23rd-chapter-Summer-2025
Cannes, Saturday Sept 13, 2025
This was the last day in Cannes for Stacy and Joe so we gathered for dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant (Thien Phu) and then walked along the sea to downtown. It was the last day for the annual Cannes Yachting Festival.
Rome, Friday, Sept 12, 2025
We regrouped with Stacy and Joe for our last day in Rome. After checking out of our hotel, we took the bags to their sister hotel for day storage and took the Metro to the Vatican.
Vatican City is located near the right bank of the Tiber, on a slight slope that was once part of the ancient Vatican Hill, on which a few villas were built before the birth of Christ. The state’s territory, covering 44 hectares, is partially surrounded by ramparts and extends to a strip of travertine in St. Peter’s Square that connects the outer ends of the colonnade to the ground.
Home to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world, and the Vatican Museums, which house some of the world’s most famous works of art, there is no doubt that Vatican City is a place of great cultural significance. The Vatican Library, for example, houses a collection of great historical, scientific, and cultural value. In 1984, the Vatican was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.
The state has a population of 825, but only 246 (including 104 members of the Swiss Guard) live within its walls. About half of the population lives outside the country, primarily for professional reasons. Vatican citizenship is not based on birth or blood, but is granted only to those who reside and work for the Vatican office. Cardinals living in Vatican City or Rome, as well as diplomats of the Holy See, are also considered citizens. Citizenship is lost at the end of their term.
Arriving, we discovered that St Peter’s Square was closed for security reasons as the Pope was meeting with the President (Italy?).
The day was cooler, and the walk was nice.
We headed past the Castel Sant’Angelo (Lungotevere Castello, 50) but did not visit it.
Originally the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, Castel Sant’angelo transformed into a fortress, prison and now a historical attraction. From stunning architecture to breathtaking views of Rome’s skyline, it pulls millions of tourists every year.
There were many outdoor sellers along the river next to the castle.
We revisited the ice cream shop (Neve di Latte) for a treat.
After we caught lunch at a local eatery (La Salumeria/ Via del Banco di Santo Spirito, 24), for sandwiches.
The ladies decided to conduct some final local economic stimulus, so Joe and I retreated to the bag drop-off hotel for a brief nap in the lobby. Upon the return of our shoppers, we took a taxi to the airport, catching a bite at Eataly in the airport while waiting for our 22:15 flight.
The flight left a bit late (22:30) . We arrived at the Nice airport just before midnight (23:45) and took an Uber home to Cannes.
Rome, Thursday, Sept 11, 2025
Out again, hitting more Basilicas and churches on our way to the Trastevere Neighborhood, visiting the Basilica di Trastevere, and stopping at a market to purchase two t-shirts.
Trastevere is one of the best neighborhoods to visit in Rome to get a better taste of the city from a local, more laid-back perspective.
The vibe here is calmer and quieter than the historic city center—during the day, livelier at night—and blissfully away from the overwhelming crowds.
This unique Roman neighborhood is also where you will find the real local food you traveled all the way to Italy for. Packed with some of the best cheap eats in Rome, locally loved restaurants, and great bars, this is the neighborhood for foodies!
Its winding streets, covered in greenery and walls in faded shades of burnt orange, are also lined with unique independent shops, vintage stores, and tiny bookshops, making it easy to spend hours wandering the area.
Basilica di Trastevere was probably the first official place of Christian worship in Rome . According to legend, it was built by Pope Callixtus I in the 3rd century and completed by Saint Julius I in 340.
Rebuilt during the pontificate of Pope Innocent II, it was subsequently decorated and restored, including notable ones promoted by Pope Clement XI (1702) and Pope Pius IX (1870).
Many parts of the church date back to the 12th century; the mosaics are important , especially those on the façade and in the apse, created by Pietro Cavallini and depicting the “Life of the Virgin .” The square-based bell tower, built in the 12th century, stands out on the outside.
The portico was remodeled in 1702 by Carlo Fontana and today houses fragments of friezes and ornaments from the ancient basilica, as well as Christian epigraphs, and is surmounted by a balustrade decorated with statues of four popes.
The very rich ceiling is made of carved and gilded coffers with polychrome backgrounds, designed by Domenichino (1617) with the image of “The Assumption” at the centre . In 1860, the floor was almost entirely rebuilt by the architect Vespignani with the typical 13th-century floor mosaics. In the basin and in the apse arch, in addition to the mosaics with the stories of the Virgin by Pietro Cavallini (1291), there are mosaics created around 1140, after the death of Pope Innocent II, who is represented there with the model of the church.
We visited the Largo di Torre Argentina.
It is one of the most important historical sites in the Eternal City. It is commonly referred to as “Largo Argentina” for convenience, and Area Sacra di Largo Argentina in Italian.
It just so happens that this is where Julius Caesar was assassinated (Ides of March).
We wandered into the Church of San Marcello al Corso
A raging fire on the night of 22 May 1519 completely destroyed the church: the only item that survived was a 15th-century wooden crucifix, since then considered miraculous. Work for its reconstruction began immediately to a design by Jacopo Sansovino, who suggested re-orienting the church to make it face the prestigious Via del Corso. Several architects were then appointed to complete the project, including Nanni di Baccio Bigio and his son Annibale Lippi, while the interior decoration continued until the 18th century. The coved (concave) late Baroque façade, entirely in travertine, was built at the end of the 17th century by Carlo Fontana.
