Turning the Corner

AI SUMMIT IN PARIS

Before I left for Nice on Wednesday, France hosted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit gathering at the Grand Palais, attended by Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs of small and large companies, representatives of academia, non-governmental organizations, artists, and members of civil society.

It wasn’t even a concept I had understood for a long time, being of another generation. “Artificial intelligence (AI), in its broadest sense, is intelligence exhibited by machines, particularly computer systems. It is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximize their chances of achieving defined goals. Such machines may be called AIs.” (Wikipedia.org)

When I came to France in 1994, I transported a laptop computer with me, but email was barely coming into use. Compuserve was the provider of choice at the time and later, AOL became the most recognized brand on the Web in the United States. (I’m showing my age, I know.) Meanwhile, the French resisted using computers at all because they had a system called The Minitel. They thought they were way ahead of the game.

Built in 1982 and discontinued in 2012, The Minitel, was an interactive videotex online service accessible through telephone lines. It was the world’s first and most successful mass-market online service prior to the World Wide Web, developed in Cesson-Sévigné in Brittany, by government-owned France Télécom. It amazed us then.

We’ve come a long way, baby! Now, we’re all focused on AI…with all that water (or should I say information?) under the bridge.

French President Emmanuel Macron told major world leaders gathered at an AI summit in Paris on Monday that France was “back in the AI race.” His remarks came following the announcement that the country would be receiving AI private investments worth a total of 109 billion euros over the coming years. We all got a good laugh when he remarked, “I have a good friend in the other part of the ocean saying ‘drill, baby, drill’,” Macron said in an apparent dig at US President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuels policy. “Here there is no need to drill, it’s plug, baby, plug!” he added.

TURNING THE CORNER

By the time the train arrived in Marseille and turned the corner to glide along the coast, the sun had come out and my spirits were looking up. I felt that my health had turned a corner, too, and I was not only on the road to Nice, but on the road to recovery. It’s amazing what the sun can do to energize. I was also on a new regime of morning steam inhaling (one of the best things you can do for your lungs), lung exercises my physical therapist had prescribed and 15 to 20 minutes of Qi Gong. For those who are suffering from any kind of lung-related health issues, “Dr. Leeds” is telling you now that a daily dose of these treatments will get you back in the pink…as it is helping me.

THE BEST OF A MEDITERRANEAN DIET

A long-time U.S. friend has been traveling with me to enjoy Carnival in Nice. I wasn’t running around like I usually do, but that didn’t stop us from eating really well. My neighborhood is teaming with good restaurants so we didn’t have to go far to be overwhelmed with the best of a Mediterranean diet. One of my go-to places is Chez Ritho on rue Halévy (number 12). I’ve been a happy diner there since 2009 or so when it was known as “Portovenere.” Run by Italians Thomas and Ricardo, the food is excellent and they treat me like family.

Since being in the hospital, I’ve gone off my strict diet and eaten anything I wanted. We ordered a whole grilled “dorade” (sea bream) with vegetables and potatoes with an order of Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia, all to share. The pasta dish is made with squid and its ink—a bowl of black ,black pasta that sent me into ecstasy, then blackened my lips and teeth—while exuding umm at every twirl of the fork.

Béatrice, the waitress, gave me such a look of shock with her big eyes when I ordered pasta for the first time in years. For our first dinner in Nice, it was a heavenly experience contributing to a more rapid recovery.

Our next great dining experience was at Peixes the following night, one of Armand Crespo’s restaurants (4 rue de l’Opéra) just behind the pretty tooshy of Apollo at the Fontaine du Soleil. We sat at the counter on stools that were too low putting our chins at the level of the plate like little kids, but we didn’t care and ummed seriously through every morsel. Half way through the meal, they moved us to my favorite little table in the window and before leaving, they endowed us with a bag of their crusty brown homemade bread and two of their seaweed butter biscuits for which they are famous. FYI, “Peixes” is Portuguese for fish, and is pronounced like the French “peches.”

(See more about great dining in Nice from a past Nouvellettre®.)

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER

My friend, Geraldine, went off one day to see the Vivian Maier Anthology (on until March 6th) at the Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre at my recommendation. She didn’t know much about her, but ended up hours at the museum studying her photographic works and watching the film there, “Finding Vivian Maier.” I had seen the exhibition the last time I was in Nice, but failed to see the film, so after dinner that night, we watched it on YouTube. (You may need a VPN to view the film)

This is the incredible story of a mysterious unknown, a photographer now recognized as one of the greatest Street Photographers of the 20th-century. Born in New York to a French mother before moving to Chicago, Vivian Maier was inseparable from her Rolleiflex, taking over 100,000 photographs throughout her life without ever showing them! (Can you imagine?) To be free to practice her art whenever she wanted, she was an eccentric nanny all her life and it was by chance that John Maloof came across her photos in 2007. Since then, he has continued to seek to bring her work to light, with exhibitions springing up all over the world. Don’t miss this!

