Early in the morning, this scene is normally supplemented by hordes of screaming kids running hither and thither and automobiles clogging up roadways and parking areas as parents drop off their progeny, but on this Tuesday of a second winter vacation week, the collège de l’Éganaude looks more like a deserted medium-security detention center than a school for 11 to 15 year old pupils. In general, driving around Sophia Antipolis is a pleasure during school vacations; it seems that the schools are responsible for most of the area’s traffic, not to mention a large portion of the park’s noise level. This particular school is right across the street from where I work, and so I really cherish school vacations, a sentiment no doubt shared by most of the “inmates”...