12 February ’05, Friday. The French Riviera at Cannes We went to a party today, fact is, it was a block, no, a CITY PARTY….CANNES. Without a doubt, just as soon as you come into Cannes, you feel like you have been welcomed into a special party. We have been into a ton of villages, towns, and cities and not one of them has given us the total feeling of a party going on all around you as it was today. We liked it !!! This morning we walked to the train depot and purchased our tickets through the kiosk beside the tracks. It took a little time trying to figure out just how to make it work, but with a little patience, we got our tickets. The last time we were there, a lady behind the glass helped us with our tickets to Nice, but today we were on our own. Those tickets cost us just under 12 Euros, and today, our trip to Cannes cost us just over 5 . I liked the kiosk better… Moving forward, at the end of the day and on our way home, Louise took a look at her ticket and found that I had bought “le enfant” tickets for us…no wonder they were so reasonable… Heck, we even had to go through a person checking tickets on the way home, and he didn’t catch the two “senior citizens” traveling with le enfant tickets… Then, another problem came up. The train going to Nice, with “locale” stops, came up to the loading platform just 2 minutes prior to what the board said our train was to leave, so we jumped aboard. When we went flying through the first two stops, WITHOUT STOPPING, I told Louise we might have a problem… The first stop that the train made was Antibes, so we jumped up and got off the train. Looking for the conductor and finding him, we found that “our train” is the train following in 5 minutes, so we stepped off and waited for the right train…nothing lost, thank you, especially us… Ok, back to Cannes… Again, it seemed like this town was in high gear and ready to make things happen for those that came through the front door. We immediately found the “tourist information” shoppe and got our map and a list of things to see and do while there. So far, France has really been good about having the information offices just as you walk off the trains, and they have been ready to give you all the information you might need. Today, there was a farmers market, a flea market, the Musée de la Castre (The Castle at Cannes), the promenade de la Crosisette, and the oldest street of Cannes, St Antoine.
Then of course, we walked the famous boardwalk and beaches of Cannes. This is the place with the perfect sand beaches and crystal clear blue-green waters with the “Beautiful People” of Cannes… We joined those who were walking the boardwalk with their perfectly trimmed doggies and wearing their fur coats and watching those who dared go into the water for a swim. Now, when they came out of the water, they took their shower and then found the most inventive ways of getting out of their suits and into their “other” suits.
Then of course, there were the others on the beach with their coats and hats to those who were shirt-less. A good variety of people to observe, on a slightly overcast day, with the temperature hovering about 60 degrees. Oh yes, a little useless information… Coco Chanel was in Cannes and got a suntan. Returning to Paris bronzed, she startled the “milk-white society ladies. Being as to who she was, they quickly began copying her. Today, the bronzed bodies – clad in nearly nonexistent swimsuits, line the beaches and continue the late fashion designer’s example….Thank you Lord…