having a whole 240 seats most of which were filled.  Great story of three divorcees one of which was played excellently by a guy. Very funny and ok some (read lots) of the gags were impossible to understand, but the performances were energetic, first class and simply brilliant!

Nice has a lot of small theatre venues sprinkled over town. Together with the live music, lots of jazz, it makes for really accessible vibrant nightlife.

Afterwards headed for Cour Saleya and Ma Nolan's, more on this venue in another post.

One goes to the Cinema!

I NEVER go to the movies.  Can't say that again.  I have have seen Contagion. Superb. Great casting with some pretty okay acting. Even Kate Winslet didn't ruin it.  Neat story line, implausible in parts, very plausible in others - hey, it's only a movie. A recommended go see.

I saw it at Le Mercury on Place Garibaldi.  A weird little cinema with 3 screens.  It is tucked into one corner of the square and run by the Conseil General au 06 (Nice).


How did I get on with the French.  No problem as it was a VO. What's that then? Version Originale which means it is all in English with French subtitles.  Actually it was strangely useful providing a little insight into how some of the words and expressions translate. All good so maybe I will really put that NEVER to rest and see another one.

Is it wheelie near Christmas?

The Big Wheel at Place Massena, Nice

Je vais au theatre - On n'est pas couche!

The Theatre du Port is tres petit.  When I say tres I mean it, only 50 seats max. It was all in French, but I knew that.  It was funny all the same. Being a farce of sorts means that it has understandable actions even if the words are a touch alien.

Towards the end a man servant turns up late in the night with the sad news that the wife's mother is not well.  Eventually the servant admits the mother is in fact dead feeling that he should break the news gently. However, it turns out that the servant has in fact gone to the wrong apartment. Yup, typical farce.

It was really well acted.  Very enjoyable.

Sous-titres - Oui ou non? Non!

J'ai commande - sounds so much more that just ordering huh?   I ordered some Alain Delon DVDs from Amazon that were supposed to be subtitled in French to assist the deaf, hard of hearing and stupid foreigners like me.

Eagerly I awaited their arrival.  Eagerly I opened the box.  Eagerly I ripped off the cellophane. Eagerly I inserted the DVD into my Mac. Guess what?  No sous-titres!! Mais non! Mais oui! Amazon.fr sprinted straight back, tout en Francaise je vous le dis.

Amazon have already removed the offending bit of the description - Well done Amazon.  Shame though.

Vernissage at Galerie Oscar

Attended a showing of Sibilla Bjarnason's work at Galerie Oscar.

Emilie does get some very interesting artists to show.  The great thing is that the art is just that and not a decorative item that would fit neatly in some blank space.  I like that.

The gallery itself is a great place in fact it is available for corporate events and any other function that requires space with 'feeling'.

I joined the AVF!

The what? The AVF - Accueil des Villes Francaises. What is that?  It is an organisation that was set up to help the French settle in a new town.  This has been extended to foreigners such as myself.  There are all sorts of things to do from learning the language, or indeed another language, playing sports like boule to cooking and days out.  Pretty comprehensive stuff.

The Nutcase and the Bank - Part Deux

Having embarrassed myself previously by getting my pin wrong and misreading the instructions in French it seemed a good time to inflict some more humiliation on myself.  Things went well.  I demanded the machine give me 120 euro and it obliged.  Alas the notes received were a 20, which is fine, and a 100, which is not fine as it is impossible to spend it since everyone believes them to be counterfeit!

Approached the help desk.  I explained the problem.  Not a problem I was advised, simply deposit the offending note in the machine and ask for 100 euro only whereupon it will provide small denomination notes. Sounded good to me.  Approached the appropriate machine.  Moments later I heard "monsieur", yup I was at the wrong machine.  It appears the cash machine that I withdrew cash from was also capable of taking money as well.  The kindly help desk person assisted me as they no doubt have to do with all morons.

An evening in the Antiques District

Things did not start well ....

My landlady forgot that I was turning up late.  No big deal.  The fun started when I switched on the air con unit and set it to blow out some heat - hey, it gets cold in Nice at night you know.  Anyhow that didn't go too well in that things appeared to work, but the stopped. When I say stopped I mean all the lights went out! Hey ho, power cut.  Peered into the dark.  Just me then!  Then it all came on again and, you are ahead of me, it all stopped again.  Bleated by email to the landlady.

So I spent a pleasant albeit cold night.  In the morning I decided to make coffee as you do.  This also caused the electricity to cut out.  When it returned it also illuminated the lights which weren't off. Brother! I won't bore you with the rest.  Bottom line was that the place was pretty much untenable.

So I booked into a lovely little hotel for a knock down price through LateRooms which was the Lepante, a very old style 2 star hotel.  The pic on the right is from streetview.

Eventually the electrician turned up after which EDF was summoned and by 6 on Friday night all was good again.