Yes I Cannes

"I'm a Cannes boy!" Sennen said as we headed into the fromagerie. Throughout the day he kept saying how much he likes Cannes – from the beauty, to the walking lifestyle to the way people buy things from specialty shops. He's generally a quick study and Cannes is perfectly capable of making its own case. The Mediterranean, the culture, the food, the small pedestrian streets – I have always gravitated here because indeed, the lifestyle is so appealing.

"People here are so nice!" Sennen also observed.

That might be the most interesting observation. When I first came to Cannes in 2007, people were nice – much more so than Paris which, like every major city has less personal kindness amid the hustle and bustle of a dense population. But things have changed in Cannes – people are distinctly nicer. Even the Uber driver we had last night who learned about where we are from and told me the story of her family who migrated from Morocco before she was born and while her parents have returned, she is French and Cannes is her home. Many people have willingly spoken to us in very good English. On my first trip to France in 1993 and still in 2007 people would sooner have contracted small pox than initiate a conversation in English. 

"It's a different France today," the young man the gelato shop we peeked into simply to admire the amazing array of flavors told me, "Today all the young people speak English. And we use it too when we travel and learn. The world uses English, so we do too. Especially in Cannes where we get so many foreigners."

It's like he was saying what one would have expected at least Cannes to have figured out back in 2007. But the French kept the laws on yellow car headlights initiated during World War I into the 2000's and it took more than 80 years from the French Revolution to the stabilization of a lasting democracy in France. Embracing change – even when it makes sense – doesn't always come easily.

Friendliness and English are a lot like democracy – at least France got there. 

"Why are the buildings so tall? Cannes isn't that big. I was expecting houses," Sennen mused at a cafe. It's an interesting question given Cannes is not a large city and doesn't feel especially dense. Still, the central parts of town near the beach are only so big and in many ways the French Dream does not rely on a freestanding family home, but on having a nice domicile, on whatever floor it may exist. Location and the ability to walk are critical to lifestyle – and the French are very much about lifestyle.

Ailyn – who always watches astutely – had her own observations, often more focused on people's style and appearances. She noticed that casual in Cannes is like fancy at home. And even that can have an ostentatious flair – like the woman at the cafe where we had breakfast who wore a suit jacket but with a sparkling pair of black pants. Or the family that walked by wearing haute couture. Or the man wearing sneakers so vibrant they screamed. Or the man wearing incredibly form fitting clothes that stayed just slightly on this side of masculine. Cannes is a place where expression through appearance is a big thing and none of it is missed by Ailyn.

"I didn't think France looked like this," Ailyn said at one point. And at an another, "I didn't think I would like Cannes that much. But it's great! I love Cannes!"

What makes me happy is they seem to enjoy the simplicity of what Cannes is. The pedestrian shopping streets and the life happening in them seem to absorb the kids as much as anything. Thinking about the lifestyle and enjoying how it feels seems to work for them as much as me. 

Today we had trouble getting up and out so we had more of a brunch that breakfast at a nearby cafe on a prominent pedestrian street. Croissants, pain au chocolate, pots of chamomile, fresh squeezed orange juice – and all the people watching you can handle from a sidewalk cafe. We followed it with a stop at the pharmacy for pocket tissues and toothpaste, the bakery for a batard and the art supply store for colored pencils. After a quick stop into the apartment to drop things off, we proceeded with Ailyn's sketch pad and new colored pencils in tow to la rue Menyardier – my favorite pedestrian street where Ailyn had her nails manicured the same color as her beret. Sennen and I walked around, chatted and were inspired to have dinner in tonight – with items from the charcuterie and fromagerie. He's still a little tired between jet lag and getting over his cold.

After the manicure, we picked up the free boba Ailyn won in a drawing at the nail salon and then walked to the pier in the Old Marina to take a ferry to the Ile St Marguerite, the site of the now retired Fort France and one-time home (jail) to the real and actual Man in the Iron Mask.

Sennen was fascinated when he learned the MITIM had been imprisoned just off Cannes and wanted to see it. Ailyn could have had a V8, but agreed to go – hesitant because she gets seasick easily (which she didn't this time). 

Today the Ile St Marguerite is a national park with beautiful plane trees, lush foliage and of course the Fort de France museum with another MITIM museum within. Ailyn had great trepidation about visiting a prison – even one that held only political prisoners 400 years ago. Sennen had no problem walking into the prison, but somehow stepping fully into the MITIM's cell itself (which really was more of a large bedroom complete with fireplace) was not so comfortable – even with me leading the way and reading the museum plaques within. 

And there were the obvious, but pertinent questions, "Wasn't that really cruel to put an iron mask on him?", "Did he die young because of the iron mask?" and "Didn't people in the next cell have trouble sleeping because he made noise turning over in bed?"

I find the MITIM fascinating, but there's no need to reinvent the wheel. I blogged on this is 2010 and since nothing new has transpired for the MITIM since then, I think the blog holds – https://unfoldingworld.typepad.com/our_first_year_everywhere/2010/10/who-was-that-masked-man.html

The 15 minute sailing each way was delightful on a sunny, cool day and the kids got a new perspective on Cannes, the Mediterranean and the view of Antibes down the coast. In the end, Ailyn did not pull out her sketch pad, instead taking photos to use for sketching later at the apartment.

When we got back to Cannes at around 3:30, the kids' energy was dipping. So we had a snack at the Christmas Market including hot roasted chestnuts and then went to buy those take-home dinner items Sennen and I had envisioned earlier in the day. The charcuterie shop with all its quiches, feuilletes, prepared delicacies, meats and cheeses blew the kids' mind. But not enough to get any cheeses there. They wanted another trip to the fromagier to each pick one more cheese – for a proper platter.

So we went home with bags full of food packets, took it easy and indeed enjoyed a cheese plate followed by prepared items from the charcuterie for dinner. Even though we were home by 5:00, it was clear it wasn't at all too soon. Sennen's battery was low and both were in the mood for an easy evening. Change of time zone and remnants of a cold aside, a normal day in Cannes is probably four or more times the walking they usually do in a typical day at home. Which amazingly, they seem to really enjoy.

This is also why Airbnb works so well for long stays with kids. We have a "home base" and if we want to eat in, we can. A late morning, an early night – a rest in the middle of the day, they're all options especially since we can spread out, relax and are not dependent on restaurant dining.

In fact, that will be critical on Monday. I plan to hit up that charcuterie again for some food to carry us through Christmas. France is all about a quiet Christmas and little to nothing will be open. That's fine by us. We can enjoy a gourmet meal from the comfort of our centrally located three bedroom apartment and join the Cannoises in appreciating a peaceful Christmas.

But maybe one more visit to the Christmas Market before in closes tomorrow night because as Ailyn emphatically shared, "Christmas Market good is DELICIOUS!" A cookie butter crepe will do that to you.