The church has a single nave, with five richly decorated chapels on each side and a wonderful 16th-century coffered wooden ceiling. The church’s most important works of art include the large 17th-century Crucifixion with scenes of the Passion on the counter-façade, the scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin by Francesco Salviati in the Grifoni Chapel and, in the Chapel of San Paolo, the three memorial busts of members of the Frangipane family sculpted by Alessandro Algardi, the altarpiece showing The Conversion of St Paul by Federico Zuccari and the frescoes with scenes from the life of the saint by his brother Taddeo Zuccari.
We continued our exploration of Rome.
We caught lunch at La Canonica (Vicolo del Piede, 13a, )
We wandered back, exploring new areas and shops.
Rome, Wednesday, Sept 10, 2025 (Joe’s Birthday)
Rebecca and I started the day with an English breakfast at Babington’s with eggs Benedict and French toast.
Then it was off for a walk around town. First stop, Spanish Steps, which took us to The Church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti
The Church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti, often called merely the Trinità dei Monti, is situated above the famous Spanish Steps, in Piazza di Spagna, and is one of the five French-speaking Catholic churches of Rome.
The oldest part in Gothic style was built between 1502 and 1519 and is covered by ogival cross vaults. Around the middle of the 16th century, a new block was added to the Gothic nave, covered by a barrel vault and closed by a façade decorated with two symmetrical bell towers by Giacomo Della Porta and Carlo Maderno.
The interior consists of a single large nave, on which there are six side chapels decorated with fine works of art, such as the famous Deposition by Daniele da Volterra, Michelangelo’s apprentice, whose portrait he painted in his other work preserved inside the church, the Assumption.
Our next stop was The Capuchin Crypt (Via Vittorio Veneto 27).
The crypt of the Capuchins
A very special, but also sinister place in Rome is the crypt of the Capuchin. The Capuchins separated from the Franciscans in 1525 to live the spirit of Saint Francis in a more authentic way and wanted to go back to basics. They wore sandals without socks and a tunic with a hood to cover their heads. The name of the capuchins is derived from this cap.
La Cripta dei Frati Cappuccini
This crypt of the “Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini” (Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins) was built between 1626 and 1631 by order of Pope Urban VIII, since his brother Antonio Barberini was a Capuchin brother. As a Cardinal, Barberini had the remains of thousands of Capuchins excavated at the Via dei Lucchesi Monastery and had their bones placed along the walls of the crypt like works of art and symbols. After that, the brothers also began to make their own bodies available. The crypt now houses the remains of about 3,600 brothers buried between 1500 and 1870.
Rain was threatening, so we took a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Rome. Rebecca negotiated the price down to 24 eu each. It was a great way to get an overview of Rome and stay relatively dry. One seat ahead was a nice lady from Mexico City who was visiting. She was searching the sights ahead of each stop and knew more than the tour guide. It was fun talking to her.
The weather improved a bit so we hopped off and found ourselves near the Excelsior hotel and found a favorite gelato spot (Neve di Latte) we discovered on an earlier trip to Rome. We also decided to grab a quick bite and found Alice (via Marche 21) , a pizza by the slice (actually by weight). It was outstanding and frequented by locals.
In Rome, if you swing a dead cat you will hit several Basilicas and churches.
Next on our visit was the Basilica of Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso.
The basilica of Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso, also known only as San Carlo al Corso, is one of the grandest Baroque churches in Rome. It is the “national” church of the Lombards, present in Rome since the Middle Ages and well-regarded for their talents in stonecutting and as masons. Pope Sixtus IV entrusted the building of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Library to a company of them and in 1471 approved the establishment of a lay confraternity of Lombard expatriates, giving them the parish church of San Nicola de Tufis in Campo Marzio, which was initially restored. In 1612, the confraternity began the construction of a much larger church, jointly dedicated to St Ambrose and St Charles Borromeo, who had recently been canonized.
Next was a visit to the Church of Gesù and Maria al Corso
The church of Gesù e Maria al Corso ( Jesus and Mary of the Corso in French) is located on Via del Corso , near People’s Square . Its official name is Santissimi nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata (Holy names of Jesus and Mary on the Via Lata).
On its grounds stood at the beginning of the 17th century a villa of Antonio Orsini, nephew of Cardinal Flavio Orsini . It was bought by the Augustinians in 1615 to build their new headquarters in the city and the seminarian school.
Our walk then took us to the Twin Churches.
In Piazza di Popolo, two identical churches stand beside each other. The Santa Maria dei Mircoli and the Santa Maria in Montesanto are known as the Twin Churches because of its identical exterior structure. However, if one looks closely and compare both churches technically one will see that there are some slight differences.
Santa Maria in Montesanto
The Santa Maria in Montesanto was the first that was constructed in 1662 and it was completed in 1675. Carmelite monks occupied a church with the same name that is located at the Via del Babuino, which is just near this church. Hence, the church was named Montesanto (Holy Mountain) which refers to the Mt. Carmel in Israel.
Bernini took over the design and construction of the church and eventually completed by Carlo Fontana. The bell tower was added at a later date during the 18th century.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Santa Maria dei Miracoli was constructed afterwards from 1675 to 1681. The interior decorations were actually made by Bernini’s pupil whose name is Antonio Raggi. At the high altar is an image of the Virgin Mary and hence the church was named and dedicated to the Blessed Mother of God.
