Day trip to Antibes

The beautiful, perfect days keep coming! The month of May in the south of France is absolutely gorgeous; I can't stop taking pictures of it! So although the subjects are the same (sky, sea, the occasional rock formation or two), here are some photos from my weekend jaunt to Antibes, a small town right next to Cannes.

Antibes is another town located on the southern coast of France. While not as glamorous as Cannes, there's a lot to
like about this place.

Sunbathers taking a dip in the clear blue waters

I've posted so many boat pictures... it almost seems like half of the population here must own one!

One of the fortresses that line the coast. Nowadays, this one has found new life as
a museum.

I also took the time to walk around the Old Town, with its small winding roads and
cobblestone streets. Many small vendors set up shop in open squares, and there was
a farmer's market as well.

Farmer's market cheese. So much cheese.

Beautiful asparagus, in season now!

Antibes is probably only about a 15-20 minute drive from Cannes. I had the option of taking the train (10 minute ride, 3 euros each way), or the bus (30 minute ride, 1.50 euro each way). It was very convenient, and made for a great little trip on a lovely Saturday.

One more picture of the sea!

Playing dressup

As I have stated in a previous entry, thousands of tourists descend upon the small city of Cannes at this time every year, hoping for a glimpse into the world of the rich and famous. They walk along the Croisette, eating gelato, and peer into the cool magnificent windows of shops like Chanel and Gucci. Or else they stand behind the blockades at the Palais des Festivals, hoping for a glimpse of their favorite movie star. A few lucky ones stand in line, hoping to get tickets for daytime viewings of the movies.

Well, I was one of the lucky ones the other night; my sister and I got tickets to see one of the film festival movies. And it wasn't even one of the skimpy daytime showings; this was a main event, an evening premiere of a movie that is in competition for the Palme d'Or. So with fingers crossed that our normal dresses would pass the bar, we headed off for our own few seconds of fame.

My ticket to the show! As stated, formal dress was the dress code, but obviously we don't own any evening gowns. So
our regular dresses would have to do... we hoped!

Here's the crowd of fans and paparazzi, viewed from the other side. The 'main' members of the media were located
right on the red carpet itself, and they all had to dress in tuxedos as well! 

Here I am, giving my best 'nonchalant movie star' impression, with the entrance and
red carpet behind me.

On top of the stairs of the theater, looking back at the red carpet. It was difficult to actually take a picture while
walking the carpet; it's actually technically not allowed. The large crane on the right holds a camera on its end,
and swivels back and forth, capturing footage of all the important people (ie. NOT me).

An admittedly terrible shot of the theater. We sat on a balcony level, high above where
the actual stars of the movie sat down below. It was still neat to see them in person,
and obviously emotional about their movie being screened.

Many of the movies shown at Cannes are in different foreign languages. Everything not in French is subtitled in French... which doesn't help me much. So we were rather lucky to have gotten tickets for a British-American movie. The movie, called "Loving", is a semi-biographical film about an interracial couple living in Virginia back in the 1960s who were jailed for being married. It was a quiet, affecting film, and one that makes a person think about how some issues are still prevalent today.

I had a wonderful time at the festival; definitely a unique experience that I'm glad to have experienced during my year in France!

Shades of Blue

There are days of good weather, and then there are days of *perfect* weather. And it was on such a perfect day, when we took a short trip off to the Île Saint-Honorat, a small island located just a mile off the coast of Cannes. Lushly green, this island was founded by monks in the early 5th century.

The short ferry ride to the island only took abut 15 minutes, and then it was as if we were transported back in time. There were no cars, and only dirt roads circled their way around the island. The views were stunning, and it was impossible to not snap picture after picture of pretty blue skies and clear Mediterranean waters. Which is a long way of saying... no more words, here come the photos!

A secluded getaway, it makes a person feel like an explorer from the past!

Centuries of water (though I am told the tides here are minimal) must have created
these strange rock formations. Or, you know, aliens. One of those.

