On the Côte d'Azur, flowers are even more precious in winter, blooming even in February. Between Nice and Grasse, we're setting off in the footsteps of a chef, a mimosist (expert in the cultivation of the mimosa flower) and a costume designer from the Nice carnival who demonstrate their passion for floral art de vivre on the Côte d'Azur.
On the Côte d'Azur, flowers do not wait for spring to charm the daily lives of locals and visitors. The star of winter, the mimosa, bursts into bloom with its thousands of small golden petals against the blue sky, perfuming the air with its divine scent.
Chef Yves Terrillon, for whom "flowers are a great source of inspiration," uses his floral muse when he concocts his recipes.
"The region is beautiful in all seasons, especially winter, which offers very mild temperatures" he testifies. Logically, his dishes are decorated with mimosas and violets, floral symbols of the region.
A great-quality mimosa on the Côte d'Azur
Fabien Raynaud has been a mimosist on the Côte d'Azur for three generations. There, he grows these fragrant flowers and explains: "The region is famous for its mimosas because of their very good quality; it is a passion, therefore a pleasure."
Winter is also time for the Nice carnival, a must-see festivity with its flowery floats and flower battles, a tradition that dates back to 1876, as Caroline Roux, costume designer of the carnival, recalls. Every year, between mid-February and the beginning of March, the public attending the show prepares to be showered by thousands of flowers.
Winter's light on the Côte d'Azur
From the Nice carnival to gastronomy, from markets to flower stalls, blossoms are everywhere during the winter on the Côte d'Azur. It is an extra opportunity to discover the region when it is bathed in incomparable light and softness—and millions of petals!