We decided to reboard the bus and head to the Vatican. Unfortunately, just as we arrived, the rain started up again, so we stayed on.
Later we returned to our hotel area, catching a bite at Unik restaurant (V. della Croce, 18,).
We were drained by them and hit the bed early.
Rome, Tuesday, Sept 9, 2025
Today we flew to Rome for a five-day visit with Stacey and Joe. We took the train and tram to the airport.
We flew via EasyJet (35 eu each), leaving at 12:20 and arriving at Rome Airport at 13:35, and took a taxi (55 eu) to the hotel Residenza Canova Tadolini, (Via del Babuino, 151)
We walked a few blocks from our hotel and caught lunch at Dilla (via Mario di Fiori, 41), which was less than spectacular. Rebecca was disappointed with her carbonara.
From there, we proceeded to the Pantheon, one of my favorite places in Rome.
The Pantheon was built around 27 BC by Agrippa , a Roman general and politician, under Augustus, the first Roman emperor. It was constructed of stone, bricks, and mortar.
This temple is dedicated to all the Gods regardless of their origin, and to Mars and Venus in particular. The meaning of the word “Pantheon” comes from this: “pan” means “all” and “theos” means “gods”.
The Pantheon burned down during the Great Fire of Rome in 80 AD. It was later rebuilt between 118 and 125 AD under Emperor Hadrian. It’s a true architectural feat!
In 609, the Pantheon became a Christian church after being donated to Pope Boniface IV. It also served as a mausoleum for several Italian kings, such as Victor Emmanuel II, and other great figures of the nation, such as the painter Raphael.
What most characterizes the Pantheon is its dome , which symbolizes the celestial vault. It is also said to represent Rome’s power over the world. With a diameter of 43 meters, it was for a long time the largest dome in the world. In the center is an oculus with a diameter of 9 meters. This round opening always remains open and lets in light and… rain. To allow the rain to drain away, the floor of the room is curved and is pierced with 22 holes to easily drain the perimeter.
Our walk continued.
Later, we proceeded to explore Rome and ended up at Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps) in the evening, which is a short walk from our hotel
The ‘Spanish steps’ in Rome, built in Rococo style between 1723 and 1726, are the steps that lead from the Piazza di Spagna square to the French monastery church Trinita dei Monti (built between 1502–1587). There are 135 steps and three different terraces, referring to the Holy Trinity (the Trinità). The top of the stairs near the Egyptian obelisk offers a beautiful view, albeit one shared with throngs of other tourists.
The name can be a bit confusing, as construction of the steps was actually commissioned by the French (Louis XII). In the 17th century, the Spanish embassy was located on the square – ‘Piazza di Spagna’ – at the base of the stairs, hence the name ‘Spanish Steps’. The official name is therefore not Spanish steps, but Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti
St Tropez, Sunday, Sept 7, 2025
We took the boat (1H/15H) along the coast to St Tropez for a day trip, 67 eu round trip.
We caught lunch and visited the fort at the top of the hill.
We returned to Cannes for dinner on the terrace and were treated to a lunar eclipse.
Cannes, Saturday, Sept 6, 2025
Rebecca’s sister and her husband joined us for a week’s visit. They arrived from Nashville, and we met them at Nice airport. We then took the Tram and train home.
Later, we enjoyed lunch downtown at Le Grain de Sel (the Grain of Salt/25 Rue Hoche, Cannes) restaurant and walked around the town for a while.
We spent the evening on our terrace enjoying dinner and the sunset. After sunset, there were fireworks.
Cannes, Sunday, August 24th, 2025
Happy Cannes Liberation Day
On August 24, on the occasion of the celebration of the anniversary of its liberation by allied forces on August 24, 1944, the City of Cannes commemorated this day in honor of fallen Americans and French. In the morning, Mr Bernard Brochand, Mayor of Cannes, and many personalities placed strays of flowers at the Francis Tonner and Henry Borgia stele, in Cannes-La Bocca, first part of the city to be liberated by Allied forces. For this commemorative day, many military vehicles from the time of the Second World War were faithful to the appointment, such as tanks, jeeps, trucks and other vehicles from the group “Historical Vehicles”
That evening, we hosted some friends for the final Fireworks competition.
Switzerland August 10-20
Visit here for our Swiss trip
Cannes, Thursday, August 7th, 2025
Bruce and Sheila came to town to visit. The plan was to take the boat to St. Tropez for the day. At the dock, we discovered that the tickets sell out a day or so in advance. We went to Plan B and just enjoyed the day in Cannes after having lunch together.
Cannes, Thursday, August 7th, 2025
The rich kids from all over Europe converge on Cannes for an annual music festival – Les Plages Électroniques.
Les Plages Électroniques in Cannes, one of the biggest European beach parties,
Les Plages Electroniques attracts festival-goers from all over the world, who come to dance on the most beautiful beach on the Croisette and on the roof of the Palais des Festivals!
Many of the Middle Eastern guys ship their expensive cars to town for the week.
Cannes, Tuesday, August 5th, 2025
Tonight we hosted a fireworks party for the folks who live in our building. It was nice getting them together and having a chance to socialize.
