My throat is bothering me- I don’t know if it’s the smoke from people burning their grass and tree clippings or a cold, but we stopped at a pharmacy (no CVS here, just identical Pharmacies with neon green signs) and got some cough drops for me.
We stopped along the way to take a few pictures before reaching the town of Gourdon. The shops and candy vendors were still putting out their signs, so we mostly just walked through the streets and enjoyed the views. We did make a few purchases at one shop we liked. As it turns out, the woman behind the counter was born in Pittsburgh! We shopped, wandered a bit more before getting back in the car for Opio and Valbonne.David drove like a champ this afternoon. These roads through the mountains and small towns are insane. Steep hills, narrow roads and sharp turns make the drive tough. They like to pass around you here- and the other drivers and motorbikes whizzing past makes the already unnerving drive completely insane. But we did it and we got to Valbonne before the market closed.
Going to the provencal markets has become one of our favorite activities- and todays didn’t disappoint. It had the exact same soap maker and spice vendor as the market in Tourette, but this market was easily 4 xs bigger. It had more vegetable stands and jewelry booths, book salesman, toymakers as well as places to buy souvenirs, meats, cheeses, wines and perfumes. The old village has retained much of its 16th-century character, and in contrast to the twisty little streets in the other medieval villages we’ve seen so far, Valbonne village follows the layout of Roman cities, and is laid out in neat, symmetrical rectangles. It definitely made navigating the busy market easier. In the center of the village is a lovely Place des Arcades. This central square is surrounded on all four sides by picturesque arcades, terraces and little shops.
When we’d had enough of the market- it was starting to shut down anyway- we got back in the car and drove to Mougin Village. Set amongst pines, olives and cyprus trees, this artsy community is where Picasso lived out his final years and was a favored vacation spot of Winston Churchill, Christian Dior and many others.
We visited the old town and fountains, saw a number of its many studios and art galleries, and had a fantastic lunch of mussels, lamb and frites at this charming outdoor café.Then it was back into the car and off to Cannes. We parked the car in a garage and picked up a map from the tourism office. We walked along the Rue d'Antibes, a long street which runs the length of Cannes lined with clothing stores and fine jewelry boutiques until we reached the beach.
Then we took off our shoes and walked along the sandy beach, past many topless sunbathers in lounge chairs until we arrived at the Palais des Festivals where the Cannes Film Festival is held. We looked at the handprints of famous actors in the sidewalk and took a picture of the steps leading up the theater where the films are screened.
The city of Cannes is basically centered around the old port. We spend some time walking around the 12th century church Notre-Dame-de-l'Espérence and the hilly old quarter, Le Suquet, overlooking the west end of the port. We took some pictures of the Yachts and scenery- and then it was time to head back towards the B&B.
My thought is still scratchy but the lozenges are helping. After some cocktails with our new Aussie friends and a quick call home, we went to the crepeteria for a casual dinner. We’re getting much better at asking for things in French- a combination of learning how to use our phrase book and the incredible patience of the people here. David had a breakfast crepe and I have something of a pizza crepe- but we both drooled at the dessert crepe the girl next to us had ordered.
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