Before the French

Before the French Riviera became de rigeur for summer holidays – it was in fact primarily considered a ‘winter resort.’ Even in mid-winter, the French Riviera gets around 8 hours of sunshine a day. It’s not warm enough to swim in the sea, with average daily temperatures of 9-13 degrees centigrade, but it rarely snows and all that sunshine means you have plenty of time for sightseeing. With less crowds you can enjoy the ambiance of hilltop villages, visit cities that are thronging with tourists in summer months like Saint- Tropez and Cannes, discover superb museums and get a table in even the most popular restaurants plus enjoy the French Riviera’s winter events. Nice Warm enough during the day to not wear a coat, Nice’s year-round buzz is irresistible. 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of the famous winter carnival and the 2023 theme is in honour of Nice achieving UNESCOlisted status as the “Winter resort city of the Riviera”, reflecting its popularity as a winter destination between the end of the 18th century and the end of the 19th century which led to its development architecturally and culturally. Nice Carnival 10- 26 February 2023. explorenicecotedazur. com Mimosa The mimosa season! From the end of January the French Riviera glows a dazzling golden yellow as the mimosa trees burst into bloom. Imported by British visitors in the early 20th century from Australia where it’s known as wattle, mimosa trees have spread throughout the south of France. From January to March their delicious scent fills the air, heralding the arrival of spring, and several events take place in celebration. One not to miss is the Mimosa Festival at Mandelieu-La Napoule – 5 days of colourful floral parades, exhibitions and markets. Details: mandelieu-tourisme.com Fete du Citron, Menton © Ville de Menton Menton Lemon Festival What sort of recipe calls for 145,000 kgs of oranges and lemons? Where can you see an animal, castle or a train made of fruit? The colourful and flamboyant Menton Lemon festival on the French Riviera sees a weeklong refreshing and fruity festival feature giant figures made from lemons and oranges. It all started when the winter crowds of the 19th century came to a halt in the early 20th century and to lure them back, a hotel owner devised a plan to create a citrus fruit exhibition in 1928. It’s now a major event in the south of France – and a fabulous winter tonic! Menton Fete de Citron: 11-26 February 2023. fete-du-ctiron.com Nice Carnival credit Nice Tourism 14 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 15