Carnival of Nice 2010: our Blue Planet in the Spotlight

The blue giants take center stage

Here we go! The famous Nice Carnival began on Friday, February 12 in an electrifying atmosphere.
A large number of Nice residents and visitors from around the world had come to welcome the King of the Blue Planet with fanfare. Amid confetti, stilt-walkers and other gracefully costumed street dancers were swaying and ensuring a festive atmosphere. Children made up and dressed up for the occasion were having as much fun as the adults who rediscovered their childhood spirits. Added to these were the crowned green frogs with their large webbed hands, true emblematic figures of this 2010 Carnival. These would remain on duty until the end of this great Nice celebration. The Flying Plasticians offered a unique spectacle they called “The roots of the earth and other planets”. Planet-balloons and immense hands floated above the crowd in a majestic movement.
But if everyone was present that evening, it was of course for the official presentation of the King and Queen of the Carnival “the King of the Blue Planet”.
It is a couple of giant blue beings, ambassadors of Earth, protectors of our endangered environment.
The King is a giant nearly 17 meters tall and 9 meters wide. He is a crowned sovereign wearing our planet Earth in miniature around his neck. He is surrounded by multicolored babies with carnival hats emerging from their shells. Thus was represented the multiethnic nature of our world.
The Queen, blue and graceful with her long orange hair and numerous arms, represents the Mother of Humanity and the Queen of the Oceans. Pregnant, she carries the Earth within her. She is its origin, loves it and protects it as best she can. Springing from a sea anemone, this tall woman of 14 meters in height is surrounded by two enormous blue whales.
The couple is beautiful, young, gigantic and protective.

A successful first flower battle

Saturday, February 13, despite the cold that had fallen on the city, the first flower battle took place. This tradition dating from 1876 made Nice famous, and the crowd present on this icy day confirmed it. A parade of dazzling floats, covered with the most beautiful flowers and most beautiful women, paraded for the greatest joy of spectators. Several nations were represented. Among them, Tahitians in light costumes, Brazilians, Chinese with their impressive martial arts, Colombians, all paraded proudly to show us their culture. An immense dragon with smoking nostrils and a pirate ship more lifelike than ever delighted the crowd while brass bands and majorettes filed past before their eyes.
Bunches of mimosa flew through the air to the rhythm of lively music and cries of joy. The tone was set by quirky, colorful characters who juggled, walked on tall stilts, danced and laughed heartily.

A carnival Valentine’s Day!

Sunday, February 14, while lovers were enjoying this Valentine’s Day Sunday, about fifteen brave participants took part in the famous Carnival bath. The freezing sea did not scare them; it is a tradition and they stick to it. Socca, the quintessential Nice culinary specialty, was nevertheless offered to them afterward to warm hearts.
In the afternoon, the city mobilized for the immense Sunday carnival parade with its roughly twenty floats, its Big Heads and its countless smaller but essential animations. The King and Queen were there, and according to custom opened the parade, followed by the Carnavalet “Eole,” another blue wind-blowing giant.
Spectators were delighted, confetti rained down and streamers shot across Place Masséna.

Followed by increasingly colorful floats such as a Noah’s Ark, a giant José Bové fighting against junk food, a more eco-friendly than ever Gargantua, Nicolas Hulot as great defender of fauna and flora, and Barack Obama whose float saluted his recent commitment to ecology. Also a “Miss Weather” float that represented the significant climate changes of recent years. A sick planet covered with syringes came to symbolize the urgency of its destruction.
Nature was honored: Statue of Liberty statues were covered with vines, a forest of living trees trotted along while the “Nice swallowed by Nature” float advocated for a Nature reclaiming its rights.
Future generations, to whom we pass on our Earth, were present in the stands and in the procession, giant storks carried babies and disguised children had fun on the floats.
The Queen of the Frogs, very colorful and beloved by all, came to close in celebration this breathtaking parade. A delight.

Photos: Alain Biguet, photographer.