Cagnes-sur-mer, Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
We visited Cages-sur-mer to have lunch (Gigalon) on the sea with some new friends, Arlyn and Nyan, originally from Colorado. They are frequent travelers and post videos of their adventures. They took us on a walking tour of Cagnes-sur-mer.
Cannes, Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
We had lunch with two friends, Nino and Sylvie, at a seaside restaurant they then invited us over to their terrace afterwards.
Later that evening were more Cannes fireworks.
Cannes, Friday, July 18th, 2025
We attended an American Club cocktail party on the beach in Cannes.
Cannes, Thursday, July 17th, 2025
Today we were invited over to the home of two new friends, Arjan and Florence, whom we met via the Americans Club. We were joined by their friend Jenny.
It was a delightful evening.
Cannes, Monday, July 14th, 2025
Happy Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)
The Bastille is a medieval fortress and prison in Paris. Many people in France associated it with the harsh rule of the Bourbon monarchy in the late 1700s. On July 14, 1789, troops stormed the Bastille. This was a pivotal event at the beginning of the French Revolution. Fête de la Fédération was held on July 14, 1790. This was a way to celebrate the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in France.
Official celebrations were held in Paris on June 30, 1878, to honor the Republic of France. On July 14, 1879, more official celebrations were held. These included a military review in Longchamp near Paris and celebrations all over the country. A politician named Benjamin Raspail proposed that July 14 should become a holiday in France in 1880. The law was enacted on July 6, 1880. Bastille Day was a public holiday for the first time on July 14, 1880.
We were treated to some nice fireworks as part of the Cannes Pyrotechnic Art Festival (World Fireworks competition). Tonight, Spain was featured.
Cannes, Thursday, July 10th, 2025
We had lunch with Mark and Terry, two new friends we met weeks earlier as we were getting Rebecca’s Visa renewed. We took them on a walking tour of Cannes.
Antibes, Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
We took an afternoon train to Antibes for a Democrats Abroad meeting. While there, we scouted out the town a bit.
Cannes, Monday, July 7th, 2025
Today was another 3-month check-up at the Cannes hospital regarding my leg.
The X-rays show it is healing as expected and no problems. I will continue with my regular physical therapy (Kine)
Aix-en-Provence Sunday, July 6th, 2025
Rebecca and I headed out from Aix to shoot the sunflower and lavender fields (photography not revenge). The countryside was beautiful.
Our travels took us to Manosque, where we stopped for lunch and explored the walled city and had lunch. This city has benefited greatly from being near the Cadarache Atomic Research Centre (CEA).
The train return was a bit of an adventure. Our original train was to leave Aix around 8 PM to arrive in Cannes at 10:00 PM. Fortunately, we were able to catch a 6 PM train, which should have returned us two hours earlier.
Well, somewhere between our connection in Marseille and Cannes, the train stopped for signal problems. After a significant delay, we were going again and arrived at 10 PM, our original scheduled time. The good news was that had we stuck with our original train, we probably would have arrived two hours later at midnight as all trains were impacted by the problem.
Aix-en-Provence Saturday, July 5th, 2025
This was a getaway weekend to visit our friends in Aix-en-Provence. We took an early train to catch the morning market day in Aix.
We visited their local fair and then attended an evening light show at the Aix Cathedral.
Cannes, Monday, June 30th, 2025
Part Eight – Our Origin Story
This adventure actually began on a cold, overcast day in February 2019.
Rebecca had been suggesting that we consider moving to Europe for about a year.. Finally, on that day, she showed me some budget numbers to demonstrate that we could live abroad on a reasonable budget. I was sold.
We began with a few exploration trips to Portugal (2 weeks /Spring 2019) and Spain (3 weeks/Fall 2019) to get a sense of living overseas and to test a few country options.
Then COVID hit in March 2020. After a few months of lockdown, we left for Mexico in December 2020. What was supposed to be a few weeks became a few months in Mexico, specifically Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de Allende, in 2020 and 2021.
After that experience, we knew that living abroad was something we could commit to.
Once we returned home to Chicago in Spring 2021, it was full steam ahead. We decided to settle in France due to Rebecca’s basic understanding of French and the country’s general appeal.
In preparation, we made some improvements to Rebecca’s condo and listed it later that year. We sold off all our stuff. Applied for a French visa and booked our flights and a few months of Airbnb.
Finally, on August 27, 2021, we packed up three bags each with all our stuff and flew to Paris for the weekend, and then flew to our first French city, Montpellier.
Next was a month in Aix-en-Provence followed by a month in Paris, and a month in Nice. After that, we needed a bit of a winter break, so we headed off in January for two months in Torremolinos, Spain for the winter.
We returned to Nice for two months and then to Bordeaux for a month.
For a change of scenery and another break, we spent August 2022 in Florence, and then September in Venice for Rebecca’s birthday.
Getting back on the hunt we booked a month in Nice but bailed after one night due to a bad Airbnb, we headed to Cannes for three months. It was then that we decided that Cannes was our place.
We celebrated with a week in Paris at Christmas 2022, and two months in Torremolinos, Spain for the 2023 winter.
We have been in Cannes since late November 2023, staying at an Airbnb.
The trick now was to find a permanent place.
Finding a great place in Cannes was not easy. Each real estate office has its own book of places, and they don’t share among offices. Complicating that, the frequent Conferences in Cannes meant that at certain times of the year, the daily rated skyrocketed.
