The start of the Carnival is approaching. Four days before the opening night, Christian Estrosi, Rudy Salles, and Denis Zanon took stock of this year’s 2011 event. The Mayor of Nice even took the opportunity to announce the results of the Carnival Queen election.
“The floats are almost all ready!” said Denis Zanon, director of the Nice tourism office. Four days before the festivities begin, he and Rudy Salles, deputy mayor, expressed their delight in the inspiration drawn from this year’s theme. “The Mediterranean is quite a broad theme, it must not have been easy to limit it to around twenty floats. But I must congratulate the carnival artisans who did an excellent job and found inspiration in this theme!” Rudy Salles enthuses.
At the same time, Denis Zanon reiterated the city of Nice’s commitment to making the carnival as environmentally friendly as possible. “We want a responsible carnival. For the first time, the flower floats will be towed by electric cars, and we are paying a carbon offset for the other vehicles!” he indicates. From Cleopatra to Greek mythology or even Louis de Funès, the 2011 carnival promises to be festive and colorful.
The Carnival Queen Elected
“Like last year, it was the internet users who elected the queen. 16,000 voters from five continents, from 52 different countries,” comments Christian Estrosi, who is pleased to see the carnival maintains an international dimension.
For 2011, it is Laurie, an 18-year-old law student, who won. “I kind of guessed towards the end, due to some details,” she confides. Elected with 28% of the votes, she will ride on the floats during the flower battles with her first and second runners-up. “I am super happy! I am a true native of Nice, so it means a lot to me to be elected Queen of the Carnival!” she rejoices. Now that the pressure has subsided, Laurie will be able to enjoy her victory on the floats starting Friday, February 18, during the opening of the carnival.
