34th Chapter – Cannes Fall 2026

Cannes/ Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026

Election Day in USA

Cannes/ Sunday, November 1st, 2026

Today is a French holiday – All Saints’ Day.

Rebecca is closely tracking the midterm elections. She sees hope on the horizon. I don’t think she will sleep well on Tuesday, election night. Keep in mind that we are 6 hours ahead of New York, so the result will come in late here.

Cannes/ Saturday, October 31st, 2026

Happy Halloween

In France, you are likely to hear young voices call out ‘des bonbons ou un sort’ (literally: sweets or a spell) – the equivalent to ‘trick or treat’ in France.

Weather

The weather here is cooling off and becoming more fall-like. Here is the forecast for the next 10 days. A big difference is the spread between the highs and lows. As usual there seems to be a bigger difference between the temps in the sun and shade.

Cannes/ Friday, October 30th, 2026

Rebecca received notice that her VLS-TS residence card was ready for pickup at the CPAM in Nice, so we grabbed an early train to get in line at 8:30 AM.

We stood in line for about an hour until a security guard signaled us out as old people and took us to the front of the line. Finally, my grey hair paid off.

After retrieving the card (and paying 250 eu), we visited a language school in Nice that Rebecca is considering attending for immersive classes.

After that visit, we took the tram to the city to meet up with our nice friends for lunch (Bruce, Sheila and Veronica) and a walk around town.

It was great seeing them again.

Cannes/ Wednesday, October 28th, 2026

Rebecca hosted her book club today. Even the French attendees said it was well done, with her selection of cheeses and other treats.

Cannes/ Tuesday, October 27th, 2026

I have been awaiting the restoration of my French health card as it was suspended due to an administrative error. I called the hotline today and was told it has been renewed. Finally. I sent the paperwork in on August 6th.

Cannes/ Thursday, October 22nd, 2026

With the riots in France and other European cities, Cannes is preparing for the worst. These are for protection. Fortunately, we have been spared the violence.

Cannes/ Thursday, October 22nd, 2026

I have been working on my focaccia and finally found a recipe that seems to work well.

La Dolceacqua, Italy/ Friday, October 16th, 2026

Our friend Andy from Aix was in town after driving his wife to the Nice airport, so we took a car trip to La Dolceacqua, Italy (1H/09M). The drive took us through several mountain tunnels.

Located in the stunning Ligurian Alps region of inland Italy, Dolceacqua is the largest village in the Nervia Valley. It was once the stronghold of the powerful Genoese Doria family. The two square towers of their former (now ruined) castle overlook the houses built on either side of the river and are linked by a very elegant medieval stone bridge.

With its cobbled streets, shaded arcades, and stone facades with colorful shutters, Dolceacqua exudes a timeless atmosphere, making it an essential stop for lovers of picturesque villages and history. Dolceacqua is a treasure trove of history, charm, and typical Ligurian flavors.

Monet’s painting of the bridge

We enjoyed exploring the village and catching lunch at Il Borgo

After that, we stopped in at Sanremo to visit the factory that makes Rebecca’s favorite coffee and stocked up.

Cannes/ Thursday, October 15th, 2026

The crescent moon setting over the mountains was rather stunning tonight.

Cannes/ Sunday, October 11th, 2026

We took a boat to a nearby island (Saint Honorat) to explore with our friends Helmut and Marie Christine. They have newly refurbished the 11th-century tower-monastery of Lérins Abbey, which recently opened to the public.

Saint-Honorat Island has several monuments listed as historical heritage sites.

The fortified monastery or Monastery Tower:

The Monastery Tower was built in three parts over more than three centuries. It comprises numerous rooms including its cloisters and chapels.