We decided to seek a long-term unfurnished lease, which guaranteed us a 3-year contract.
Fortunately, we chanced across a great one-bedroom place with a great terrace and view. We jumped on it. We moved in April 2023.
Our lease is somewhat unusual. The owner is an investor who bought the unit in viager which means the owner maintains the right to live there until he passes away. He is in his 80s in an assisted living facility.
In our case, we rent from the original owner’s granddaughter. This was done with the permission of the investor who holds the title.
Our lease will automatically renew after three years unless we are given 6 months’ notice of non-renewal.
We are enjoying our place to the fullest and consider any time beyond the original 3 years to be a gift.
Our day-to-day story is chronicled in these Chapters.
Cannes, Sunday, June 29th, 2025
Part Seven – Our Digs
A big part of happiness is enjoying one’s home environment. Honestly, we hit the jackpot with our current place.
Finding a place to live in Cannes is a real challenge. Due to the many conferences in town, many rentals are seasonal with rates jacked up during the key conference times like the Film Festival and Cannes Lions, where as many as 40,000 visitors come to town. Rates can be so high that the rentals produce the majority of their income during those few weeks.
The alternative to seasonals are unfurnished rentals, with leases typically running 3 years. They have more reasonable monthly rates but require the renter to furnish all furniture and sometimes complete kitchens with appliances.
It should be noted that to rent in France, one has to purchase a rental payment guarantee insurance policy. This guarantees that the rent will be paid if the renter skips. Without this, most real estate agents will not show a single apartment as the owners demand it. In France, it is hard to evict a person once in an apartment.
We worked hard for several months, visiting many real estate offices. Finally, in April 2023, we found our current apartment. It had been vacant for a year. The patio was in bad shape with dead bushes and rusted railings, and it seemed a bit small at first glance.
But it did offer a spectacular view and had a very modern, open layout. We jumped on it.
Before we bought our furniture, I looked up the dimensions of various options and made life-size paper profiles for the floor. I laid them out on the empty floor to check out the spacing. Our agent told me that this was a first for him.
We had about a week’s overlap between our current lease and the new one. We ordered our furniture from IKEA and had it delivered that week. Ninety-three boxes came in one day, and I spent the entire week assembling everything. The bed, along with drawers and bookcase, took a full day of work by itself.
The patio was its own challenge.
There I was faced with 12 large planters with dead bushes and neglected railings that were peeling. I bought a chainsaw and cut up the solid dirt to remove the dead plants/roots and restore the dirt to a usable state. One per day on average. Hard labor, but worth it.
Next, I had to wire brush the railings, prime and paint them with outdoor enamel, and their bases. This was another ten days of hard labor.
But in the end, the results were well worth it. We appreciate our good fortune every day.
Cannes, Saturday, June 28th, 2025
Part Six – The Challenges
As one might expect, living in a foreign country is not without its challenges.
The first challenge that comes to mind is being physically far from friends and family. Zoom helps, but it is not the same as being there.
Another thing is language. Although many people here do speak or understand English, there is often a challenge presented by my lack of French. Rebecca has been diligent about relearning French, which helps a lot.
Food Shopping can be especially challenging as products are not always what they appear to be on the label. We dismiss errors in purchasing as “the French tax”.
Bureaucracy is legendary here in France and requires patience and perseverance. For example, it took Rebecca an additional 6 months to renew her visa. We sent in the same paperwork at the same time. Mine was quickly approved but hers hit the wrong person and took forever.
Website in France ofter suck. I see no evidence of user testing. Dead links or circular references are very common. Sometimes the site breaks if a person is using a translation plugin on a browser.
Finally, finding suitable housing was a challenge. The real estate offices are all independent, and they don’t have a multiple listing system that works well. One must go to many offices to find out what is available. It took us months to find our current place, but in our case, it was well worth it. (More on that in a later posting)
Cannes, Friday, June 27th, 2025
Part Five – The People
I asked a Brit expat who has lived in France for a long time to offer her observations on this topic.. This included her input. (Thanks, Michelle)
This post reflects our observations while living in a large metro area. I suspect that the experiences would be rather different in a smaller village.
The French are a bit reserved in making new friends, but once you connect, they can be very warm. This is sometimes misconstrued as being aloof, which is not the case.
Often, friendships are based on childhood/ school friends and extended family members. Work acquaintances may get together after work, but seldom are merged with friends and family on weekend get-togethers.
We have found the French to be very considerate of others. When encountering a person, the first thing one does is to acknowledge them with a “Bonjour”. Failing to do so is considered very rude. For example, when riding the bus, one greets the driver with a “Bonjour” and when leaving, offers a “Merci” or “bonne journée” (have a good day) as you exit the rear door.
In a store, one must be prepared to wait if the clerk is with another customer. Interrupting with “I have a quick question” does not go over well.
In a grocery store, it is not uncommon for a person to begin checkout and then discover they forgot something. They then leave everything, walk back, pick up an additional item or two, and then finish checkout as everyone else waits. There is no sense of urgency when shopping.
I have heard that in a smaller shop, it is considered their domain in which you are a visitor. Respect their things. Also, one should ask permission to take photos in a store, they almost always say Oui, but it is impolite not to ask first.
Many businesses close for employees’ lunch. The post office, hardware stores, and others are often closed between 12:30 and 2:00 PM as the employees enjoy a lunch break.
