Cannes
There are two kinds of people here: those who wish to be seen, and those who wish to see. I am of the latter group, snapping photos right and left of the local color. This town is certainly front and center for those who crave recognition as a member of that elite group, the Beautiful People. If ever one were looking for a place where the superficial is king, this would be it! Cars are part of the game, of course, but only those at the top of the food chain, your Lamborghinis, Porsches, Ferraris, Rolls, etc. Others need not apply…
I will say, I have never seen so many super-thin women in one place! Is it true that you can never be too rich or too thin? Actually…in light of where I am, I must amend this to ask only…can you never be too thin? I observed two couples going to dinner. As was typical (and is, in so many parts of the world!), the woman was dressed for maximum style and minimum comfort, the man, just the opposite.
One of my forays into the town involved the purchase of a two-piece bathing suit. I had noticed when I’ve gone swimming of late that I was one of the very few with a one-piece. So, I decided to venture into a store and brave the horrors of the dressing room mirror (I have now come to the realization that I can’t continue eating the way I have). I purchased the first one I tried on, a red, two-piece. If they had had royal blue, that would have been my choice, but the red was pretty, so I went for it.
Of course, no one will be looking at me; there are young lovelies everywhere, who dress on the street with the object of displaying their assets to full advantage, even if it means straying dangerously close to getting arrested. Yes, even in France, there are limits!
Some random beach shots in Cannes
Saturday night I had reserved a dinner cruise to see the fireworks, a show well worth the weekend trip to Cannes. The hosting country was Norway; the theme (very loosely) was Romeo and Juliet. While the fireworks were bursting in the air, various pieces of music were played, supposedly building on the theme. I heard Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, but the rest of the pieces were contemporary, such as “The Music of the Night” from Phantom. It was an incredible show. Well done, Norway!
The cruise started at 8 pm; dinner, such as it was (not up to French standards), was served around 9, once we had set anchor in the bay. In the meantime, we cruised around Sainte-Marguerite Island and viewed Fort Royal, beautifully illuminated.
Vence
Back in Vence, I did laundry, observed cafe life, and just enjoyed the town (see previous “Musings”). Then it was back to Antibes for a few days before the start of my week of immersion French at a school outside of Avignon.
