Oct 9-11 Cannes

Julie's broken foot is slowly healing. The swelling is down and she's able to go longer distances, but still slowly and being careful going down steep declines. Today was a long walk along the beach, and what a difference between the two sides of the peninsula. One side, with the high-end hotels and shops, the beaches are pristine, and are getting a major restoration. The other side of the peninsula appears to be the "poorer" side of town. There are strong winds and the beach covered in mounds of seaweed. There are very few sunbathers, hence no shops and few restaurants. On the positive side, this area is quiet and residents are not bothered by the throngs of tourists. However the windsurfers have discovered this location to be optimum for their sport. 

A most interesting building depicting Cannes as a film destination 

Before hair salon

Oh la la...after hair salon.

Pizza restaurant near our hotel. The owner, from Sicily, has a sence of humor. This is his pizza oven.

A cooler day and windy during our walk.

These cactus are huge!

Oct 7-8 Cannes

So much is heard about Cannes and the film festival, and its lived up to its reputation, with the presence of wealth every where. The Carlton Hotel is an overwhelming presence. We checked out the restaurant and we definitely will not be eating there. We don't have the proper clothes, and not sure they will let us share an appetizer. That's all we could afford. Wow, 40Euros for a single entrée. But the wealth is concentrated in a few blocks, and once away from this zone there are many affordable hotels and restaurants. The Old Town was a fun area to visit and is more typical of other French towns. 

Many high-end shops along the strip.

You're worth a million bucks baby!

Hotel de Ville

A view of the old town and church

Yes, you are seeing a pink beard! And good father-son bonding.

Oct 5-6 Aix en Provence

There are many churches and museums worth visiting, and hard to believe the number of fountains around town. There is a large fountain in the town centre and smaller fountains in many of the plazas. And there so many restaurants and cafes, with a variety of foods to choose from. One particular Vietnamese restaurant, with take-out only, was lined up outside the door. 

The is the town's famous icon, but the construction has stopped the water flowing to the fountain.

A typical menu...very pricey to eat out.

Oct 3-4 Aix en Provence

We booked the Ibis hotel in Aix en Provence while in Marseille, when we decided not to go to Cannes due to the high cost of accommodations. A few days after booking the hotel in Aix, we started researching the next town we would like to visit. Julie still wanted to stay on the Rivera and she asked that I check Cannes again, and sure enough the accommodations were affordable. What a difference a week makes. 

Aix en Provence is a beautiful and trendy town, but not worth staying four days. Especially with the number of infrastructure projects underway. Many sections are not passible due to the road upgrades, and restaurants in those sections are suffering due to noise and dust. On Thursday there was a street market. Mainly clothing and accessories, and a few fruit and vegetables, and hot food (asian and paella) stalls. 

At the entrance of our hotel

Super Mario!

Julie, the door is locked!

Aix cathedral 

Beautiful stained glass windows

Amazing pipes

The cathedral has many chapels 

Oct 1-2 Marseille

Batten down the hatches!  It was a sunny day, but 60kph winds. Women were holding their skirts, sunglasses were flying from faces, sun umbrellas closed down and old rusty drain pipes falling down, just inches from us. Not a good day for being outside. Anyone weighing less than 100lbs could be at risk and blown away. 

A visit to the Fort.

A view of the cathedral from the fort.