Last night was the opening night of Carnaval de Nice, 15 days of festivities & parades. Thousands of people have descended on Nice in the last few days to take part, changing it from a quiet seaside village into a city teeming with tourists.
At one point in the festivities last night, there were spectacular fireworks in and around the Fontaine du Soleil in the central plaza, with the fireworks breaking behind the fountain's statue of Apollo, giving it the look of hell-fire and brimstone, the four horses on top of the statue's head like the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Towards then end of the act, a confetti machine spewed out these paper snowflakes making the whole scene even more spectacular.
The theme of Carnaval this year is the King of Sport (Le Roi du Sport), promoting Nice as a tourist mecca for all kinds of sporting activities, from skiing to sailing. The giant floats represent the King and Queen of Carnaval. The King has a rather creepy visage, staring down at the crowds with crazy, psychotic eyes that actually turn. Scared me.
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| This comes close to my image of hell, Satan coming with his evil grin, people screaming, running, smoke in the air |
There were three huge balloons that lifted off with beautiful girl gymnasts attached who performed, music accompanying them (Alanis Morisette's Uninvited, etc), in the dark plaza, shadows reflecting off the nearby buildings. Stunning. Captivating.
Towards then end of the act, a confetti machine spewed out these paper snowflakes making the whole scene even more spectacular.
History of Carnaval
The Lenten period of the Liturgical year Church calendar, being the six weeks directly before Easter, was marked by fasting and other pious or penitential practices. Traditionally during Lent, no parties or other celebrations were held, and people refrained from eating rich foods, such as meat, dairy, fats and sugar. The forty days of Lent, recalling the Gospel accounts of the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, serve to mark an annual time of turning. In the days before Lent, all rich food and drink had to be disposed of. The consumption of this, in a giant party that involved the whole community, is thought to be the origin of Carnival.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival
