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Côte d'Azur: Embracing the Carnival Spirit and Farewell Traditions
- Laurie Hull
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
Soon I will leave Antibes and return to Virginia. This morning I am back on the ramparts, early sun stretching across the Mediterranean, the Alps faint and snow covered in the distance. Waves move rhythmically against the rocks below the old stone walls. It feels now familiar and surreal at the same time.
Lasting impressions
Living here has been a long imagined dream. Over these weeks I settled into quiet rituals, sunrise walks, familiar cafés, French language in the background. I have said my goodbyes to the baristas at Copenhagen Coffee Lab who greeted me shortly after seven each morning. I will miss their kind faces behind the counter and the simple comfort of being recognized and greeted as a local. At the market, the spice ladies would sit with their coffee and cigarettes before the day began, preparing to arrange hundreds of fragrant spice open air spice containers. Their daily “bonjour madame” became part of my own routine. And on the ramparts, the same man fed the pigeons each morning, as predictable as the sunrise. These small exchanges, more than the majestic views, made the days feel anchored.
I met two Americans who left the United States and built a life in Nice. He photographs. They volunteer. They simply chose a different rhythm. The possibility sits in the back of my mind, not urgent, just present. I’ve often thought of moving back to Europe. I ask - What’s stopping me?
The final week unfolded in celebration. The Lemon Festival in Menton, the Battle of the Flower Boats in Villefranche sur Mer and the pinnacle, Carnival in Nice filled the region with color and movement. Families lined the streets during school holidays, floats passed in bursts of citrus and blossoms, and the coastline felt expansive and alive. Just simply WOW!
Antibes proved to be the perfect home base. One evening under a full moon, I stood along the ramparts as waves crashed below and a sailboat slipped quietly into the harbor. The old town began to glow, the sea darkened, and the mountains softened into the horizon. I am especially grateful to have shared this experience with my friend Kathy. We now carry a collection of moments and memories that will only grow richer with time.
À bientôt Antibes!
Creative Perspectives
The French Riviera - places I visited
Fun at Carnival
Just a little more of Delphi
