This week there was a warming up; over two kilometers waiters and waitresses ran with full trays through the old town of Nice. This first round of testing was done to raise money for UNICEF. The SBM in Monaco has ‘raised’ enough money as owner of many luxury outlets in Monte Carlo, the next year they will invest 600 million in the Casino Square. The famous Hotel de Paris and the Sporting d’Hiver are being renovated  in order to remain attractive for demanding tourists from the Middle East and Asia. The tourists and local visitors from the Cap 3000 shopping center in St Laurent du Var are also getting spoiled: after seven years of wrangling over the place and permits, therw ill  be finally a McDonalds restaurant. Looking for work at sea, then this is the time: McDonalds needs 120 employees. Good news for local employment that gets the wind in the sails and we are about to sail to Antibes for the first boat show this year. The Antibes Yacht Show has a new concept with extra’s like a boat auction. We have a bid for the sun, which continues to shine throughout the week with temperatures of 23-25 degrees.. As an entrepreneur you lead a unsecure existence in France: tax rules and regulations can simply be tightened to help the crisis; there is no ‘social agreement’ as in the Netherlands. Beach clubowners in Nice were told this week that the municipality has decided to take back 20% of the commercial beach to give it back to the public. Indeed, there are too few public beaches where you can sunbath on the pebbles for free. Lots of people refuse to pay 15 euros per day for a sunbed, with obligation to order something. The decision about which no discussion is possible will cost the beach bar holders on the Côte d’Azur a loss of up to 1,000 euros per day. Very different figures are coming down from the mountains: after the  disastrous last season, the ski entrepreneurs celebrated san increase in turnover. Auron and Isola booked 87% more turnover, La Colmiane Roubion 131% and 271%. More than 18 million is spent in the Alpes Maritimes ski areas. Even Greoulières, which normally is the first to close, remains open until the end of April as there is still plenty of snow. So if you spend a week or weekend on the French Riviera, then it’s a nice break and you will understand why so many people like to live here with snow and sea at your fingertips. Within reach of fingertips, but not yours, is your wallet. If you’re not careful, the pickpocket thieves are active mingling amongst the crowd in Cannes during the Film Festival. The Cannes police squad have special incognito teams on the street to catch the crooks..If you see people suddenly running, it is probably the police chasing them. If you see waiters running with full trays, you are witnessing the Ober-race; or the ‘Cours de Garçons’, an ancient tradition which is about the be restored.