In Cannes, it is not too difficult to get around without speaking French. Many locals speak English, although they often say they speak “a little bit of English”. They frequently understand English better than they are comfortable speaking it.
Interestingly, many French speakers have told Rebecca that her American accent in French is very appealing.
It does take a while to meet new people, including expats. There are several groups specifically set up for English speakers to meet up.
The expat communities, for the most part, are comprised of very interesting people, many having lived in other parts of the world.
We have met people through many different situations. We met our good friends from Nice at a French class outing. I met a nice couple from Boston who have a place here at a local bus stop on my way to Ikea. One of our longest friendships was launched in Aix at a MeetUp. One never knows.
Cannes, Thursday, June 26th, 2025
Part Four – Cost of Living
Honestly, when Rebecca finally showed me some comparable costs for living in France, that was what closed the deal.
We find that living here is actually less expensive than living in Chicago, especially when one factors in the cost of health care.
We can’t compare the cost of food to the US as we all have different eating habits. But it seems here that food costs are modest. Twenty eggs cost about €5.50. A liter of soy milk runs about €1.20, and chicken costs about € 5.00/lb. And the food has fewer additives.
Other services like cell/TV are very competitive and run about €50/month combined. Of course, as we noted, health care costs are much lower.
Lately, with the dollar declining in value against the Euro, our costs have gone up a bit. At one point, the dollar was slightly more valuable than a Euro. Now the dollar is about 15% less.
Here is a rough breakdown of our monthly budget.
Of course, rent, food, travel and eating out all have a big impact on final costs.
Cannes, Wednesday, June 25th, 2025
Part Three – Health Care
France has excellent health care, and the cost is modest
Health Care begins with getting a Carte Vitale, a national health card.
One can apply for one after being in France for three months. The Carte Vitale covers about 80% of health expenses in general. This is funded by French taxes. The Carte Vitale is also used at the pharmacy when buying a prescription. They are also very affordable.
Many people also purchase fill-in health insurance called a mutuelle. This covers much of the remaining 20%. France does not allow for exclusion due to preexisting conditions. My mutuelle costs about €150/mo.
Our doctor is great. We typically have about a week and a half wait for an appointment, and we can book him online for either an in-office visit or a video consultation. Our out-of-pocket for a doctor visit is €8.
We have found that the doctors, especially the specialists, have the latest technical equipment.
The most visible difference with French doctors was the basic waiting rooms. Our GP shares a waiting room with several doctors. It consists of a dozen basic chairs. When our appointment is ready, he comes to get us. After the appointment, he pulls out the credit card machine and bills us. He doesn’t need to hire people to fight with insurance companies to get paid.
Here is my recent experience with the French system.
On March 1st I tripped on the curb and broke my leg (Femur). The ambulance came quickly, and I was driven to the local hospital. I was quickly admitted, and within an hour or so, I was in the operating room having my leg repaired with a metal rod and a few screws.
I spent two weeks in the Cannes hospital and 2 weeks at a rehab hospital. My total out-of-pocket cost was only a few hundred euros.
Cannes, Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
Part Two – Travel
Cannes is located on the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera), about 20 miles (30 KM) west of Nice and about 50 Miles (80 K) from Italy.
Around town, the buses are clean and prompt. It costs €1.80 for a bus ride, but with my senior pass, my cost is €1.20
The trains are also great, local, Regional and high-speed TGV. Fares are modest. One can purchase a ticket via the phone app.
Here are some examples of train fares (add about 15% to convert € to USD)
Cannes to Nice €10 0H/36M
Cannes to Monte Carlo €12.30 1H/4M
Cannes to Paris €67 / 5H/20M
Cannes to London €245 9H/0M
Cannes to Ventimiglia, Italy €13.6 1H/18M
You could also take a helicopter from Nice to Cannes for €195
Nice has a great airport. The train to Nice Airport costs about (including Nice tram) €10.00 and takes 0H/30M
Airfares are very competitive.
Here are some examples for travel a month out.
Nice to Paris €40
Nice to London €25
Nice to Rome €78
Note, it is sometimes less expensive to fly to Paris than to take the train. But we prefer the train as it is earlier.
We leave from Cannes station (an easy walk from home) rather than the Nice airport and can arrive at the train station a few minutes before departure rather than take a train to Nice and a tram to arrive a few hours before the flight. There are also fewer restrictions on luggage via the train.
Cannes, Monday, June 23rd, 2025
Part One – Introduction / Weather
Over the next few days, I will post a few observations regarding living in France.
Spoiler alert – It was a challenge at times, but overall it has been much better than our expectations.
Imagine waking up each day to beautiful sunny skies, warm temperatures, living at a cost lower than Chicago, with great and affordable health care, access to inexpensive European travel and food generally free of excess chemicals and hormones all without any concern of being robbed by a teenager with a gun.
Today, let’s look at the Cannes Weather.
Monthly temperatures
Temperatures are typically above 20°C (68°F) on the Côte d’Azur and in the warmest summer months of July and August the average maximum temperature is about 27°C (81°F). The highest recorded temperature of 37.7°C (99°F) was seen back in August 2006.