In the 14th century, this fortress became the central hub of monastic life, as evidenced by the transfer of the relics of St. Honorat to the Chapel of the Holy Cross in 1391. In the following century, a first cloister was built around this same tower, then a second in 1477. Thus, by the end of the 15th century, the monumental center of the abbey complex had shifted to this Monastery Tower. From the 17th century onward, the upper floors were reserved for soldiers sent to defend the coast on the king’s orders: a garrison hall, bedrooms, and terraces with a sentry walk.

Saint-Honorat Island has seven chapels, the best known of which is the Trinity Chapel at the eastern tip of the island.

The island of Saint-Honorat boasts two of the last remaining Napoleonic cannonball furnaces . Built in 1794 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte, they were used to heat cannonballs red-hot. They are located at the eastern and western ends of the island and have been listed as historical monuments since 1908.

Cannes/ Monday, October 5th, 2026

I was ambitious today and installed a ceiling fan in our bedroom.

Cannes/ Sunday, October 4th, 2026

We went downtown to catch a midday movie and saw the Invite . We had the theater to ourselves- a private showing

Cannes/ Saturday, October 3rd, 2026

Monaco/ Friday, October 2nd, 2026

As a prelude to Rebecca’s birthday tomorrow, we took the train (1H/5M) to Monte Carlo to visit the Exotic Garden and the caves in Monaco (la Grotte de l’Observatoire).

The earliest evidence of human presence at the Observatory site dates back to between 350,000 and 200,000 years ago, following the transition from an interglacial forest (Holsteinian) to a steppe-like environment (as indicated by studies of the microfauna). The earliest occupants—*Homo erectus*—hunted primarily red deer and ibex, utilizing large stone flakes and handaxes. A significant number of medium-sized, spherical pebbles have also been discovered.

Around 60,000 years ago, during a period of cold climate, Neanderthals sought shelter at the entrance of the cave. They left behind tools characteristic of their culture—such as points and scrapers—alongside the remains of ibex, red deer, reindeer, wild boar, horse, and various bovids. The presence of wolf, fox, dhole, bear, panther, and hyena remains suggests that the cave also served, at times, as a den for carnivores.

The view from the gardens was wonderful

After the cave tour we visited the casino and went to a favorite restaurant for lunch.

Saint-Laurent-Du-Var /Friday, September 25, 2026

We took the train to Saint-Laurent-du-Var to visit the Apple Store and arranged to meet up with Bruce and Sheila, our friends from nearby Nice.

My goal at the Apple Store was to buy an EU AppleCare warranty for my new iPhone. It is a bit tricky because I bought the phone in the US but want an EU warranty to cover it fully here. Previously, I had bought a US warranty for a French iPhone. It turns out nobody at the Apple store could figure out how to do it.

Next, I was concerned tht my new iPhone did not take photos as clear as my previous iPhone 13. It seems that the higher telephoto settings provide a photo of lower quality.

Not a great result on either front. I need to investigate both further.

However, we did have a chance to have a nice lunch with Sheila and Bruce, who met up with us at the store. We had lunch at the beach, so it was a great day.

After lunch, Rebecca and I took a bus to IKEA to try to get a refund on the skirt of our tent that has frayed significantly. NO luck, as the warranty is only for 1 year.

Cannes /Thursday, September 24, 2026

On Tuesday, we received a notice in our mailbox that the post office could not deliver a package because they needed a signature. They promised to try again on Wednesday.

I stayed home all day to receive the package. At the end of the day, we were notified that they couldn’t deliver it, but they would try again on Thursday.

I waited all morning until I received another note saying they couldn’t deliver it on Thursday either. No specific reason was given.

I took the notices to the post office to investigate.

It turns out the postman claimed he could not locate our building. This is the same building he delivered the notice to on Tuesday, requesting a signature. I asked the post office to hold my packages, and I will pick them up tomorrow.

Cannes / Wednesday, September 23, 2026

We joined the Cannes Senior Club for a boat outing to view the Cannes Regatta. It was quite a deal at 35 eu each for two hours on the water. Unfortunately, there was no wind today, so the race was cancelled. It was still a nice day.