23rd-chapter-Summer-2025


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.

French families often do a “cousinade” where all extended family members get together for a weekend every couple of years. We would call this a family reunion in the US.
Fun Fact–  When you say « cheers! » in France, you HAVE TO look people in the eye.

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. 
In short, Cannes Lions is the premier global event for the advertising and creative communications industry, celebrating the best work, fostering connections, and discussing industry trends.

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.

I have a little personal Beach Boys story.
When I was President of my dorm floor at Central Michigan University in the early 70’s, I received a call late on Saturday morning from our Head Resident asking me to escort two visitors to our food commons.
I went to the front desk and picked up two dudes, and took them to the cafeteria. It turns out that the head of the food commons was the aunt of one of them.
The two guys were Mike Love and Al Jardine from The Beach Boys, who were playing a concert that night at CMU.
I was totally caught off guard, and I’m sure that I asked some very dumb questions as we had lunch together in the dorm, waiting for Al’s aunt to be free.
And that was the day I had lunch with two of the Beach Boys in my dorm food commons.

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 DayMay 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..

.

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