The Voice Box

Countries:  France and Italy Cities:  Nice and Ventimiglia Place:  The Pallanca Garden in Bordighera  Accomodation:   Novotel Nice Arenas Aeroport Transport:  SNCF Last summer I visited Ventimiglia on the Italian border with France. After browsing through the market, I headed for the Exotic Pallanca Garden in Bordighera. Here are a few photos. Winston

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE EURO As someone who welcomed the EURO, I view with alarm the stories and the prediction of its end. Since the recession, most countries have had their difficulties, but the eurozone seem to be the group which remains forever in the spotlight. Will the euro survive? I hope so. I definitely enjoy using one currency as I move around Europe. And I will certainly not welcome the idea going back to the days when each country had their own individual currency. I hope whatever the economic problems are at present, somehow the zone would be able to come up with the correct financial strategy to resolve their difficulties. Let us hope that my optimism is not misplaced. And as we move into 2012, we shall hear less bickering among member countries. Considering the rapid expansion of the EU, nobody expected a rose garden. But long term, and unselfish committment, is definitely needed at the moment.

LAST WEEK IN FRANCE : 25.10.10 October 19 was a national day of protest by the French people against their government. They were protesting against the government's intention to reform their pension, and to raise the retirement age. all over France, there were demonstrations and marches.

Nice: Southern France Last weekend I was in Nice for three days, and I was amazed about the impact that the new tram system has had. I also remember the two or three years of digging, disruption and difficulty which preceeded this change. But that is over now. Years ago, the Massena area would be overrun with traffic. Today, the downtown area seem almost empty and free. The tram system did not just drive the cars away, it also redirected the bus traffic, leaving the main streets unclogged and open to pedestrians. Late at night though, there is an unusual calm which is created mostly because the shops are all closed. And the night crowd rather selectively target their entertainment. Still, there is a nice feel about the city. And I would say, getting around is so much easier.

THE NEW PRESIDENT OF FRANCE It was interesting watching the final round of the French elections. Once the other ten candidates were eliminated, and the battle became a straightforward 'right vs left' contest. I knew Madame Royal would have a very difficult time. Looking at Monsieur Sarkozy, it was quite obvoius that he had done all his homework. He had already eliminated all oppositon inside his party, so there were no side shows to take his audience away from the main stage. The stagemanaging of his every move, even including the contrived spontaniety of his supporters, impressesd the locales who were not accustomed to this sychronised presentation. Obviously there were times when he went too far, as the episode when he mounted a horse to demonstrate maybe his 'wild west prowess'. Madame Royal was not so lucky. As a candidate for the Socialists Party, she suffered from all the backstabbing that we have come to expect from the left in France. Even in the final round the...

The French Elections With almost a week to go to the French elections, there is still a lot of undecided voters. Two days ago, I returned from a long weekend in Paris. While there, I saw very few live election rallies. Maybe I was always in the wrong place. There was quite a lot said on televison, and the newspapers were full of articles. But I was quite amazed that that the general public seemed to carry own with their domestic existence, with little overt reaction to the election. I visited quite a few parks, and all the locals seemed to be enjoying was the very good weather. Now that the current French President, Monsieur Chirac, is finally making the best of his last days at the palace, it is time to decide where we stand on the present candidates, hoping to be the next President of France. Altogether, there are twelve candidates vying for the office of president. Of the twelve, only four stana real chance of becoming president, according to the polls. Until recently, most people w...