Cannes

Cannes, and the world's best dressed beggars

The forecast was for rain all day and the morning sure started out as if it was going to pout all day. I woke up to the sound of rain. But after a while, the rain stopped and the sun came out slowly. At first just patchy clouds but by mid-morning, it was shinning brightly. A gorgeous day. Having already written off the day as an indoor day, I felt like it was a bonus day now.

How many non-French speaking people know how to pronounce Cannes the right way? Traveling on the local train is great for learning to pronounce the town names as a real person announces each of the train stops.

The famous film festival is there every year of course, so I expected to see more Americanized stored, etc. But it's still just a sea-side town. Right across the street from the ocean are all the super high-end boutiques. Prices at cafes are double of that in Nice. Off the main drag there are more shops. Maybe we didn't do Cannes justice, but it seems like a very commercial town.

Along la Croisette, the board walk by the ocean, are all these blue chairs for people to sit and watch the ocean. They aren't bolted down or anything. I guess nobody takes them. That would never work in China, or New York, or almost anywhere else. Another sign of affluence. We also saw the world's best dressed beggars. They look clean, well fed, even dressed stylishly, sitting on the ground by the side walk asking for hand outs. What's up with that? I guess if you don't earn at least six figures you are considered a beggar here.

We didn't see any stars. Even if there were I wouldn't recognize them probably. Lots of rich wives, with little kids. Or as Sascha puts it, wives of rich men. Maybe. Probably. While we sat at the cafe there were a couple of guys just sitting by themselves. We got into a debate of why one only see men (old or young) hanging out and enjoying their own company, but not women by themselves. So many times I've seen old guys sitting in cafes, enjoying a very slow lunch, reading a paper, minding their own business. Seems pretty nice to me. Maybe women feel embarrassed to be sitting by themselves. I've certainly felt uncomfortable eating in restaurants on my own during business travel. I think the lesson here is that you should just go and enjoy what you like, and not care about what anyone else may think. Aren't the Europeans so much better at that that Americans?

On a side note, it was a windy and chilly day, and I was glad I had the right hair-do for it. =)

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