DATE with French Riviera

"Please organize the conference during June-Sept. every year", recommended Arindam, an IMEC researcher on the DATE-2009 conference feedback form. I was totally in sync with him. The surreptitious reason could decipher the attitude of the research community towards conferences. The Ferry in the Mediterranean operates only during June-Sept. period and we wished the conference to be shifted during the same period as we could enjoy the sea as much as the technical interaction during the conference. There should be a consensus about one thing within the research community. We want good conferences and we want them on the heavens on the earth. Top notch conference in Bhivandi or Govandi or any other shabby areas in Bombay would attract as much attendance as a mediocre conference* in Goa, Hawaii or the heaven I just had just been "French Riviera".

There is something mesmerizing about the mountains that invite you to explore them time and again. Deep sea provides an ideal ambiance to relax and indulge into as deep thinking as much as the sea itself. But, the combination of the two is simply outstanding with limitless opportunities and in my opinion it's peerless. The French Riviera region, located in the the South French is blessed with both. Alps located on the North and Mediterranean in the south, this entire 225km stretch from Marsellie to Monte Carlo is a very hot tourist destination all over the year. Popular International events such as Formula-1 Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival, Monte Carlo ATP tours make the place very much vibrant and add to the grandeur. No wonder then that this place is the favorite destination of the richest of the rich. Right from legendary Elton John, the Posh and the Becks to AJos have their Villas and it's considered a French dream to own a property in French Riviera.

When I embarked upon the Journey to Nice from Brussels, I was hopeful that I would at least get to get the glimpses of the some of these famous personalities. But, I got really disappointed as I did not spot any as I boarded the flight. I decided to try my luck and glanced the business class as well but the business class was almost empty. Then I thought to myself, why in the world the Posh and Becks would fly through Brussels Airlines? They would have their own chartered jets....So, relax. These flights are for mundanes like us and took my well deserved window seat.

The Window Seat
Although candies do not attract me anymore, I am still addicted to the window seats as much as I was as a kid. Be it the bus, the train, the boat or the flight, I make it a point to request for a window seat or to rush for one as soon as I board them. I do get thoroughly disappointed if I do not get one. In this flight, I was happy and disappointed at the same time. I was happy to find that my request for a window seat was useless as I could have as many window seats as possible. But, what's the value of money for a rich kid? A Big Zero. The real fun is in grabbing the window seat by catching a running local train in Bombay or a crowded bus by throwing the kerchief through the window and occupying the seat after quarrel with co-passengers. It's a hard fought victory and you savor it more than anything. The good part though I was ready to capture Alpine heights though the windows of the plane yet again and this time I was not disappointed. The most beautiful sight as you land in Nice is the view of the Mediterranean and Alps from the sky. Here are some of the aerial shots.

Snowy Alpine Peaks: A Treat to Eyes!!!

Beautiful View of Mediterranean Coastline. Nice Airport stripes are located in the upper part of the picture

This would have been a spectacular picture if I had a better lens. The view of snow clad Alps mountains and the Mediterranean in the same sight in the sky was magical.

Nice airport is located next to the sea shore and both the landing and take off are enjoyable experiences.It's a pity that my 18-55mm lens is not adequate enough to capture an apt picture of any of these events. I really need to look for some sponsorships to advance my photography to the next level.

"Nice" is Nice

Nice has two prominent places to watch. One is the castle view from the curvy beach and the beach view from the castle. Nice beach view resembles the neckless view of Bombay. What's different though are some of the cruise ships on the shore demonstrating aristocracy and the spicially provided sun bathing places depicting French connosseureness when it comes to rejoicement. It's fantastic, simply outstanding. Here are some shots and their description.

Aristocratic Cruises on Nice Shore

Nice Beach-A view vis-a-vis Bombay

A Night shot of the Nice Castle

Dusk in the Morning

To grab this dusk, I had to wake up 5.30 AM in the morning and walk to the beach to catch the Sunrise. As I was walking towards the beach, I was remined of my friend Rajat from National Semiconductor. We Natsemites used to play cricket over the weekend and I used to take Rajat to the venue on my bike. While deciding on time, when I used to tell him "Rajat, be at this spot tomorrow @ 7:30AM, ok?" This cricket buff used to reply,"Guru, Don't worry. I will be here from 7:15AM itself. No problem." "Why 7:15AM?, you come at 7:30AM", understanding the value of 15 mins more sleep in the morning hrs. Rajat used to reply,"Are Guru, ye Math Tution thodi hein. yeh to cricket hein.(Guru, this is not a math class but an enjoyment) I will be here by 7:15AM. No problem." and He was never late and so was I, ON time, spot ON this time to witness the sunrise. While Arindam preferred to watch the sunrise in his dreams Narasinga accompanied me at the beach. I admire some people's commitment to cause. Narasinga is one of them. Unfortunately, it would have been better if we had gone up the castle than the beach in the morning hrs.

Cannes and the celebrities
Cannes must be special during the film festival but otherwise it is as good as any French town, nothing special or extravagent. Again, the filthy richness is on display though the private yachts and all but The Sea does provide solace to everyone who views it with an open heart. If you are traveling to Cannes, I would recommend traveling to nearby islands. They are beautiful. It also provides an opportunity for a small cruise from Cannes to the island and back specially when the longer crews are off. We went to Ile Saint Honorat because it was little farther than the other as we could enjoy more cruise time. It was a perfect trip. The other island called St Marguerite should be nice too. Clear sea water near the islands should give you some idea:

Sea waters near Cannes Islands. This picture is taken from around 50mts in altitude.

Narasinga had to leave early for his flight and unfortunately he missed an important Palais des Festivals tour. If you are filmy buff, you will love being on the red carpet and take your photos in astonishing poses. We saw the audience going berserk giving poses and taking shots. It's certainly true that everybody is a born actor. We were not far behind as well.

Palais des Festivals, Cannes

Aristocratic Yachts next to Palais des Festivals

There are hand prints, autographs of many famous cine personalities on display here. Although not a huge cine buff (I prefer theater more than films but I do make it a point not to miss good ones) I would always cherish this photo:

Ben Kingsley - Autograph and hand print in Cannes

Palm Beach @ Cannes is not only a place to own a property but a great place for plenty of water sports as well. Here are some action shots:

Water sports near Palm Beach-Cannes.

Water sports near Palm Beach-Cannes.

Not to mention that I very much missed the NBH Hike-4 becase of the date clash with this conference trip (Work comes first, isn't it?) and tried to make the most of my time in Riviera. To make up for loss in the NBH Hike, I ended up traveling (and even hiking from Monte Carlo to Eze, a rocky stretch of 10kms) French Riviera more than anybody (I know) in the conference even though I joined them later than all of them at the venue.

Also, not to mention that I really enjoyed the techie interaction to find that I am able to follow and contribute in my research area, 3D ICs. There is certainly a lot to do!!!

And something more important to mention is that the momentous Monaco-Monte Carlo was the best place I visited during this trip. I would certainly call it the Crown of French Riviera. I could see the town gearing up for the F1 GP scheduled in a months time. But that's for another blog. To be continued...
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* Someone (like me) might be prefer to go to Hawaii/Goa as at least an excellent stay is guaranteed.