In autumn, temperatures can remain around the 20°C mark and then drop off in November to around 17°C (63°F). The climate in winter is still considered mild during the day, typically between 11 (52°F) and 17°C (63°F) (but dropping at night to anywhere from 4 to 9°C. (40F-48F)
Spring generally starts in late March with mild and rainy weather and increasing temperatures, becoming sunny and warm again in June.
Sunshine hours
The hours of sunshine vary greatly throughout the year but are naturally high throughout the summer months. Averaging between 10 and 15 hours a day in June, July and August, compared to five hours a day in December and January.
Rainfall
To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Cannes experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.
Rain falls throughout the year in Cannes. The month with the most rain in Cannes is October, with an average rainfall of 3.2 inches.
The month with the least rain in Cannes is July, with an average rainfall of 0.4 inches.
Cannes, Monday, June 16th, 2025
Today begins the Annual Cannes Lions, June 16-20, celebrating creativity. It is one of the largest Cannes conferences of the year
- What it is: It’s the largest gathering of the creative marketing community, bringing together professionals from advertising, marketing, brands, and businesses.
- Purpose: The festival celebrates creativity, effectiveness, and innovation in the advertising, marketing, and communication industries, honoring the best work with the prestigious “Lions” awards.
- Location: The event takes place primarily at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, along the French Riviera.
- Attendees: Around 15,000 registered delegates from around the world attend the festival, including creatives, marketers, brands, and agencies.
- Activities: The festival features a week of activities, including:
- Awards Ceremonies: The main focus is awarding the Lions trophies for creative excellence in various categories.
- Conferences and Sessions: Thought leaders and industry experts share insights on trends and industry issues.
- Networking Events: There are numerous opportunities for professionals to connect and build relationships, including parties, dinners, and events hosted by agencies and brands.
- Young Lions Competitions: This platform allows young advertising professionals (under 30) to showcase their skills in various categories.
Cannes, Sunday, June 15th, 2025
Beverly Hills, CA, Wednesday, June 11th, 2025
Goodbye, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Rest in Peace.
Brian Wilson, the visionary leader of The Beach Boys, passed away at the age of 82. He was a highly influential figure in music, known for his innovative songwriting, complex arrangements, and pioneering use of studio techniques. His life was marked by both immense success and significant personal struggles, including mental health challenges
Beach Boys albums
- 1962: Surfin’ Safari.
- 1963: Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe.
- 1964: Shut Down Vol. 2, All Summer Long.
- 1965: The Beach Boys Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).
- 1966: Pet Sounds.
- 1967: Smiley Smile.
- 1967-1969: Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20.
- 1970-1973: Sunflower, Surf’s Up, Carl and the Passions – “So Tough”, Holland.
In my room, actually in my Dorm.
Cannes, Monday, June 9th, 2025
Happy Whit Monday, a holiday in France.
Whit Monday is celebrated every year 50 days after Easter. An “optional” holiday in the French calendar, we explain the origin and history of this religious feast, which falls this year on June 9, 2025.
Labor Day, May 8 commemorations and AscensionDay… Every year in May, there are a number of public holidays to keep many French people happy. But don’t forget Pentecost either. Celebrated by Christians 50 days after Easter, this religious holiday commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit among the apostles. This year, Pentecost Monday falls on June 9, 2025.
As with Easter, Pentecost is celebrated on a Sunday and continues on the following day, and has been since the 4th century. The law of March 8 , 1886 officially declared Whit Monday a public holiday.
But things have changed since then. In the wake of the 2003 heatwave, which claimed over 15,000 lives in France, Jean-Pierre Raffarin’s government decided to abolish the public holiday status of the day. The minister thus transformed Whit Monday into a day of solidarity“in favor of the autonomy of the elderly or disabled“. The consequence? Whit Monday remainsa “public holiday but not a day off“. In concrete terms, employees work on this day, but are not paid.
Then, in 2008, another change. Whit Monday became a public holiday again. The government then gave employers the choice of cancelling a day off or offering the day to their employees. In France, around a third of employees work on Whit Monday.
Cannes, Thursday, June 5th, 2025
I asked Chat GPT to render an image of myself into the style of Mucha. Here is the response.
Cannes, Wednesday, June 4th, 2025
Tonight we hosted some new friends whom we met through the American Club. He (Arjan) is Dutch and she (Florence) is French. They live in Cannes, which is convenient. They brought their pooch to the party. It was an enjoyable evening.
Nice, Monday, June 2nd, 2025
We headed to the Nice Prefecture to pick up Rebecca’s new visa card. We had to navigate some serious French bureaucracy to finalize this process.
We missed the train by minutes, so we took an Uber to Nice. The driver claimed that there was a problem with the highway and took an alternate route, which added $20 to the fare. We didn’t realize the markup until we got the receipt.
By the time we arrived, the line had grown long.
While standing in line, we met some nice folks who moved to Nice from Atlanta and had an extended conversation while we waited.
After returning by train, we caught lunch at a local restaurant and struck up a conversation with a lady from Lake Como who lives in San Francisco. Cannes is only a 4-hour drive from Lake Como, and she visits Cannes regularly.
One of the nice features of living in Europe is that one gets to meet some interesting people with worldwide experiences.
Cannes, Sunday, June 1st, 2025
We hosted our Nice friends on our terrace today. Veronika and Mark brought some beautiful flowers and Sheila and Bruce brought some artistic and exceptional desserts. We always enjoy their company.