A RIDE ON THE “GRANDE ROUE” (FERRIS WHEEL)

Saturday was the perfect day to launch the Nice Carnaval with bright sun and blue skies to get everyone in the mood. At the top of the hour and with the sun squarely overhead, Geraldine and I hopped on the Ferris Wheel at Place Masséna to have a bird’s eye view of Nice. It rotated five times, enough to offer up views of the city from every angle. Just below sat the King and Queen floats of carnival anchored by Apollo. The sea was a sparkling aqua blue and behind the Meridien Hotel I spotted my own apartment’s terrace. From that height we could see from the bleachers set up for the parade at Place Masséna all the way down the Promenade de Peillon with Vieux Nice on the right and Nice Centre on the left. It brought the child out of me scooting from one side to the other to snap photos and get the best views. We loved every minute…worth every penny of 10€.

NICE, MA VILLE, MON QUARTIER

From there we headed to the Musée Masséna, Palais Masséna to see the current exhibition: “Nice, ma ville, mon quartier”—a journey through Nice’s urban history and the collective memory of its inhabitants. The Palais Masséna is worth a visit, even without the special exhibition, but this is a revisit of the city from the perspective of its neighborhoods. Patrick Modiano, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, who inspired the exhibition, sees the role of the city as “a place of memories, emotions and lived experiences, which are superimposed as life goes on.” In this spirit, “Nice, ma ville, mon quartier” explores this notion of belonging, where each street and neighborhood echoes a memory, an encounter or a defining moment in our lives.

Geraldine went walking while I rested at home, but peaceful it was not! In the mid afternoon there were bands and street performers on rue Masséna, getting ready for Carnaval, that I could hear and watch from both sides of my balcony. It’s one of the advantages of living dead center in the middle of all of the action…I love feeling and being a part of it without having to make much effort!

CORSO ILLUMINÉ D’OUVERTURE

The Corso Illuminé d’Ouverture did not disappoint…meaning that it was pretty much exactly what I expected…and it never ceases to amaze me. This year’s theme: King of Oceans. The parade started about 30 minutes later than the designated time because there’s always a pre-show to get the crowd warmed up while the bleachers fill in. Mayor Christian Estrosi made a short speech of appreciation of all the participants of Carnaval. Then, the floats started slowly making there way through Place Masséna.

As is always the case, the floats are elaborate, beautifully decorated and executed, while being filled with important messages (too esoteric to be understood…at least by us non-intellectuals) and downright scary! The characters of Carnaval are always foreboding and frightening.

I asked AI, why that is and here’s what the universe told us:

The characters of the Nice Carnaval can appear scary due to their exaggerated features, grotesque expressions, and dramatic artistic style. Here are a few reasons why they might seem frightening:

1. Exaggerated and Grotesque Designs
The floats and characters often have oversized heads, exaggerated facial expressions, and distorted features. This style, known as carnivalesque grotesque, is meant to be satirical and humorous but can also come across as unsettling.

2. Satirical and Political Themes
The Nice Carnaval frequently features caricatures of politicians, celebrities, and public figures. These figures are often depicted in a mocking or monstrous way, making them look intimidating or even nightmarish.

3. Historical Influence from Commedia dell’arte
Some characters are inspired by the Commedia dell’arte, an old Italian theater tradition featuring masked figures with eerie, exaggerated expressions. This theatrical influence adds an element of the uncanny to the festival.

4. Lighting and Movement
The way the floats are illuminated at night, combined with the slow, towering movement of the giant figures, can create a surreal and eerie effect, especially for children or those unfamiliar with the festival’s humor.

5. Theatrical Costumes and Makeup
Performers often wear elaborate costumes, masks, and face paint, sometimes with dark or skeletal elements that resemble something out of a horror story rather than a festive parade.

While these elements can make the characters seem scary, they are intended to be playful and exaggerated rather than truly frightening. The Nice Carnaval embraces satire, humor, and fantasy, which sometimes means pushing the boundaries of visual spectacle.

Well, that solves that!

It was so cold that I scooted home before the end of the parade, but in all honesty, the only thing of importance I missed was the float that honored Paul Watson, a Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation activism. Leave it to the French to incorporate such a message into their Carnaval theme!

THE RACE OF THE CAFÉ BOYS

As we headed to the Cours Saleya the next morning, we found ourselves head on to the waiters of the second edition of the Carnival waiters’ race, carrying their trays, in costumes reflecting the theme of Carnaval, a requirement. The top three costumes will be rewarded and the winner receives a trophy designed by artist Patrick Moya.

Wednesday I’m headed west to Maui for a couple of weeks with my daughter and her three-month old son, who the family has nicknamed “Cutie Patootie”…because he’s just too adorable for words. I know now what it’s like to be a “Glamma” pining for her grandson…and never dreamed I’d be “one of those.” Ha!

A la prochaine…