Exploring our French Heritage in Nice, Paris and Beyond

SPECIAL NOTE: From time to time, instead of “Speak Paris” (Parler Paris), you will be receiving “Speak Nice” (Parler Nice). It only makes sense that when I’m on the Côte d’Azur, that instead of pretending to be in Paris talking about Nice and the Riviera, that we should just call ‘a spade a spade’ and talk about Nice instead.

For those of you who are only interested in the Riviera, and not Paris, you may opt in to just Parler Nice. And for those of you who have been reading Parler Paris for a long time, you may just have to put up with a Parler Nice on occasion. If you’re not interested in what goes on on the Mediterranean coast, then just delete the issue and forget you ever saw it.

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Adrian speaking at the Mini-Conference La Cantine de LuluVilla Arson School and National Center of Contemporary ArtMoving art into the Picasso museum

PART I The Living and Investing in France Mini-Conference

The Living and Investing in France Mini-Conference here in Nice last night held at The Hôtel Ellington, always a delightful venue, ran smoothly and easily, with an intimate, but interested group, some of whom already own homes on the Riviera (Cap Martin, Collioure) and others who are thinking of making a purchase.

The PowerPoint presentation was a day’s worth of information packed into one hour and well-received, especially on the TWO occasions I managed to knock over a glass of water on the desk from which I was speaking while flailing my arms! No one seemed to care, except me (!) and it added to the fun of the evening and camaraderie. It was a first for me to have been so clumsy, but…never a dull moment!

After the conference, colleagues from Moneycorp, Tanya Uniake and Carole Carole Jaskarzec, along with Brian Dunhill, of Dunhill Financial (who will be speaking November 11th at Parler Paris Après Midi, and I landed nearby at La Cantine de Lulu for a light dinner. The sign on the door discouraged anyone wanting other than local Niçoise cuisine: “French restaurant with local food…Don’t look after chicken, pasta, pizza, soup, ketchup, soja sauce…hamburger…Vive la Cuisine Nissarde…”

The sense of humor expressed on the door was carried through to the end by a jovial waiter who played along and topped off the evening like a cherry on a cake…plus the food was great!…and very Niçois! (La Cantine de Lulu: 26 Rue Alberti, 06000 Nice, 04 93 62 15 33.)

Tonight Moneycorp is launching their new Nice office with a party at La Terrasse du Plaza — the reason Tanya, Carole and Brian are here in Nice. Moneycorp is the primary of the currency specialists with which our clients work to save money when transferring from one currency to another. If you are making any kind of substantial conversions (from dollars to euros, for example) you will not want to automatically ask your bank to make the transfer, as it will surely cost you about twice what Moneycorp or our other currency brokers will offer. Visit our Global Money Services page for more information and be sure to tell them we sent you!http://www.adrianleeds.com/french-property-consultation/167-global-money-services

PART II Les Journées du Patrimoine

Every year, now for the 31st time, the entire country, and now much of Europe thanks to the Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, opens its doors the third weekend in September (September 20 and 21) under the guise of “Les Journées du Patrimoine” (Heritage Days). During these two days, the public has the opportunity to visit monuments, churches, theaters, castles, but also private houses, banks, courts, prefectures, courthouses, city halls, chambers of commerce, etc. — all kinds of buildings that are usually closed to the public or rarely seen.

Naturally, some of the more popular sights are sure to engender long lines to enter, so choose wisely and plan accordingly.   Here in Nice are several sights to take in, one in particular that is less visited than the others, that I heard all about from a friend just this past weekend: The Villa Arson/School and National Center of Contemporary Art. Located on the Colline St-Barthélémy, Villa Arson occupies a vast area of two acres overlooking the city of Nice in a singular architectural complex, built in the middle of a Mediterranean garden, including a 19th-century home. Learn more about it at the Journées du Patrimoine Web site.

Other sights in Nice proper will include the Grotte du Lazaret, the Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain de Nice, the Musée Matisse and the Musée National Marc Chagall…all worth a visit if you haven’t already been.

In Paris, there’s lots! I’ll be back in Paris tomorrow night and will be planning the weekend’s visits. Where does one begin?

If you don’t mind a really long wait, you can see the Elysée Palace: HÔTEL D’ÉVREUX, Palais de l’Elysée, Avenue Gabriel (Grille du coq), Saturday and Sunday 8h-19h.

The MUSÉE PICASSO claims to be open, but the museum is not scheduled to open till October 25th…so is this a sneak preview? I recently watched some of the artwork being moved back into the museum in preparation for the opening: 5 rue de Thorigny • 01 42 71 25 21, Saturday and Sunday 9h30-18h.

And I was told that the Hôtel des Saint Pères is worth a visit, open for the first time this time ’round: 65 rue des Saints-Pères • 01 44 29 98 49

Now, download the pdf full listing and have fun!

A la prochaine… 

Adrian Leeds
The Adrian Leeds Group

(in Nice) 

Respond to Adrian
 

P.S. A new episode of House Hunters International, which takes place in Nice and environs, will be airing September 22nd! Be sure to watch and by special request, I’d love it if someone would record it for me so I can view it here from France!!! “Californians sell their Vineyard to Afford a Summer Home on the Costly Côte d’Azur” – Episode HHINT-7006H, air date: September 22 at 10:30 p.m. E/P and September 22 at 1:30 a.m. E/P. See our House Hunters page for more information about upcoming shows and join our Facebook page.

P.P.S. Planning a visit or a move to Paris, Nice or France? The Adrian Leeds Group can help! We offer everything you need — from luxurious vacation rentals at Parler Paris and Parler Nice Apartments to customized concierge services at Parler Paris Plus, long-term apartment rental searches, property finding services, currency transfers and more. Visit AdrianLeeds.com for all the details.