The lovely, quite cheery looking Lérins Abbey

The waters of the Mediterranean are crystal clear!

An eagle's eye view of the island, from atop the... fortress...? located on the island. 

Another view of the Abbey

You can practically see the fish swimming, even from a distance!

Dozens of boats docked near the island, to enjoy the nice weather and peaceful
atmosphere!

It only took us a couple hours to circle the entire island, and to have a leisurely lunch on one of the benches. It was a great way to spend a morning, though it seems like many people stayed to sunbathe on the rocks. It's easy to see, when looking at these pictures, why the south of France is such a tourist destination!

Cannes' time to shine

As the weather gets warmer in the south of France, the sleepy little seaside town of Cannes slowly wakes up from its slumber. The small smattering of tourists suddenly becomes an absolute frenzy when the world famous film festival rolls into town, and suddenly it becomes the most cosmopolitan place ever. Of course, this only marks the beginning... Cannes' busy season doesn't slow down until the end of September.

Luckily, I don't live in the middle of all this hype... I only cross my fingers that the airbnb rentals in this building aren't too loud in the upcoming months!

This morning though, I put on my best impression of a photo-happy tourist, and went gleefully into the mob. Of course, there were no movie premiers at this time (I suspect the true movers and shakers were still in bed, sleeping off the partying of the night before), but it was still enjoyable to see the sights.

One side of the road on the Croisette was closed to traffic, making it easy for pedestrians
to get around. At this hour, it was allllll tourists.

A small group of sun worshippers, taking advantage of the day's nice weather. As it often rains this time of year, sunshine
is definitely not guaranteed!

Lots of yellow in this year's festival design. It certainly is eye-catching!

All gated off, and empty... during movie showings, I doubt I could even get within 50
feet of this white gate... it would be mobbed with paparazzi.

What's this?? A fire sale on stepladders? Ha... it's actually where the photographers hang out, so they can take all those
lovely pictures you see online. They're all empty now, but it CANNOT be comfortable to be wedged on top of these
things, all smooshed next to each other... for hours at a time... just to capture a few 'magic' moments. Then again, it
probably pays really really well.

Ta daaaaa! THE red carpet. It looks... kind of lacking when it's all empty like that, eh?

There were no celebrities to be seen, but evidence of wealth was definitely on display at the ports... where yachts of every
size and shape were docked.

Seriously, there were hundreds of yachts around. 

Every one of them were bigger than every single apartment I have ever lived in.

But hey, if I were rich, I'd definitely be up for owning one of these things too!
Well... once I paid handsomely for some doctor to rid me of my tendency to get
seasick, that is!

Not a picture from today, but I'll throw it in here. This is a view of Cannes from atop the hill in the Old City.

The vibe of Cannes has definitely taken on a different hue this week. There's a sense of excitement from all the people milling around, and even the locals seem more energetic. It's an interesting change, and I'm glad to have to the chance to experience it!

May in Paris

As immortalized by the jazz song, April is supposed to be the beautiful month for Paris. But lucky for me, May isn't so bad either. With lovely Spring weather and flowers in full bloom, my short weekend jaunt to the City of Light was filled with beautiful scenery.

The gorgeous Seine

A view of the Notre Dame, from the Left Bank

The Louvre looked pretty as usual... and mobbed!

Peaceful retreats can be found throughout the city. This is the gardens at the Palais Royal.
While not suitable for picnics, there were still lots of benches to sit on and relax, and
plenty to see, with groups playing games like bocce ball.

The Palais Royal, carefully sculpted scenery and all

The picturesque Eiffel Tower

The train ride from Cannes to Paris takes about 5 hours. Luckily, the scenery of rolling French countryside is quite nice,
though perhaps a little blurry when viewed at fast speeds from the wrong side of a window.

Gorgeous fields of yellow covered the countryside. These are the flowers of the canola plant, apparently!

It's always nice to be in Paris, no matter the weather!