Have your goggles at the ready!07.05.2008 / Like your sporting heroes in speedos? In that case you will be interested in the second French Underwater Sports Championship which comes to Antibes from the 8th - 11th May.
Entry to this exceptional event is free, where more than 850 top athletes will compete to become the best in the country in their chosen sporting event. There are to be all manner of difficult, traditional and often strange disciplines, involving many international-level sportsmen and women. Taking place in swimming pools and in the open sea, these will include underwater hockey (also known as Octopush), underwater target shooting, aqua orienteering, a variety of different races and endurance events in treacherous waters, and even sub-marine photography.
Taking place from 7am-10pm at the Stade Nautique in Antibes and the Stade d'eau vive in L'Argentière la Bessée, this is sure to be an impressive spectacle and a must see for anybody interested in watching top-level sport with a watery twist. And people in speedos.
A European Birthday Party
Happy Birthday, Europe!
European students at the party last year
07.05.2008 / You are cordially invited to Europe's biggest birthday party. Friday 9th May sees the anniversary of the European Union, and celebrations with 'European Day' in Cannes.
Marking the 57th year since its conception, day-long commemorative efforts will be made in front of the Palais des Festivals with the inspiring theme 'Europe: Our Future'. In the morning there is to be an exhibition of posters about Europe designed by local children, and after the arrival of pupils from all over Europe there are to be various parades and presentations followed by music from 4pm. To close the celebrations and in keeping with the town's longstanding relationship with cinema, the students of the Conservatory of Cannes will perform a concert of famous film music from 7pm.
It is fitting that Cannes is the host of the events as the European Union was originally dreamt up by a Frenchman, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Schuman. In 1950 Schuman proposed an idea as to the organisation of Europe and emphasised the importance of maintaining good relations between formerly warring nations. Fast forward to today, where the EU represents 500 million people from 27 member states and it is clear why there is cause for celebration.
Look out for representatives of the Riviera Times at the event who will very kindly be distributing free copies of the June edition of the paper.
Garibaldi Post Office workers on strike
Local Post Office in confusion as counter clerks go on an “indefinite” strike 06.05.2008 / All 15 counter clerks at the Garibaldi Post Office in East Nice are said to be engaged in a difficult “arm wrestle” with their management after changes to the opening hours of the branch were proposed. Instead of the usual hours of 8.00am until 6.45pm, the opening hours will now be shorter, opening at 8.30am and closing at 6.15pm. According to the workers, as well as upsetting their “working rhythm”, the change will also create a problem for those of the public who rely on getting to the Post Office before or after work, and will therefore drastically increase waiting queues, particularly on a Saturday morning.
The disillusioned clerks are said to be upset at their management’s refusal to negotiate and are expected to continue their strike until this changes. This being the case, there is currently no way of knowing when the office is set to resume as normal. It has been recommended to those local to the branch that they can still use the automated machines there, or go to the offices Nice-Lympia, Saint-Jean-d’Angély or Saint-Roch.
