%bMediaeval air-conditioning%b and other Nice, France Local Custom Tips

When you are exploring the mediaeval Old Town of Nice have a look at the wrought-iron grating above each door. Each grating is unique and varies in design from a simple fan of bars to much more elaborate affairs.

The purpose of the grating is to provide an open but secure inlet for cool air to be able to enter the house. In the summer, hot air rises and draws the cooler, damper air from the narrow shaded streets of the Old Town through the grating and up through the building helping to keep it cool. Judicious use of window shutters combined with internal courtyards helps to keep a continuous draught flowing through - a natural form of air-conditioning.

In the heat of summer, you might think that the last place you would want to be is in the busy, crowded Old Town but in fact, it can be quite refreshing due to the cool damp flowing air.

Some of the gratings and stone lintels above the doors are dated and it is fascinating spotting the different dates and designs. The dates vary between 15th and 20th century but the majority were made in the 17th century. In some of them you will see the initials HIS - the first three letters of Jesus, in Greek. Other gratings and lintels have the owners' initials and Christian icons and inscriptions engraved in the stone or worked into the wrought-iron.

In my photo, the wrought-iron work is very simple and you can see clearly the initials HIS engraved in the stone lintel with a cross in the middle. No date, sadly. I found this example of grating above a door on rue Jules Gilly, a road that is a short continuation of rue Droite, just south of Place du Jesus. The light seemed good for a picture.

Information from 'Strolling through Old Nice', a wonderful booklet, English version available in bookshops and Tabacs plus the airport Relay shops for about 8 euros. Informative and a lovely souvenir of the Old Town. It was this book that opened my eyes to the door gratings in the first place.

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At 12 noon every day in Nice you will hear a HUGE bang. This explosion comes from a tradition initiated in 1861 by the Scotsman, Sir Thomas Coventry-More, who discharged a small cannon every day from the top of the Chateau to remind his forgetful wife that it was lunchtime.

Today, an explosive device is used instead of a cannon. I have been going regularly to Nice for the past three years and it still can take me by surprise. It is LOUD. You literally can jump out of your skin.

You do need to be in the right place to hear it. Anywhere in the Old Town, Port area should do it or near Quai d'etats Unis - which is what the promenade des Anglais becomes as it reaches the old town and Castle Hill before disappearing round the Hill to the Port.

As the 'Colline du Chateau' or Castle Hill and the Old Town are two of the 'must-see' attractions in Nice, plus the concentration of restaurants in the area, not forgetting the famous market on the Cours Saleya, I would imagine it is a pretty safe bet that most visitors to Nice will hear this explosion and if you glance up at the Chateau, say from the Port side, you can sometimes see a wisp of smoke drift away.

I have never been on the Chateau Hill at 12 noon, through accident rather than design, but God help you if you are ever closer to the source of the explosion. Don't say you haven't been warned.

By the way, if you have spotted a particular restaurant you fancy trying, now is the time to plonk yourself down (I know you've only just had breakfast) as the noon signal still announces the start of lunch to the Nicois and the tables will fill quickly. Many shops will also close for 2-3 hours.

You might as well go with the flow and settle down for a lovely long lunch.

Information (apart from personal experience) from 'Strolling through Old Nice' a Heritage booklet that I bought from a tabac shop in rue Pairoliere in Old Nice for 7.50 euros. It's only about 50 pages but it is a super guide to Old Nice and full of interesting facts and snippets about the Old Town.

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Website: http://www.nissalabella.net/canon.htm
Other Contact: above site in French only

Nice is a lovely city in December. The weather is usually crisp and cold with blue skies and sunshine so that it is quite possible to eat outdoors but with a coat on.

Many Christmas activities take place in Place Massena, a large square in the centre of Nice. In the summer this is a pleasant place to stroll and watch the beautiful fountains.

For Christmas, however, the square is completely transformed. There is an enormous Big Wheel - 'le grand rou' which is lit up at night (plus wonderful views from the top of the wheel during the day so don't forget your camera) and an outdoor ice-skating rink so remember to take gloves.

Surrounding the fountains of Place Massena a 'Christmas Market' of about forty wooden chalets sell decorations, food and gifts. There is also a 'Creche' (Nativity) to admire. All the flower beds of the summer have been replaced by a 'Christmas wonderland' consisting of a short walk through a 'forest' of Christmas trees.

Across the road towards the sea and left a bit, in the medieval Old Town of Nice you will find red carpets laid out on the narrow pedestrian roads and the shops all beautifully lit and decorated for Christmas. At the centre of the Old Town, outside the Cathedral St Reparate in Place Rossetti, for a few days around Christmas, there is a 'living crib' with real people and animals taking part in the Nativity. A programme for this (in French) can be found here.

The main road that follows the sweep of the sea, the Promenade de Anglais, is lined with Palm Trees and in December they are covered in Christmas lights and rather svelte Santas.

See my December 2002 page for photos from last December. I need to sort out my 2003 photos soon...

To see a short video of the Christmas Village in Nice last December please click here.

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Website: http://www.nicetourisme.com/GB/frameset/affiche/frameset_even.html