CEA Excursion to Nice and the Bataille de Fleurs

On the weekend of February 20, my fellow CEA Aix-en-Provence students and I went to visit Nice for the day and Monaco for the night. The Cote d'Azur is a magically beautiful and enchanting place. Cote d'Azur is so accurately named:  I have never seen this color water blue before. My fellow CEA students and I basked in the the strong Mediterranean sun while we watched the water lap over the warm, rocky shore. After, we went to the Bataille de Fleurs, which is a fantastical and whimsical celebration of Carnival. Typically the performers toss flowers at the large crowd of onlookers.


The Carnival included a mesmerizing parade of performers and balloons.

My fellow CEA colleagues and friends overlooking Nice after a short hike up a cliff with a wonderful view of the city.

The crowd in Nice shortly before we entered the parade site!

My friend Anna and I with our new masks.  Many of the performers and people in the crowd were wearing these traditional masks especially for carnival.

On the beach looking back at the rocky shoreline that borders this picturesque ville.

Overlooking the city of Nice!

The performers during the Bataille de Fleurs were extravagant and very animated as they walked, juggled and road their way through the parade.

Nice is also an incredibly historical coastal city of southern France.  It was first discovered in 350 BC by the Marsaillais.

My friend overlooking the typically azur blue colored water of the Mediterranean on this perfect Saturday afternoon

Maxine Gordon is the  Spring 2013 CEA MOJO in Aix-en-Provence, France