Villeneuve-Loubet, Thursday, May 29th, 2025
Today, we took the train to Villeneuve-Loubet, a short hop, to have lunch along the waterfront with our friend Auricia. She is a delight.
After lunch, we took a walk around the harbor and headed home.
Cannes, Sunday, May 25th, 2025
Now that the Film Festival is over, workers are busy taking down the temporary work.
I also walked around town snapping a few shots
Cannes, Saturday, May 24th 2025
I noticed that the clock next to our TV was dark. Then I heard someone knocking on our door. It was our neighbor who told us that the power was out in the building. Also, our WiFi was out, and cellphone coverage was spotty.
I used my iPhone to create a hotspot and search the internet for information. It turns out the power was out to the entire area, which seems an act of sabotage to interrupt the last day of the Film Festival.
I went downtown and noted that many businesses were cash only as their equipment was not working. Some were just closed. Everyone was calm. The power was restored a few hours later.
Later that evening, Rebecca and I hosted some new friends from her book club. Marie Christine and Helmut were a delightful couple. Rebecca put together a very nice spread. It was a pleasant evening.
Cannes, Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
I had an appointment with one of my doctors today.
My general practitioner wrote me a voucher for a taxi ride to the doctor’s office in the rehab hospital. I had booked the ride several days in advance. After the driver didn’t show, I called an Uber and arrived 45 minutes late. The doctor, fortunately, accommodated me.
The doctor was great and gave me a clean bill of health.
Leaving the office, I hobbled to the bus station, arriving just as the bus pulled away, leaving without me. As I watched it leave the stop, I heard a driver behind the bus frantically honking the horn. Looking over, she opened her passenger door and told me to get in. We raced to get ahead of the bus, and I got out in time to board the bus. It was an unexpected taste of French kindness.
Cannes, Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
Another red sunset tonight.
Cannes, Wednesday, May 21st, 2025
A few more shots from the Cannes Film Festival.
There are always models posing on the steps at the Carlton for anyone to take their photos. Also, a few hot cars tooling around town for attention.
Cannes, Sunday, May 18th, 2025
Michelle, our friend from Aix visited us. Unfortunately, her husband, Andy, is on medical leave and could not join us.
Cannes, Friday, May 16th, 2025
We attended the American Club lunch at the Cannes Yacht Club. The speaker was Sam Pressman from Pressman Films. We reconnected with several of our AC friends.
Later that day I attended a press briefing for a new film under development – Vampyre. I met the producer, writer, and one of the actors.
Cannes, Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
More activity at the festival.
Cannes, Monday, May 12th, 2025
Cannes is getting ready for the Annual Cannes Film Festival, which begins tomorrow. There are many pop-up builders and toerh outside exhibits being constructed.
The full moon this evening was spectacular.
Monaco, Sunday, May 11th, 2025
We took the train to Monaco with our friends from Nice to have lunch with some friends from San Fransico who were in Monte Carlo on a cruise. The train ride along the coast is beautiful as it is the Monaco train station itself..
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We met them two years ago when they rented an apartment below us in Cannes and stayed in touch.
Cannes, Thursday, May 8th, 2025
Today is Victory in Europe Day (Fête de la Victoire), a national holiday in France
I used the day to add curtains to the gazebo tent and begin refinishing our patio chairs, which were showing the effects of two years outdoors.
Cannes, Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
Our beloved raspberry plants are being infested.
Rebecca walked over to the local plant lady and bought some spray to address the problem. She also scores a few cherry tomato plants and a few other flowers to even out our patio planters.
I had another visit to my Kine (Physical therapist) for a workout to address flexibility.
Cannes, Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
Ikea delivered our new gazabo tent today and Rebecca and I assembled it. It provides significantly more shade, allowing us to sit and read during the intense daylight sun.
There is one rub, however. We also ordered side curtains, which will offer even more shade when the sun is low. After assembling the tent, we discovered that there is a process that allows the curtains to be attached that was not noted in the instructions. We now have to disassemble part of the frame to attach the sliders for the curtain. It will be a Thursday project during the VE Day holiday when many stores are closed,
Cannes, Monday, May 5th, 2025
Today was my check-in with my doctor at the Cannes Hospital. We met after a set of X-rays were taken.
He reported that the bone was healing well and scheduled a return visit in two months.
Cannes, Sunday, May 4th, 2025
Today was an overcast and rainy day, so we worked on some vacation plans. Rebecca toiled all day on options.
We booked our Amalfi trip for late September and early October.
We begin in Naples, then do a base in Sorrento, spend a few days in Anacapri (for Rebecca’s birthday) and finally return to Naples for our flight home.
Our original Amalfi trip was canceled due to my broken leg. We would have been returning tomorrow from it.
Cannes, Friday, May 2nd, 2025
Preparations are underway for the Cannes Film Festival, which opens on May 13. Posters and signs are all over town.
Many temporary tents are being built on the breach, as well as a television studio next to the exhibition hall.
We also noticed the annual migrations of yachts beginning to accumulate in the waters offshore. Cannes expects 60,000 people to attend.
Cannes, Thursday, May 1st, 2025
Happy May Day, a national holiday in France.
May in France has several national holidays, of which May 1 is the first.
Next is Victory in Europe Day (Fête de la Victoire) on May 8, and Ascension Day (Jour de l’Ascension) on May 29. They are all on a Thursday this year with makes for long French holiday weekends